Consult before slaughter, say farmers

23 March 2001



Consult before slaughter, say farmers

By Isabel Davies

ANY extension to the pre-emptive slaughter policy must be done in full consultation with livestock producers in the areas affected, farmers are insisting.

Although some parts of the media are reporting a decision has already been made, the Ministry of Agriculture insists the idea is still under consideration.

And National Farmers Union president Ben Gill has told farm minister Nick Brown that farmers deserve a clear explanation of why an extended cull is needed.

“The epidemiological studies provide a brutal warning on the potential spread of the disease, and its clear that further tough action will need to happen,” he said.

“But farmers need to hear for themselves if they are to understand why these grave measures may be only the way to stop the disease.”

Mr Gill indicated the union believed that additional culling must be based on the realities of each region, rather than a pre-determined figure.

“There is nothing magical about the 3km distance,” he said.

David Hill, NFU chairman for Devon, said if a decision was taken to extend the cull he would have mixed feelings.

“As one who has said we must get ahead of the disease, I have to support it.

“But whether it is necessary to take out cattle as well as sheep and pigs I would question and find very hard to accept,” he said.

“Id prefer pigs and sheep to be taken out and cattle inspected on alternate days,” he suggested.

John Thorley, secretary for the National Sheep Association, said there appeared to be contradictions in the Governments thinking.

On the one hand officials were saying it would help enormously to reduce the time taken between diagnosis and slaughter.

But on the other hand, they are talking about widening the pre-emptive cull which would take up even more resources, he said.

“But they lack the staff to carry out what they have already got at the moment,” said Mr Thorley.

Meanwhile the Welsh Assembly has announced that 40,000 apparently healthy sheep are to be slaughtered in an effort to halt foot-and-mouth disease in Anglesey.

The programme is due to start on Monday (26 March) and all sheep in an area on the south-west corner of the island are to be killed.

Twenty-one new cases of foot-and-mouth were confirmed by 1800hrs on Friday (23 March), bringing the total confirmed cases in the UK to 501.

Eleven new outbreaks are confirmed in Cumbria, five in Herefordshire, three in Dumfries & Galloway and one case in Monmouthshire and West Yorkshire.