France scraps nearly all lumpy-skin cattle-movement bans on the eve of the Paris International Agriculture Fair, yet farmers’ boycott leaves the 2026 show floor cow-free for the first time in its history.
Instant rollback after seven weeks with no new cases
At 08:00 CET Friday, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard signed the order that erases almost every restriction on bovine transport imposed last December to contain lumpy skin disease. The decree, read live on France Inter, takes effect immediately, allowing trucks to move calves, dairy cows and breeding stock across 95 % of the country without permits.
The only leftover red zone is a sliver of the Pyrénées-Orientales department bordering Spain, where a single cross-border outbreak remains under surveillance. Everywhere else, cattle can return to markets, pastures and abattoirs that were off-limits after 117 outbreaks surfaced near the Alps and south-west over the winter.
Why the timing matters: 600 000 visitors expected starting Saturday
Genevard’s announcement lands fewer than 24 hours before the gates of the Salon International de l’Agriculture open at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The fair pumps roughly €400 million into the capital’s economy each February and is the livestock sector’s biggest annual shop-window. Lifting the transport ban now lets exhibitors restock beef and dairy genetics displays, but the animals themselves will still be missing.
Farmers’ boycott keeps pens empty despite green light
Organisers confirmed late Thursday that the traditional 500-head cattle parade is cancelled. Breeder unions, still angry over mandatory culls that destroyed entire herds, voted unanimously to leave the stalls bare. Children who swarm the show’s petting zone will instead find virtual-reality milking parlours and robot-feeder demos, a first in the event’s 59-year history.
- Tractors rolled down the Champs-Élysées last month in protest at what farmers called “heavy-handed slaughter policies.”
- The agriculture ministry confirmed 3 200 animals were culled since December, 70 % of them healthy but inside protection zones.
Europe’s worst-hit country tries to salvage reputation
France accounts for 42 % of all lumpy-skin detections in the EU this season, ahead of Italy and Spain. Genevard hopes the rapid reopening signals confidence to trading partners after live-export partners such as Algeria and Egypt suspended French cattle imports. Brussels vets are scheduled to audit compliance next week; Paris needs a clean bill of health before spring breeding sales worth €180 million.
What lumpy skin actually does
The pox virus, spread by biting flies and ticks, triggers high fever, skin nodules and drop in milk yield of up to 30 %. While it poses zero risk to humans, infected herds face trade bans under OIE rules. Vaccines exist but France opted for stamp-out eradication to maintain its “disease-free” certification.
Economic ripple effect
- Wholesale milk prices rose €0.04/L in January on fears of tighter supply.
- Beef futures at the Monts de Marsan auction fell 7 % after import curbs by North-African buyers.
- Feed suppliers warn of a €50 million backlog if 40 000 heifers cannot move to spring pastures on schedule.
What happens next
Genevard promised compensation cheques within ten days and a €100 million package for enhanced biosecurity. Meanwhile, veterinarians will maintain sentinel surveillance: every truckload arriving at markets must still carry digital health passports, and any farm reporting suspicious lesions faces 48-hour lockdown.
Whether the empty aisles of the 2026 fair become a one-off protest or a turning point in France’s livestock crisis will depend on whether farmers judge the ministry’s latest olive branch enough to rebuild trust—and trade—before next autumn’s breeding sales.
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