Students are preparing a video to replace the Agricultural Education Trophy competition, which was supposed to be held at the Paris International Agricultural Show. At an agricultural high school in the Norman town of Yvetot, on February 12, 2026. FLORENCE BROCHOIRE FOR LE MONDE
This year, there will be no prize cow, no Charolais bulls, Tarentaise heifers, nor even a single calf. The complete absence of cattle in the popular Hall 1 of the Paris International Agricultural Show, on the opening day, Saturday, February 21, will leavea strong impression.
Even though President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the unprecedented situation and explicitly requested that the animals be present at the show, livestock farmers have stood firm. They refused to risk their animals' health for the sake of parading them in the capital. Politicians will, therefore, miss out on the traditional photo opportunities granted by the show: arriving at milking time, posing with cattle, strolling the aisles, surrounded by magnificent prize-winning animals.
The lack of cattle sends a powerful signal about the fear and shock generated by the latest livestock health crisis, the lumpy skin disease epidemic that has severely rocked the cattle sector since the summer of 2025, when it first appeared in the Alps.
