Italian poultry sector resists covid-19 crisis, but slowdown is inevitable
The Italian poultry sector is standing in front of the covid-19 crisis that appeared in Europe but "slowdown in activity in inevitable", confirmed Mr. Antonio Forlini (photo), President of UnaItalia, in a statement for EuroMeat News.
"Italian poultry chain is generally well-prepared regarding security protocols and crisis management and companies and their suppliers can continue to operate, according to the crisis legislation adopted by the Italian government as essential goods for feeding the population.
All poultry and egg producers in Italy are continuing all the operations, such as breeding, slaughtering, production and distribution, with inevitable slowdown and yet under precautionary and responsible protocols following the recommendations of authorities. Security protocols have been early adopted – even before the release of official guidelines - to minimize the risk of contagion between workers in all offices and plants, adopting smart working, social distancing, shifts slowdown, and preventive temperature measurement" said Mr. Forlini.
Due to availability in prices, poultry and eggs were the main choices in the animal protein segment for the Italian consumers when the restrictionary measures imposed by the coronavirus outbreak forced them to stockpile reserves of food in homes for at least a week or so.
The trend is present in most of the markets as some of the retail chains have closed their grocery counters and the foodservice segment, mainly based on takeaway, barely covers the demand of food in the market. An increased number of home meals served with the family is expected to change the dietary habits in the markets impacted by the covid-19 crisis and a small picture of this new reality comes from Italy, where poultry and poultry products are still in high demand.
"Poultry and egg producers are now facing the increasing demand from retailers, such as large supermarkets, pushed by the increased domestic consumption while the HoReCa sector shuts down. This is possible thanks to the commitment and responsibility of management and workers of the whole poultry chain. We are very proud of all the efforts thanks to which we still guarantee the production of meat and eggs to the Italian population in this dramatic situation.
All the Italian poultry and egg producers are also supporting local communities with donations to hospital and emergency services, and with economic bonuses and health insurance for workers, for at least 5 million euros until now", added UnaItalia's President, Antonio Forlini.
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