French farmers, weary from months of uncertainty and protest, finally received a glimmer of hope this week as the country’s Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, announced that the dangerous outbreak of dermatose nodulaire contagieuse (DNC)—a highly contagious cattle disease—has been brought under control. Speaking on BFMTV-RMC on January 12, 2026, Genevard declared, "There are no longer any active cases of DNC in the country. The epizootic is under control." For a nation whose agricultural backbone has been tested by both disease and political turmoil, the news marks a rare bright spot.
The DNC outbreak, which had gripped the southwest of France in recent months, threatened to devastate the country’s cattle industry. According to reporting from l’Opinion and BFMTV, the disease—classified as Category A by European health authorities due to its severe contagiousness and economic impact—could have killed as much as 10% of France’s bovine population if left unchecked. Since the first detected cases on June 29, 2025, at least 108 outbreaks were recorded across at least seven departments, including Haute-Savoie, Savoie, and Ain.
The government’s response was swift and, by some accounts, draconian. In an effort to halt the spread, authorities ordered the euthanization of at least 2,700 cows. Each time a new outbreak was detected, the entire affected herd was culled. For many farmers, these mass slaughters were devastating. The psychological toll was immense, with Genevard herself acknowledging the "painful ordeal" endured by the agricultural community. "The cullings are heartbreaking for them," she noted on BFMTV.
But the tide began to turn thanks to a combination of cold weather and a massive vaccination campaign. The Agriculture Ministry oversaw what Genevard described as an "exploit": nearly 90% of the 750,000 bovines in the affected zones were vaccinated in just a few weeks. The campaign’s urgency was clear—without it, the disease’s toll could have been catastrophic. Just days before her announcement, Genevard had reported that 85% of the country’s cattle had received the vaccine, a figure that quickly climbed as the campaign accelerated.
The successful containment of DNC did not come without controversy. The government’s management of the crisis, particularly the mass culling and the speed of its response, sparked outrage among farmers. In early January, protests erupted across France, with farmers staging blockades and demonstrations not only against the handling of the epizootic but also in opposition to the proposed EU-Mercosur trade agreement. According to Agence France-Presse, hundreds of tractors descended on Paris, surrounding landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in a show of force. The Coordination Rurale (CR), a right-leaning farmers’ union known for its radical tactics, led the charge but was soon joined by groups from across the political spectrum, including the leftist Confédération Paysanne and even radical environmentalists. As Natacha Guillemet of the CR told l’Opinion, "We have the same fight against the cullings, but that’s the only thing we have in common."
The protests were not limited to the capital. Blockades sprang up on major highways in the north, including the A27 and A2, disrupting traffic between France and Belgium. Anthime Coupet, president of the Jeunes Agriculteurs for Nord and Pas-de-Calais, told AFP that "about a hundred French and Belgian farmers are mobilized" on these routes, with plans to maintain the blockades until at least Monday. "We have no intention of backing down," he said. The Ministry of the Interior reported that more than 2,200 protesters and 625 tractors participated in 67 separate actions across 39 departments outside Paris.
Underlying the anger is a deeper anxiety about the future of French farming. The imminent EU-Mercosur trade deal, which would allow increased imports of South American beef, sugar, and poultry—often produced to lower standards than those required in Europe—has sparked fears of unfair competition and falling prices. Despite President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would vote against the agreement at a Brussels meeting on January 16, 2026, the deal is expected to pass, as France has been unable to muster a blocking minority within the EU. "The fight will be hard and long," said Bertrand Venteau, president of the Coordination Rurale, vowing that farmers are "ready to return" to the streets if necessary.
The government, for its part, has tried to calm tempers. In the wake of the protests, both French and EU officials made repeated promises to address farmers’ concerns, but the memory of recent hardships lingers. Genevard, speaking again on BFMTV, urged farmers to "calm down and evaluate what will be said," hinting at forthcoming announcements. However, many in the farming community remain skeptical, especially as the government’s opposition to the trade deal is widely seen as symbolic rather than decisive.
As for the immediate crisis, the successful vaccination campaign and the onset of cold weather have, for now, halted the spread of DNC. "There are no new cases in the country," Genevard reiterated, crediting both nature and science for the turnaround. Yet the cost has been high, both in terms of animal lives and the trust between farmers and the state. The DNC outbreak has exposed not only the vulnerability of France’s livestock sector but also the deep divisions within its agricultural community—divisions that span the political spectrum and reflect broader societal anxieties about globalization, food security, and rural livelihoods.
Looking ahead, farmers’ unions are planning a major gathering in Strasbourg on January 20 if the EU-Mercosur agreement is signed, signaling that the battle over the future of French agriculture is far from over. For now, though, the immediate threat of DNC has been quelled. As Annie Genevard put it, "What has been done is an exploit." Whether this achievement will be enough to restore confidence and unity among France’s farmers remains to be seen.
After months of turmoil, the nation’s cattle herds are safe for now, but the political and economic storms swirling around French agriculture show no signs of abating.