Blair hints at foot-and-mouth cash

27 February 2001



Blair hints at foot-and-mouth cash

By FWi staff

TONY Blair has hinted that substantial compensation could be offered to farmers hit by Britains foot-and-mouth epidemic.

After meeting National Farmers Union president Ben Gill, the Prime Minister indicated that payments could go beyond losses for slaughtered animals.

The Prime Minister said: “We understand there is more than just the problem of the value of the animals slaughtered.

“We will certainly look at all these consequential losses.”

It is believed that producers and food processors could seek as much as 1 billion in compensation for export losses and the scale of the crisis escalates.

Veterinary experts meeting in Brussels on Tuesday (27 February) are expected to extend a ban on all meat and livestock exports from Britain.

Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore has warned that exports will be banned to non-EU countries until the disease has been eradicated for six months.

Mr Gill said: “The Prime Minister reinforced the earlier commitments that the Government will allocate all necessary resources to tackle the problem.

“In this extremely worrying situation it is helpful for the industry to have such reassurances from the Government that no efforts will be spared to rid the country of this terrible disease.”

Mr Gill urged the Prime Minister to take up 200 million in agrimonetary compensation available from the European Union.

He added: “Payment of this compensation would send a very strong signal to farmers.”

Later, agriculture minister Nick Brown sought to reassure his European counterparts that Britain would do everything possible to fight foot-and-mouth.

Mr Brown told European agriculture ministers in Brussels that no export licenses would be applied-for until Britain was free from the disease.

Twelve cases of foot-and-mouth disease have now been confirmed stretching from Northumberland to Devon. More outbreaks are expected to be discovered.