Minister open to easing cattle cull rules as French farmers block motorways

Farmers across south-west France are continuing to block major roads and motorways on Monday in protest against the government’s handling of contagious lumpy skin disease (DNC = dermatose nodulaire contagieuse), with traffic disruption spreading and pressure mounting on the Agriculture Minister to revise the culling protocol.

The A64 between Toulouse and Bayonne remains closed for a fourth day, while blockades are also affecting sections of the A63, A65, A75 and A9. 

In Occitanie, farmers are blocking the RN20 near Tarascon-sur-Ariège, cutting access to Andorra, while further actions are under way in the Tarn, Aveyron and Gard.

Farm unions say the mobilisation will continue indefinitely unless mass slaughter of herds is suspended.

Minister opens door to change

For the first time since the crisis began, French agriculture minister Annie Genevard has publicly signalled that the government may be willing to reconsider its policy of systematic culling.

Speaking on France 2 on Monday morning, she said “the discussion is open” on a possible suspension of blanket abattage of affected herds, adding that farmers had put forward “serious and well-thought-out proposals”.

“I am a woman of dialogue,” she said, pledging to meet “everyone” involved in the dispute this week, while stopping short of announcing any immediate change to the protocol.

Culling at heart of anger

The protests were triggered by the slaughter of entire herds after confirmed cases of DNC in Ariège and Haute-Garonne, including 207 cattle culled last week at a single Ariège farm. Several other farms in Haute-Garonne are currently under investigation for suspected cases, with test results pending.

The highly contagious viral disease causes fever, skin lesions and reduced productivity in cattle but does not pose a risk to humans through meat or milk. 

Since late June, 111 outbreaks have been detected in France, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

While the government insists that rapid culling, movement restrictions and targeted vaccination have successfully contained earlier outbreaks in eastern France, many farmers argue the strategy is disproportionate and economically devastating.

Vaccination campaign launched

Ms Genevard is in Haute-Garonne on Monday afternoon to launch a mass vaccination campaign covering between 600,000 and one million cattle in affected zones and surrounding buffer areas. She will also chair a crisis meeting at the Toulouse prefecture with local officials, veterinary services and farm unions.

“The vaccination campaign is today the principal horizon of hope for cattle farmers,” the ministry said, with the minister insisting that “the situation is under control”, citing only two active infected farms at present.

The Coordination rurale, which is leading many of the blockades, has appealed directly to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to intervene. 

Its president, Bertrand Venteau, said the current strategy “does not work” and called for preventive vaccination beyond infected zones and an immediate halt to mass culling.

As talks begin, farmers occupying motorway sites say they are prepared to remain in place for days - or longer - if concrete commitments do not follow.