Cull rumours persist despite denial

5 June 2001



Cull rumours persist despite denial

By Johann Tasker

RUMOURS persist that the government is set to extend its foot-and-mouth cull, despite official denials that it plans to step up its slaughter regime.

But speculation that a mass cull of livestock will begin shortly after the General Election on Thursday (7 June) is proving difficult to verify.

One MAFF vet said that hotel rooms were being booked for epidemiological teams of veterinary students about to begin their summer holidays.

Known as “bleeding teams”, the students are said to be preparing to blood-test thousands of farm animals to assess the extent of foot-and-mouth disease.

Scientists at MAFFs Porton Down research station have made arrangements to increase their blood-testing capabilities by 50% by the middle of this week.

They currently have the capability to test 40,000 samples every seven days. But that will be extended so that 60,000 samples every seven days.

A MAFF spokeswoman said livestock would be tested in areas previously unaffected by the disease. The animals will be slaughtered if they test positive.

But repeated phone calls by FARMERS WEEKLY reporters to contacts across the country failed to uncover any first-hand evidence of a planned cull.

One widespread rumour suggests that a cull will start in the middle of June in Wharfedale, Swaledale and possibly the Vale of York.

Another rumour suggests that all hotels in Ross-on-Wye had been fully booked by Ministry of Agriculture officials in preparation for the slaughter.

Phone calls revealed that MAFF officials are lodging in some hotels. But they have been there since mid-May. Other hotels have vacancies for tourists.

The UK Independence Party has claimed that 12 million animals will have been slaughtered before the end of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

At least six million animals have already been culled and a further six million are likely to be slaughtered, said Richard North, the partys research director.

“Twelve million animals will have been slaughtered – one in five or 20% of the farm animal population in the UK,” he said.

If you have first-hand evidence of a planned foot-and-mouth cull, please e-mail FWi in confidence, or call news editor Johann Tasker on 020 8652 4752 (work) or 07967 634 971 (mobile)

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