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 which is transmitted mainly by fly-bites. The symptoms are fever, mucal discharge and nodules on the skin.
Though mainly non-fatal, it can badly affect milk production and the cows are unsaleable.
The disease arrived in Europe from Africa about ten years ago. France's first outbreak was in the Alps in June, when an infected herd forced the Tour de France cycle race to cut short one of its stages.
The government's policy of slaughtering entire herds where a single animal has been infected has faced strong opposition from two of three main farmers' unions. The Conféderation Rurale and Conféderation Paysanne argue the policy is excessively severe and unnecessary, suggesting that a combination of selective culling and vaccination would suffice.
However, many veterinarians oppose this view, stating that currently, it is impossible to differentiate between healthy animals and symptomless carriers of the disease. Since June, about 110 outbreaks of LSD have been reported across France, resulting in the slaughter of roughly 3,000 animals.
The French government is increasingly concerned that this discontent among farmers may escalate into a broader movement, especially against the backdrop of the EU norms and competition. A significant protest is scheduled in Brussels next week coinciding with a summit of EU leaders, as several agricultural sectors in France face crises due to various causes, including a proposed EU free-trade agreement allowing more imports from South America.
