Paris Agriculture Fair opens without cows for first time due to lumpy skin disease fears
France
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday inaugurated the annual Paris Agriculture Fair without cattle for the first time ever after an outbreak of lumpy skin disease. France's two main farmer unions also boycotted the traditional meeting with the president in a bid to highlight the difficulties faced by French farmers on the ground.
Issued on: 21/02/2026
LINK:https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260221-paris-agriculture-fair-opens-without-cows-for-first-time-due-to-disease-fearsCOMMENT: I object to that statement:"lumpy skin disease fears"...
...its not a fear its a concern and an observation.. when someone sees lumpy skin it is something to observe and be mindful of and it is wise to modify behavior around that "lumpy skin". Then again "Lumpy skin" is indeed something to be fearful about so perhaps it is okay to use the word fear. Anyway we should be fearful and concerned of it and not risk frivolous transportation of animals to have them congregate in situations that would spread diseases. It is animal abuse to parade animals around for the sake of money or entertainment when the welfare of the animal is at stake.
To me this is like that biblical story: The Judgement of Solomon a story from the Book of Kings in which Solomon ruled between two women who both claimed to be the mother of a child. Solomon ordered the baby be cut in half, with each woman to receive one half... Of course the real mother said Oh no don't cut him in half! the true mother begged and pleaded to give the child to the other woman to spare the child’s life. Recognizing the true mothers selflessness, Solomon awarded her the baby and declared her the rightful parent.
..its pretty easy to see who loves the animals and who doesn't love the animals enough to not risk the animal's health and who is willing to forgo seeing the animals at an event for the sake of the animal's welfare. Its pretty easy to see who has the best interest of the animal in mind and who is willing to risk a disease. Pretty easy to see who the good guys and bad guys are. To transport cattle to gatherings during a possible animal epidemic is akin to animal genocide not too mention the possibility of zoonotic spillover and human to human transmission occuring eventually. (And all this occurring during worldwide avian flu disaster.. it's not a time to take chances with lumpy skin disease' or avian influenza spreading amongst livestock for that matter. Instead stay at home and concentrate on securing health for animals at least have a backup plan and be ready to take measures in place for if or when avian flu strikes.. that's what should be advertised .. what should be advertised is safety and health of animals to be consumed... and what should not be promoted or advertised is a risky fair where animal's safety is jeopardized )
