France's agriculture minister has called on angry farmers to have faith in the government's controversial strategy of mass cattle culls and vaccinations, aimed at controlling a severe outbreak of an infectious bovine disease. The plea comes as agricultural workers continue their roadblock protests, vehemently opposing the slaughter of entire herds.
Government Strategy Meets Farmer Fury
Since lumpy skin disease, also known as nodular dermatitis, was first detected in France in June, the state's official response has been to cull infected herds and vaccinate all cattle within a 50-kilometre radius. Last week, the inoculation campaign was expanded to cover up to one million head of cattle in the southwestern Nouvelle-Aquitaine and southeastern Occitanie regions.
Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard defended the plan on Monday, December 15, 2025, during a visit to Toulouse. "We must rely on science," she stated, following a discreet tour of the Occitanie region. "I want to stand with the breeders in Occitanie. But I also want to protect the entirety of the French herd," she added, referencing the nation's 125,000 livestock breeders and 16 million head of cattle.
Roadblocks and Emotional Appeals
The protests erupted after veterinarians, on Friday, slaughtered a herd of more than 200 cows in a village near the Spanish border following the discovery of a single case. Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the final protesters attempting to protect the animals in Les Bordes-sur-Arize.
Farmers have since blocked major motorways. Near Carbonne, south of Toulouse, protesters grilled sausages next to hay bales shaped like a cow. "Leaving the motorway is out of the question," declared livestock breeder Cedric Baron. "We've put up Christmas trees and we're ready to celebrate." Signs reading "Stop the slaughter" were displayed over the roadway.
Similar blockades occurred outside Bordeaux, where farmer Christophe Ubeda criticised the policy as excessive. "You can't just wipe out herds like that, just because one of them is sick. You do tests," he argued. "When a human is ill, you don't kill the whole family."
The emotional toll on farmers was highlighted by Sarah Dumigron, who runs a farm near Bordeaux. She vowed to fight "to the end" for her 30 Galloway cows. "At the farm, cows have a name, their own personality and story," she said. "I've looked after them at night, I work with them seven days a week."
Economic Stakes and Broader Trade Tensions
Not all industry voices oppose the government. Culture Viande, a union representing slaughterhouses and meat wholesalers, defended the plan on Monday. They called it "the only one capable of ensuring total control of health risks while preserving economic and commercial balances."
The stakes are high for France, a global leader in live animal exports. In 2024 alone, the country exported nearly 1.3 million young cattle, worth over one billion euros, primarily to Italy and Spain for fattening.
The cattle disease crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of wider agricultural discontent. French farmers are also angered by an expected European Union trade deal with South American nations (Mercosur). They fear the agreement will flood the EU market with cheap beef and other products, undercutting local producers. Some farmers plan to drive tractors to Brussels on Thursday to protest this deal.
As the standoff continues, the French government faces the dual challenge of containing a damaging animal disease outbreak and placating a vital sector of its economy that feels under threat from both health policies and international trade agreements.
