Blair promises review of farming
30 May 2001
Blair promises review of farming
By Fwi staff
TONY Blair has acknowledged that he must review the position of the farming community which has been hit by foot-and-mouth, swine fever and BSE.
But the Prime Minister has refused to commit himself to a full public inquiry into foot-and-mouth for the time being, reports the Ananova website.
Instead he said would also look at the lessons to be learnt from the outbreak.
This comes as concern grows over the emergence of two new foot-and-mouth clusters and the epidemic enters its 100th day.
The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed outbreaks of the virus around Clitheroe in Lancashire, and three in Cheshire.
Both counties had been free of the disease since early April. The Clitheroe outbreaks have been linked to a cluster of cases around Settle in North Yorkshire.
These new clusters have dashed hopes that the disease was being brought under control.
Meanwhile, farmers in Devon are set to protest outside MAFF regional headquarters in Exeter.
Producers want permission to move cattle aged under 30 months from outside infected areas to nearby abattoirs under the strictest control.
Controls result in some animals going over thirty months and having to be rendered under the over thirty months scheme.
In another development, a survey by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) calculates that rural businesses are losing an average of 20,000 per month.
Incomes are down more than 50% on last year due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the survey also shows that job losses averaged 1.5 people per business.
The CLA is urging Regional Development Agencies to use relief funds to meet loan interest payments for hard-pressed businesses.
Foot-and-mouth was first confirmed at Cheale Meats abattoir, Little Warley Brentwood in Essex on 20 February.
Since then 1664 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the UK.
A total of 3,095,000 animals, including 481,000 cattle, 2,492,000 sheep, 120,000 pigs and 2,000 goats have been slaughtered.
Some 21,000 carcasses remain to be disposed of, and 63,000 animals await slaughter.
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Foot-and-mouth – confirmed outbreaks
Foot-and-mouth – FWi coverage