Brutal attitude
Why are authorities hiding the reason for the cow slaughter?
Author: Tatyana Rybakova
The mass slaughter of animals has been ongoing for two weeks, and the reasons have yet to be disclosed. Meanwhile, even pro-government bloggers have begun to defend the farmers, neighboring countries are restricting Russian meat exports, and residents of the affected regions fear shortages and price spikes for beef and dairy products.
In special operation mode
The first information about the mass slaughter of cattle in the Novosibirsk region is появились March 9. It was reported that cows and bulls were being seized en masse from private farms in the Novosibirsk region, euthanized, and burned. Officials, however, were not disclosing the reason or showing the documents on which the cattle were being seized, citing only a "dangerous disease." The most acute situation developed in the village of Kozikha, where virtually all the animals were being destroyed. "A quarantine was declared in the village of Kozikha—either for rabies or pasteurellosis. But there haven't been any confirmed cases of the disease. They're not taking tests, conducting no inspections. Meanwhile, there's a large agricultural holding just 6 km away—no one's touching it. Only ordinary people and their smallholdings were affected. My parents raised livestock for 30 years, and now they've been ordered to destroy everything: cows, calves, rams, pigs... burn everything. Almost the entire village of Kozikha is made up of such families. People make their living from farming. If this happens, the village will simply perish,” wrote One of the residents posted on a local public page. In the following days, mass slaughter of livestock occurred. spread Throughout the Novosibirsk region, as well as the Tomsk and Omsk regions, the Altai Krai, and Khakassia. Soon, the mass extermination of animals spread to the European part of Russia: Kalmykia, Udmurtia, the Penza and Saratov regions.
The villagers protested and tried to interfere The confiscation of animals is all in vain. Judging by numerous videos, everything is being carried out in the style of a real special operation: an entire convoy is entering the villages, which, in addition to slaughterers and equipment, includes buses with riot police and paddy wagons, and the most active protesters. delayThe rest are pushed back and the animals are herded into a field, where they are euthanized, burned, and their remains buried. Animals are taken even in the absence of their owners. The problem isn't limited to cattle: one resident had two camels, among others, taken and destroyed. Compensation for the destroyed animals has been promised at 170 rubles per kilogram of live weight—far less than the cost of even a heifer or a bull, according to farmers, who still need a couple of years of investment before they begin to generate profit. Moreover, the animals are not weighed, making even this compensation difficult to calculate.
In general, everything is done in violation of absolutely all veterinary regulations: they don't do tests, don't announce the reasons, don't weigh them, and don't check the animals' condition. One of the farmers has achieved A 10-day delay for an independent examination of his animals: the police and veterinarians left - but the next day arrived and animals were destroyed again. And all this is despite the general reimbursement and protests: even pro-government bloggers came to the defense of the farmers.
Versions and rumors
It is not surprising that in the absence of official documents and statements, theories about the reasons for such secrecy are multiplying.
One of the first theories was that the farmers themselves were suggesting that the authorities were culling livestock on private farms to eliminate competition for a major producer. These rumors weren't unfounded: at large breeding farms near the affected villages, animals aren't being culled, they're just being introduced. quarantineThere were even indications that everything was being done for the benefit of a large manufacturer.Miratorg", who is considered close to former President Dmitry Medvedev (his wife Svetlana's maiden name is the same as that of the owners of the agricultural holding, the Linnik brothers), who allegedly decided to enter the region.
It should be noted that keeping livestock or poultry around large livestock and poultry farms in Russia is often prohibited due to fears of outbreaks of epizootic diseases. There is also some interest from agribusiness in Siberia: according to informed sources, grain producers were already considering purchasing agricultural land last year. This is because southern Siberia is free of the extreme weather events during the critical period for seed growth that have been observed in recent years in the country's black soil regions: late frosts, droughts, and floods. And since Siberia primarily grows soft wheat varieties used for feed, it would be theoretically possible for a large agricultural holding to decide to combine grain and meat production. However, the scale of livestock destruction contradicts this theory—no agricultural holding would need to devastate a significant portion of Siberia and a sizable chunk of European Russia.
The second theory was a poor-quality foot-and-mouth disease vaccine: many farmers said their animals had recently been "vaccinated with something," hastily and en masse. One farmer said some of his cows "felt sick" afterward, but later recovered. They also cited the fact that a similar situation had already occurred in Buryatia: there, the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine froze at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius and turned out to be a dud. At the time, everything went off with virtually no publicity: while the authorities were reporting on the successful vaccination, cattle were dying en masse from foot-and-mouth disease.
