France increases compensation for livestock farmers

Although the spread of EHD in France has slowed significantly in these winter months, the number of infected farms in France is still nearing 4,000. Photo: Hans Prinsen

Following the recent massive protests by farmers in France, which has seen motorways and city centres blocked, amongst other protest actions across the country, the government in Paris promised a wide range of measures to make farmers’ lives easier.

One of those pledges already acted upon is an increase of the compensation for livestock farmers hit by Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease (EHD). The Ministry of Agriculture published the necessary decrees on 5 February, the first Sunday after the main action week paralysed a large part of the country. Farmers who have had animals killed by the disease or culled for reasons of prevention will receive 90% of the value of those animals as compensation from the state.

They can also apply for a similar payment for the costs of vets that were needed to care for infected animals or to carry out the compulsory pre-transport and other tests. Additionally, the department of agriculture also allocated €50 million for damages suffered by farmers as well as cattle traders who were hit by the temporary bans on the export of live cattle to Spain and Italy.

Minister Marc Fesneau: “The prime minister, during a visit to a livestock farmer, promised to have this extra support available as soon as possible. Thanks to the cooperation of the livestock organisations involved as well as the hard work of the people here at my department, we’ve succeeded in getting this on the road on 5 February, well within the promised time frame.”

EHD in France

Although the spread of EHD in France has slowed significantly over the winter months, the number of infected farms in France is still nearing 4,000. Since the discovery of the first infected animals in September last year, the department recorded 3,812 new cases, with 20 regions affected.

The vast majority of these cases are still in the very south-west of the country, in the region of the border of Spain, which has also had an EHP epidemic. The 150 km prevention zones around infected farms now reach as far as Normandy near the Channel in the north or the Indre region in the east of the country. A small part of the country falls within the prevention zone around infected farms in neighbouring Switzerland.

The Department of Agriculture in Paris is still carrying out a study at infected farms to establish the mortality rate and other specifics of the EHD epidemic.