Poultry and Egg Production in France

France has about 13 percent of the EU chicken production and 31 percent of the turkey production, making France the largest poultry producer in Europe. The EU-25 produces 11 million metric tons (MMT) of poultry meat annually and exports one million tons. In 2004, France produced about two million tons of poultry and exported .7 million tons of chicken, turkey, duck and guinea fowl. France is the fourth largest exporter of poultry meat and products in the world, after the U.S., China and Brazil.

France's main export market is the Middle East. The French commercial poultry flock exceeded 260 million head in 2004, including significant duck, guinea fowl and quail flocks. The Brittany and Pays de Loire regions of western France account for 66 percent of the poultry production.

There are about 30,000 poultry farms in France and 42 percent of the farms rear birds in the open air. Free range chickens account for 17.5 percent of total poultry slaughtered. Following the confirmation of avian influenza cases in wild birds in Germany, France has temporarily banned outdoor poultry raising in 21 regions out of 94. Those 21 regions are deemed more vulnerable to exposure of migratory fowl.

Egg production in France was 1.010 million metric tons (MMT) in 2004, up from .996 MMT in 2003. Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland were the other top hen egg producers in Europe.

France has a net trade deficit in eggs. In 2004, France imported 131,000 MT in-shell equivalent and exported 116,000 MT in-shell equivalent. Since France exports more value-added egg products, in value, exports exceed imports.

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Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 29th November 2005