They blame the government for not having anticipated the vaccination of animals sufficiently and are demanding financial aid from the State, reports France Bleu Champagne-Ardenne.
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Around a hundred breeders demonstrated on Wednesday afternoon, September 4, in front of the Ardennes prefecture to denounce the management of the bluetongue epidemic in the department, reports France Bleu Champagne-Ardenne. Carcasses of animals that died from the disease were left in front of the gates of the building.
Angry breeders observed a minute of silence in front of the prefecture “in homage to dead animals” since the appearance of bluetongue in the department. They denounce a massacre in their farms, some breeders risk losing their entire herd.
They accuse the government of not having anticipated the vaccination of animals sufficiently and are demanding financial aid from the State: compensation for the direct and indirect losses of their animals.
Many local elected officials and parliamentarians were on site, coming to show their support to the breeders. They will co-sign a letter that will be sent to the Minister of Agriculture.
Last week, the government announced a new massive order of vaccines: more than five million doses in addition to the nearly six and a half million already ordered and paid for by the State. More than 300 outbreaks (342) of bluetongue serotype 3 have been confirmed as of August 29 in many French departments.
