At the French International Livestock Show, Professionals Worried About the Spread of Epizootic Diseases

French livestock farming is organising its international trade fair in Rennes. The Space opened on Tuesday 17 September. A total of 100,000 people are expected to attend until Thursday. This is primarily a trade fair which brings together 1,200 exhibitors from 120 countries. In the aisles of the fair, the profession is expressing its concern due to the presence of three epizootic diseases.

This is also why there are far fewer animals than usual at the show and especially fewer ewes and sheep: because of bluetongue. Bluetongue: 2,000 outbreaks in France. This is worse than the epizootics of 2007 and 2015. Jean-Roch Lemoine is assistant secretary of the National Federation: “This one is coming from the north and the south. I want to say ‘Surrender, you are surrounded’ but we are going to mobilize and we are going to defend ourselves.” A breeder himself in Aube, he is worried about meat production because on some farms, half of the livestock has disappeared: “For Christmas, people will have a piece of lamb on their plate if they want to buy some. For Easter, in my opinion, it might be more complicated. They will have to replace the sheep that died from the disease.”

Hence the importance of vaccination, he insists. Like his colleague from the cattle sector, Jean-François Guihard, president of Interbev: “To stop these diseases, we need vaccines.” This time, to fight another virus transmitted by a biting midge: MHE, an epizootic haemorrhagic disease affecting cows. Nearly 800 outbreaks in the country. He regrets the lack of doses. The State has ordered enough to vaccinate one in 18 cows in France: “We are very, very far from the mark. If we want to save livestock farming in France, we really have to work on this. Otherwise, it is the farms that will find themselves in difficulty.”

The sector that is doing best is poultry, despite the threat of avian flu. Two outbreaks have been discovered in Brittany recently. Jean-Michel Shaeffer is the head of Anvol, the interprofessional organization for meat poultry: “Overall, the situation has improved considerably. Vaccination has been in place since last year.” In this regard, he asks the government to take urgent decisions: “They have just announced a 70% coverage but only until December 31. It is important, when the future Minister of Agriculture is appointed and we hope as soon as possible, that he takes the issue of financing avian influenza head on.” In the absence of a minister, professionals are hoping for the arrival of Michel Barnier. The head of government is also expected by agricultural unions who have been lacking a response since last winter’s crisis.