French farmers protest cattle culls over lumpy skin disease

(MENAFN) Farmers in France, particularly in the southwest, staged protests on Friday against the planned culling of cattle after cases of nodular dermatitis, commonly known as lumpy skin disease, were identified.

Livestock breeders organized blockades and demonstrations outside public offices nationwide to oppose the slaughter of roughly 200 infected cows at a farm in Bordes-sur-Arize, located in the Ariege department, according to reports
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Protesters had been gathered at the site since Wednesday, blocking veterinary services from accessing the farm. Clashes with gendarmes occurred late Thursday when officers regained control of the farm, reportedly using tear gas to disperse around 500 demonstrators and arresting four individuals, all of whom were later released.

On Friday morning, veterinary teams, escorted by police, carried out the culling of approximately 200 cows. Protests spread across southern France, with demonstrators blocking highways and gathering in front of public buildings to prevent further culls. In Bordeaux, farmers dumped multiple truckloads of agricultural waste near various institutions.

At least 200 farmers assembled Friday near another farm in the Hautes-Pyrenees, where 20 cattle were scheduled to be culled.

The Confederation Paysanne, one of France’s leading farmers’ unions, called for “blockades across France” to oppose the government’s management of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told reporters that authorities had “no choice but to cull” the infected cows, explaining that “vaccines don’t work once the cows are already contaminated.”

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