FRANCE | France has announced a series of strengthened support measures for farmers as part of its ongoing strategy to control bovine tuberculosis and reduce its impact on livestock farming.
Under a new decree, compensation for cattle slaughtered on administrative orders has been significantly increased, rising from EUR 350 to EUR 850 per animal depending on age.
Additional payments have also been raised for pedigree cattle and breeding bulls. These provisions apply immediately to animals culled under the 2025–2026 disease control campaign.
In parallel, the state will fully cover the costs of cleaning and disinfection operations on infected farms, while also providing compensation for animals that must be euthanised or cannot be transported to slaughterhouses.
Further adjustments aim to reflect the real economic impact on farms. Temporary production losses may now be compensated for a longer period, particularly for dairy farms and organic systems affected by selective culling. However, the decree also provides for reduced compensation in cases where farmers fail to comply with mandatory biosecurity measures.
These measures are part of France’s broader 2024–2029 “tuberculosis roadmap”, which aims to achieve the long-term eradication of the disease through reinforced surveillance, improved biosecurity, and more targeted regional approaches. The strategy builds on previous national eradication plans and adapts tools to local epidemiological situations.
Several additional actions are already underway, including a more flexible selective culling protocol to avoid systematic whole-herd slaughter in all infected farms, continued state investment in biosecurity training and farm risk audits until the end of 2027, and improved coordination between veterinary services, public health agencies, and social security bodies to better monitor potential human exposure risks.
Wildlife management is also being strengthened through greater recognition of licensed trappers, who help limit disease transmission in wild animal populations.
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