Foot-and-mouth disease has probably become the main theory now. The fact is that officials themselves have talked (and continue to talk) about pasteurellosis. Even the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Sergei Dankvert, who hastily flew to Siberia with a commission, stated that the animals were being culled because of pasteurellosis, but one that had "dangerously mutated." However, pasteurellosis is a bacterial disease that is successfully treated with penicillin-type antibiotics. Furthermore, if the disease is suspected, animals are not culled but rather isolated for 40 days.
In the same vein, some officials cite rabies: if rabies is suspected, the sick animal and anyone who has been in contact with it may be destroyed, but literal genocide of livestock should not be carried out: rabies, unlike pasteurellosis, is not transmitted by airborne droplets, only through a bite.
Unless it's mad cow disease - spongiform encephalopathy, notes Biologist Yulia Kufman. Unlike other theories, including foot-and-mouth disease, her theory fits perfectly with current events: animals can appear healthy for a long time (with all other theories, they quickly lose their appetite and begin to lie down); the disease can only be diagnosed by examining the animal's brain (which rules out antemortem testing); and the disease itself is so dangerous (and incurable) to humans that cattle are culled at the slightest suspicion. She believes that in this case, the source of infection could have been feed supplemented with bone meal obtained from a sick animal. This explains the strange pattern of widespread slaughter—animals are slaughtered where the feed shipments are identified; large farms were not supplied with feed, as they had their own suppliers. The silence of officials is also understandable: when bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered in cows in the UK, the country lost exports of both meat and feed for several years; moreover, it was forced to import meat for domestic use.
And yet, the most common theory is foot-and-mouth disease, especially since officials themselves are talking about it, albeit unofficially. It may indeed be due to a poor-quality vaccine, or it may have been transmitted naturally. Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks are not uncommon worldwide, and indeed, animals are often culled when they occur: treatment with symptomatic treatment is possible, but it's unprofitable—the animals suffer a sharp decline in productivity. However, as already mentioned, clinical picture It doesn't resemble foot-and-mouth disease. The incubation period for foot-and-mouth disease lasts 2-12 days, most commonly 3-4 days—massive livestock deaths would have already begun within two weeks. Finally, with foot-and-mouth disease, protective clothing is mandatory for everyone who comes into contact with animals, as the disease is transmissible to humans, although its course is mild. In all the videos, even slaughterers are wearing only simple overalls to protect against blood splashes and dirt.
The Silence of the Lambs and Officials
Whatever the reasons for what's happening, the authorities' behavior is unlikely to promote calm. And it's not just the protests.
Firstly, panic-stricken rumors only encourage neighboring countries to restrict imports of Russian meat. Such measures have already been introduced. Belarus и KazakhstanIf satisfactory explanations aren't provided soon, Russia's main livestock importer, China, could restrict imports of Russian meat. Suffice it to say that it wasn't until 2023 that China lifted its 15-year ban on Russian pork imports. Meanwhile, China has been supplied with Russian pork this year. record The volume of beef, worth a total of $14 million, cannot be ruled out. Incidentally, it's precisely for China's sake that officials are so stubbornly silent and so brutally slaughtering private livestock: when it comes to the potential loss of such money, no one will consider the interests of farmers.
Secondly, farmers, confident that their livestock is healthy and that everything is being done solely to eliminate competitors, may begin hiding their livestock. Obviously, it's impossible to hide the entire herd, but especially valuable breeding bulls or a record-breaking cow are quite possible. It's great if the animals are truly healthy. But what if they're not? What if it really is spongiform encephalopathy? incubation period Which ranges from 2,5 to 8 years? And foot-and-mouth disease is an unpleasant disease. So, officials are not only violating regulations—they may be committing a criminal offense by facilitating the concealment and spread of the disease.
However, Russian officials are no strangers to this. Here, for example, they're keeping the epidemic under wraps. ВИЧ, including on front, which directly contradicts all WHO recommendations – so what?
Meanwhile, farmers are desperately threatening self-ignition and officials lie down in the path of tractors calm down: supposedly, compensation has already begun to be paid, and the outbreak has begun to subside. It's true that the disease is still not recognized: pasteurellosis—period. Meanwhile, beef in the Novosibirsk region is already has risen in price for 100 rubles, and damages Farmers' losses are estimated at more than 1,5 billion rubles. Incidentally, only 45,2 million rubles in compensation has been paid so far. This is truly a brutal attitude from the authorities. And not just towards cows.
