US EditionFarmers Call for French Blockades over Cow Disease Cull
Authorities culled over 200 cows to contain lumpy skin disease amid protests by farmers opposing the measure as excessive, with 3,000 cattle vaccinated in Ariège, officials said.
- On Friday, French police escorted veterinarians to a Les-Bordes-sur-Arize farm to slaughter more than 200 Blonde d'Aquitaine cows diagnosed with nodular dermatitis.
- The French government says the culls, vaccinations and movement rules are necessary to contain lumpy skin disease detected since June, with 3,000 of the 33,000 cattle in Ariège vaccinated.
- Tactics-first: With tractors and chopped trees, farmers blocked roads and burned hay bales to stop vets, while security forces used tear gas and made arrests; Pierre-Guillaume Mercadal said, `They are tearing this family apart`.
- Officials will offer psychological support to affected farmers as the French government warns unrest could spread, with a big protest planned in Brussels next week during the EU leaders' summit.
- Lumpy skin disease is insect-borne and non-zoonotic, causing blisters and reduced milk production; cases appeared in Italy and Spain this year after arriving in Europe years ago.
19 Articles
19 Articles
France to vaccinate cattle for lumpy skin disease as farmers protest against cull
By Mathieu Rosemain and Sybille de La Hamaide PARIS, Dec 13 (Reuters) – France will vaccinate 1 million head of cattle in the coming weeks against lumpy skin disease, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said on Saturday, as protesting farmers blocked roads in opposition to the government’s large-scale culling policy. The announcement comes after several outbreaks of the highly contagious disease prompted authorities to order the culling of enti…
Farmers clash with police in southwest France over mass cattle culls and trade fears
Farmers in southwest France blocked major roads overnight from Friday to Saturday, setting fire to hay bales and clashing with police in protest at government‑ordered cattle culls linked to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease.
ledauphine.com
The Rural Coordination and the Farmers' Confederation are stepping up their protests against the systematic culling of animals as part of the fight against lumpy skin disease (LSD). Meanwhile, the government and the FNSEA are trying to calm things down.
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