Siberian Farmers Clash with Officials Over Mass Cattle Culling During Disease Emergency

Russia's Novosibirsk region has implemented emergency measures to combat cattle disease outbreaks, leading to the forced removal and burning of thousands of animals. Small-scale farmers are protesting the aggressive culling tactics, claiming they weren't properly notified and that their livelihoods are being destroyed while larger operations remain untouched.

Authorities in Russia’s Siberian Novosibirsk region have implemented emergency protocols to combat livestock disease outbreaks, but the aggressive response has sparked widespread anger among local farmers who say their livelihoods are being destroyed.

Regional Agriculture Minister Andrei Shindelov announced the emergency measures would enable “effective coordination of actions and the containment of the movement of animals and animal products,” according to state news agency TASS.

Health officials have documented five cases of pasteurellosis—a serious bacterial lung infection—along with 42 instances of rabies throughout the region, prompting the mass removal of farm animals.

Video footage and social media posts have captured thousands of cattle and other livestock being incinerated as part of disease containment efforts, while residents physically confront law enforcement and government representatives attempting to seize their animals.

One particularly dramatic confrontation involved local farmer Svetlana Panina from Novoklyuchi village, who pursued Minister Shindelov through a government building’s hallways, expressing her desperation about mounting financial hardship.

“Why are you running away? Go and hide in a toilet from us people,” Panina confronted the official. She reported losing 200 animals, including three camels, and discovered they had been removed while she was away from her property.

Although TASS reported the emergency declaration occurred a month prior, numerous farmers claim they received no notification and argue that pasteurellosis can be successfully treated with antibiotics rather than requiring complete herd elimination.

The enforcement actions have disproportionately targeted smaller farming operations while leaving major agricultural corporations largely unaffected, further intensifying farmer resentment.

The emergency status does provide a pathway for farmers to receive financial compensation for destroyed livestock, and local authorities indicate initial payments are now being processed.

Novosibirsk ranks as Russia’s 15th most populous region with over 2 million residents, sharing a border with Kazakhstan and positioned approximately 600 kilometers from China.

Federal agricultural oversight agencies attribute the outbreak’s severity to Siberia’s brutal winter conditions, which compromised animal immune systems, while warning farmers against using feed from unverified sources.

Additional Siberian regions have reported smaller disease incidents or placed their areas under heightened surveillance.

“There are some cases when a fast reaction is needed,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained to media representatives, noting that affected regions are maintaining coordination with Moscow.

While several individuals faced brief detention, authorities have not launched any major crackdowns against the protesting farmers.

The federal agriculture ministry has not provided responses to media inquiries about the situation.