French farmers rebel over disease policy and trade concerns

French farmers have staged widespread protests across the country, blocking roads, dumping manure, and demonstrating in a fierce backlash against government cattle disease-control measures and broader agricultural policies.

Demonstrators have been particularly active in the south-west, including the A64 near Toulouse, using tractors and makeshift barricades to disrupt traffic.

Farmers have also gathered outside President Emmanuel Macron’s residence in Le Touquet, placing a coffin marked “RIP Agri” and “NO Mercosur”, while protesters have thrown potatoes at public buildings in the southern city of Avignon.

See also: European farmers bring chaos to Brussels over trade fears

The unrest stems from frustration over the French government’s handling of contagious lumpy skin disease, an infectious condition affecting cattle.

Authorities have ordered culling of herds in affected areas, which many farmers say are excessive and devastating to their livelihoods.

In response, France has deployed military logistics to support a large-scale vaccination campaign, planning to inoculate up to one million cattle alongside targeted culls.

The outbreak has reignited farmer frustration, highlighting concerns over a perceived long-term decline in French agriculture driven by foreign competition, rising costs, higher taxes, and strict environmental and animal welfare regulations.

Trade concerns

Farmers have also voiced anger over the mooted EU-Mercosur trade deal, arguing it threatens domestic agriculture by opening markets to cheaper South American imports.

European Commission approval has been delayed until at least mid January amid political pressure in France, Belgium, and other EU countries.

The AHDB warns that UK livestock farmers could face heightened competition and price pressure from lower-welfare South American beef and poultry, even outside the EU, if the deal proceeds.

On 19 December, the French government called for a “Christmas truce”, warning against further blockades. Some roads in the south‑west have reopened, but protests are continuing in some regions.

Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has met with the leaders of four farming unions and promised a more detailed response to their concerns on lumpy skin disease and wider issues in early January.

Urgent demands

Following the meeting, the FNSEA, France’s largest farming union, said in a statement: “We demand a clear direction for French and European agriculture, concrete actions on farms, and decisions consistent with food sovereignty.

“Farmers are at their wits’ end and can no longer wait.

“If we want to produce and make a living from our work, now is the time to act by providing immediate answers to our demands.”

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