Credit: Cactus, Letzebuerger Poulet
On 1 February 2018, Cactus introduced its new label " Cactus – Poulet vum Lëtzebuerger Bauer" in the presence of Fernand Etgen, Luxembourg Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Consumer Protection.
Due to demand for local high-quality chicken, Cactus and the five Luxembourg farmers of the Lëtzebuerger Poulet SARL have partnered to develop this kind of poultry sector for the first time in the country.
The goal is to match local producers and consumers, as Cactus has been doing since 1996 with the beef label "Cactus beef from the Luxembourgish Bauer" (“Cactus – Rëndfleesch vum Lëtzebuerger Bauer”). The partnership aims to ensure maximum traceability of breeders, who are required to respect all the Cactus criteria and legal obligations, as well as animal welfare.
Today, Lëtzebuerger Poulet SARL has five producers, each working with small henhouses on a rotation system allowing them to market chickens at regular intervals. The marketing of chickens has now moved to Cactus supermarkets.
The chickens produced by the group are fattened for 56 days without exposure to stressful situations (against 29 days for industrial chickens) and are fed cereals. Due to the low density of animals per henhouse, breeding is done without antibiotics and the animals receive only the essential vaccines at birth and those prescribed by the health authorities.
The idea of offering Luxembourg-sourced chicken has been one of Cactus’ goals since 2012. The project was completed in September last year when all parties agreed on the binding commitments and responsibilities of all stakeholders at the respective production levels.
