Farmers Protest Mass Culling in Ariège Over Contagious Nodular Dermatitis Outbreak

On December 11, 2025, hundreds of farmers rallied in Bordes-sur-Arize, Ariège, protesting the government's plan to cull a herd of 207 cattle infected with contagious nodular dermatitis (DNC). The disease, first detected in this region and Hautes-Pyrénées in December, follows an earlier outbreak in Savoie since June 29, 2025. Despite farmers’ protests and road blockades preventing veterinary euthanasia efforts, prefect Hervé Brabant justified the culling as a necessary health measure to protect French livestock, describing it as "the best solution we can provide."

The protests saw nearly 600 activists from various agricultural unions opposing the culling order and advocating for alternative approaches. These groups have proposed an experimental protocol to the Ministry of Agriculture that limits culling exclusively to infected cattle, while closely monitoring the remaining herd through PCR testing over four to six weeks. They also demand rapid and widespread vaccination efforts beyond the current regulated 50-kilometer zones, and the establishment of a 5-kilometer protection zone around affected farms.

Additional tension arose as another DNC case emerged in Luby-Betmont, Hautes-Pyrénées, prompting similar demonstrations from local farmers opposing mass culling. Sebastien Durand, president of the Coordination Rurale in Ariège, condemned the total slaughter as an “absurdity” and pointed to poor government handling of the crisis since June.

The Ministry of Agriculture maintains that the situation is under control and considers preventive vaccination for the entire French cattle herd. However, this vaccination strategy has generated divisions among stakeholders. While DNC is not transmissible to humans, it can cause severe harm and death in cattle, driving the urgency behind government measures.