Stock moves may be freed up

1 March 2001



Stock moves ‘may be freed up’

By Alistair Driver

LIVESTOCK movement restrictions imposed because of foot-and-mouth may be partially relaxed by the middle of next week, the government has said.

Junior agriculture minister Baroness Hayman said she was negotiating a licensing system so animals in special circumstances could be sent to abattoirs.

It is possible that details of the licensing system will be announced at a Ministry of Agriculture briefing as early as Friday (02 March).

Farmers would then be able to apply for licenses which would allow them to send livestock to be slaughtered under strict conditions for human consumption.

Restrictions may also be relaxed so sheep stuck in fields can be moved on to farms to avert an animal welfare crisis during the lambing season.

Farmers have warned of a looming welfare disaster if pregnant sheep are not moved to farms because of restrictions to control foot-and-mouth disease.

However, Baroness Hayman again stressed that disease control was the priority. She said: “The industry would rather we got it right than got it quickly.”

Meanwhile, police in south Wales have caught a farmer illegally moving sheep along roads to fresh grazing, or to get closer to buildings for lambing.

Farm union leaders appealed to livestock producers not to risk spreading foot-and-mouth disease by illegally moving stock before restrictions are lifted.

Peredur Hughes, vice president of NFU Cymru-Wales, said the only way of beating the foot-and-mouth virus was to halt all stock movements.

By 1700hrs on Thursday (01 March), 31 outbreaks were confirmed, including five new cases reported that day, with another expected to follow shortly.

New outbreaks were confirmed in Meigh, South Armagh; Lockerbie and Canonbie, Dumfriesshire; and Penrith and Longtown, Cumbria.

It is expected that the Ministry of Agriculture will shortly confirm an outbreak in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.