MAFF criticised over disease website

2 April 2001



MAFF criticised over disease website

by Alistair Driver

MINISTRY of Agriculture have decided not to update their foot-and-mouth website more than once a day because doing so more often is too confusing.

A ministry spokeswoman said various statistics relating to new cases and the number of animals designated for slaughter were being confused.

For purposes of clarity this is the best system, she said.

Farmers have told FARMERS WEEKLY of their anger at the lack of up-to-date information coming from the ministry as the disease continues to spread.

Until Saturday (31 March), the MAFF website had been updated throughout the day with the location of new disease outbreaks.

The spokeswoman also defended MAFFs decision to bring an abrupt halt to daily press briefings. There have been none since last Monday (26 March).

Agriculture minister Nick Brown and chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore are now too busy to hold daily briefings, she said.

But the spokeswoman rejected the suggestion that MAFF was letting down farmers who are desperate to monitor the spread of the disease.

MAFF could not win whatever it did, she said. We were already been told that the website is not being updated quickly enough, the spokeswoman added.

I am sure there other many other sources of information anyway.

MAFF press officers could still update journalists throughout the day on new outbreaks. Local and national media sources were doing a good job, she said.