“Hammer blow” for breeders: faced with the spread of a contagious lumpy skin disease in herds in three French regions, the Government decided on Friday to suspend exports of live animals for two weeks, a measure that angered the FNSEA.
In 2024, France, the world’s leading exporter of live animals and genetics (2.8 billion euros in 2024), sent about 1.3 million young cattle abroad, according to the Livestock Institute, for more than one billion euros according to customs. These animals mainly go to Spain and Italy to be fattened, and sometimes return to France to be slaughtered. These two border countries have also recorded cases of contagious dermatosis: Italy a few days before the arrival of the disease in France in June and Spain more recently.
“For 15 days we will close the export markets. There will be no departure of animals outside the national territory,” confirmed the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, on a trip to Jura, where three outbreaks have been detected in recent weeks. On Friday, the minister convened a “Health Parliament” (breeders, veterinarians, specialists, authorities, etc.), during which she announced a reinforcement of controls and restrictions on the movement of animals in the regulated areas around the outbreaks.
Unions regret the decision
The FNSEA, which until then had supported the entire government strategy, was very surprised by the suspension of exports decided “without consultation.” At a time when the dominant union expects flexibility to export young vaccinated cattle from regulated areas, it does not understand the total cessation of exports throughout the territory.
Vaccination will be “imposed” on those who reject it and illegal movements will be “sanctioned” (fine or denial of compensation for sacrifice), the minister stated on Friday. In France, agricultural festivals with animals and bullfights are prohibited, as well as livestock markets in the affected regions. According to a statement from the ministry, the outbreaks recorded in Ain, the Rhône, the Jura or the Pyrénées-Orientales, while the epicenter of the disease was located in Savoy and Haute-Savoie, “are probably the result” of “illicit” movements.
For the Peasant Confederation and the Rural Coordination, agricultural unions that have constantly denounced the systematic total slaughter and “unsustainable” regulations, particularly for those whose livestock were trapped at altitude, it is “unbearable” to accuse the ranchers in this way.
“In 15 days it will be possible to resume”
The administration explained during the morning meeting that it was taking the initiative ahead of a meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, which could result in an even stricter decision to restrict exports for France – potentially dramatic for an already fragile sector, it says. After meeting with local agents, the minister put on a safety suit to attend the vaccination at a farm in Montbéliardes, in her home region, where the county’s products are produced.
“We are obliged (to make this decision), because the European Commission is watching us very closely,” Annie Genevard told reporters.
According to the unions, these two countries are open to the import of young vaccinated cattle. For this reason, the Rural Coordination and the Peasant Confederation call for the vaccination of the entire French livestock population and not just the regulated areas.
The Government has indicated that so far it has ordered 800,000 vaccines at 1.40 euros per unit (that is, 1.12 million euros) for a French herd of 15.7 million head, according to Sylvie Colas. The national secretary for Rural Coordination, Christian Convers, adds that a meeting should be held at the ministry on Monday to discuss, in particular, vaccination and, he hopes, the culling strategy. If Jura is added to the latest official report, almost 2,000 animals have been slaughtered since June.
Source: BFM TV
