Angry French farmers are calling for more protests over the government-backed slaughter of cattle herds affected by so-called Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).
On Thursday, there were clashes between riot police and demonstrators in the southern Ariège department, after vets were called in to destroy potentially contaminated cattle at a farm.
Elsewhere in the south, farmers have dumped manure outside government buildings and blocked roads. The offices of several environmentalist groups were ransacked in the Charente-Maritime department.
LSD is a highly contagious bovine disease that is transmitted mainly by fly bites. Symptoms include fever, mucal discharge, and nodules on the skin.
Though mainly non-fatal, LSD can severely affect milk production, leaving the cows unsaleable. The disease first entered Europe from Africa about ten years ago, with the first documented outbreak in France occurring in the Alps in June.
The government's policy of slaughtering entire herds where a single animal has been infected has faced bitter opposition from two of the three main farmers' unions: Conféderation Rurale and Conféderation Paysanne argue that the approach is overly drastic and suggest that a combination of selective culling and vaccination would suffice.
Veterinarians, however, say that the full-slaughter policy is necessary because there is currently no way to distinguish between healthy and symptomless animals carrying the virus. As of now, around 110 outbreaks of LSD have been reported in France, with the government attributing the spread to the illegal movement of cattle. Approximately 3,000 animals have been culled.
Worries are growing among the French government that these protests could escalate, amidst a farming community increasingly feeling threatened by EU regulations and foreign competition. A major protest is planned in Brussels coinciding with a summit of EU leaders, as multiple French agricultural sectors grapple with crises.
