Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the national egg industry, she stated: "The future of the French egg is a collective responsibility. The plans of the egg industry organisation CNBO to build 300 new poultry houses is indispensable for our food sovereignty."
She urged greater public acceptance of new or expanded livestock facilities, noting that many consumers object to farms near residential areas while purchasing imported eggs that do not match French or EU production standards.
"French agriculture is the most virtuous in the world, but also the most demanding. We must support our livestock farmers who do everything they can to deliver quality products," the minister emphasised.
Genevard announced measures to ease administrative procedures for poultry farmers, including simplified authorisation processes for farm expansion or establishment. Mandatory public consultation meetings will be eliminated, and certain complex environmental regulations will apply to far fewer operations.
She also intends to reduce the import quota for eggs from Ukraine by 22 percent to prevent market distortion and protect local producers. The move follows concerns raised by the CNBO about large retail chains selling significant volumes of Ukrainian eggs.
The minister praised the sector's progress on animal welfare, highlighting France's leadership in ending routine male chick culling and further reducing cage-based production. “We can be proud of what we already have achieved. France is ahead of the European average,” she said.
However, Genevard stressed the need for continued improvement in Salmonella control, stating: "We're not yet where we want to be as regard to vaccination."
These initiatives aim to strengthen France's egg production capacity, streamline regulatory requirements, and maintain high standards of food quality and animal welfare while ensuring competitive conditions for domestic producers.
