farmers oppose fellings

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A muscular mobilization took place on Monday November 3 in the Pyrénées-Orientales to try to oppose the slaughter of cattle. Around 2,700 animals have been slaughtered since the disease appeared in June, including 250 in the Pyrénées-Orientales department alone. A figure far too high for breeders. “This is a great despair for farms that respect the environment. They have everything to prosper. We are dejected“, laments Pierre Régné, breeder and trade unionist from Aude.

To stop lumpy skin disease, which is highly contagious, the only effective strategy for the government is to cull cattle. A vaccination campaign is also being implemented, with animal movement restrictions.

But some farmers’ unions hope that the blacklist of slaughters will stop. “I think that the majority of people no longer want to stupidly and kindly accept the total slaughter of their infected herds. So, at some point, we will have to find a solution to manage the disease differently.“, estimates Nicolas Girod, president of the Peasant Confederation in Jura.

A rally will take place on Tuesday November 4 at 10 a.m. in front of the Jura prefecture.