Bringing Bluetongue to Britain: An Imported Concern?
UK - The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU), have voiced their concerns over the local meat plant practise of importing large numbers of cattle and sheep that may be infected with bluetongue.
17 March 2008
1 minute read
The UFU has highlighted that in the past four weeks meat plants have imported almost 1,500 cattle and 9,000 sheep from Great Britain.
UFU President Kenneth Sharkey said; “The Bluetongue vector free period ends this weekend (midges begin to circulate) and we can expect the disease threat to increase as we approach warmer temperatures in the months ahead. Importing livestock continues to constitute the highest risk of bringing the disease into Northern Ireland, and with the vector free period ending, we are calling on meat plants to think again about what they are doing. Bringing in thousands of cattle and sheep for slaughter is clearly heightening the risk of bringing in the disease”.
The UFU says the priority for the industry must be to keep the disease off the island of Ireland. The Union says the economic consequences of a disease outbreak in Northern Ireland would run to million of pounds.
Kenneth Sharkey said; “We have heard estimates this week that a Bluetongue outbreak in Northern Ireland could cost at least £25 million annually to the industry. This would be a huge financial burden on the industry and everyone, including meat plants, should be doing everything they can to minimise the chances of an outbreak emerging”.
Further Reading
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- You can visit our Bluetongue information page by clicking here. |
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