Welsh farmers demand more culling

4 March 2001



Welsh farmers demand more culling

by FWi staff

WELSH farmers have called on the government to extend its policy of culling livestock with foot-and-mouth disease to animals suspected of having the virus.

The Farmers Union of Wales said that all livestock suspected of contracting foot-and-mouth near a confirmed outbreak must be killed and burned immediately.

“A drastic situation requires drastic action,” said FUW president Bob Parry.

Slaughtering all herds and flocks suspected of having contracted the disease would prevent the spread of the disease to more farms, he claimed.

The call came as the official number of foot-and-mouth cases climbed to 56 across Britain and one further outbreak in Northern Ireland.

In Wales, there have been two cases in Powys and one in Gwynedd. But further more suspected outbreaks are being confirmed and further cases are likely

But Mr Parry said he was concerned by the length of time it was taking for the results of test to return from the governments laboratory.

Suspected cases in Anglesey and Powys, first announced last Wednesday, had not been confirmed or cleared by Sunday lunchtime, he said.

Mr Parry said farmers living near outbreaks of the disease were also concerned by the length of time it took to slaughter and burn the stock.

As the virus can be transmitted by a number of different methods, including being blown by the wind, it could spread before the test results are confirmed.