|
The European export ban
covers all British livestock, meat, and
milk |
2001: Ban follows foot-and-mouth
outbreak |
Artificially 1969:
The The
European Commission has banned all British milk, meat and livestock
exports following the UK's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for 20
years.
The ban - which will run until 1 March - follows yesterday's revelation
of a foot-and-mouth outbreak at an abattoir near Brentwood, Essex.
A routine inspection at Cheale Meats abattoir in Essex diagnosed the
virus in 28 pigs.
Chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore said all 300 animals at Cheale
Meats would be slaughtered immediately.
The National Farmer's Union has said a second suspected case has been
discovered in Gloucestershire.
Five-mile animal movement exclusion zones have been placed around the
Essex abattoir and the site in Gloucestershire, which is thought to be
somewhere between Woodchester and Nailsworth.
The British government is considering imposing its own ban on the
export of all livestock, meat and milk from the UK.
This is the latest blow to Britain's already beleaguered farmers
following last year's outbreak of swine fever, which led to the slaughter
of 12,000 pigs and a temporary ban on the export of live pigs and pig
semen.
Agriculture Secretary Nick Brown said: "If we can get on top of this
and get back to a disease-free status quickly then hopefully the damage
can be minimised.
"But if it goes on for some time the damage could be substantial."
Shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo criticised the government for not
doing enough to prevent the outbreak.
"British farmers cannot survive another round of dithering from MAFF
like that which took place in the autumn over classical swine fever," he
said.
"The government should have acted sooner to prevent the risk of this
disease entering Britain through sub-standard meat imports."
Foot-and-mouth is a highly infectious viral disease that can affect
cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Symptoms include blisters in the mouth
causing increased salivation and lameness.
Animals do not actually die from the disease but stop gaining weight
and dairy cattle produce less milk.
The last major outbreak in Britain was in 1967, while the most recent
outbreak in the European Union happened in Greece last
year.