Cumbria cull not yet started
24 March 2001
Cumbria cull not yet started
By Jeremy Hunt
MINISTRY of Agriculture officials have dismissed reports that the cull in Cumbria of sheep apparently unaffected by foot-and-mouth cull has begun.
They say no animals have been slaughtered in the pre-emptive cull on Saturday (March 24), contrary to claims made in some news bulletins.
Officials of the new task force set-up to co-ordinate the cull of all sheep within a 3km radius of foot-and-mouth outbreaks are still finalising arrangements.
Round-the-clock staffing of the operations centre at Carlisle is marshalling “new” resources made available following the Prime Ministers visit to Cumbria on Thursday.
The work force deployed to bring together vets, MAFF staff and the Army is totally separate from teams dealing with infected stock.
Cumbria producer Les Armstrong is now playing a major role in the new task force and is seen as the “farmers man” in this huge logistical operation.
“This is a completely independent task force working round the clock to get the strategy in place to begin the cull,” said Mr Armstrong.
“Make no mistake this is an undertaking of enormous proportions.
“We have to be absolutely sure that we have everything in place to ensure that the cull will be undertaken efficiently.
We are still identifying flocks that need to be taken out and organising army teams and transport but we are making progress to get this to happen as quickly as possible.”
He would not be drawn on how long it would be before the first unaffected sheep were slaughtered, but it looked as though it would not be before Monday.
Mr Armstrong said emotions were running very high in the county as farmers with unaffected stock prepared to see their lifetimes work slaughtered.
“These are very grim times for the farmers of Cumbria but most are now resigned to what has to happen and are steeling themselves for the worst.”
Firebreak culls have been organised for Cumbria, Anglesey and Dumfries and Galloway.
On Saturday Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said that livestock on farm neighbouring holdings with foot-and-mouth could be slaughtered in an effort to control the disease.