French farmers protest over cattle cull linked to lumpy skin disease

Farmers in France staged protests on Saturday (13 December) over the culling of cattle linked to an outbreak of nodular dermatitis, commonly known as lumpy skin disease (LSD).

Protesters accused the government of a heavy-handed response, while authorities said up to one million cattle would be vaccinated in the coming weeks.

The demonstrations took place in towns including Agen in Lot-et-Garonne and Bordes-sur-Arize in Ariège, where farmers arrived with dozens of tractors, dumping manure and tyres outside public buildings. In Ariège, clashes with law enforcement occurred when police used tear gas and dispersed fires lit from hay bales and pallets as farmers tried to block veterinary services from euthanising more than 200 cows.

Farmers have also threatened to take their protests to Brussels next Thursday, planning to drive tractors into the city as the European Union considers whether to approve a free-trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc. Agriculture unions, including Coordination Rurale and Confédération Paysanne, said the government had ignored farmers’ concerns, warning that many farms were on the brink of financial collapse.

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