Bluetong virus restrictions in Wales ‘fruitless’ say

The restrictions brought to try to stop the livetong virus spreading up to the livestock in Wales are fruitless and impractical, the cultivating unions have said.

From 1 July, all cattle, sheep and goats Being taken across the border from England The disease will need to be tested for the disease before it is transferred to Wales.

While Bluetong has spread to large parts of England, it has so far reached Wales this year and the Welsh government said that its policy was aimed at keeping the virus “until we can” back.

Spread by midges, Bluetongue does not prescribe any threat to food security or human health, but can be fatal to livestock including sheep and cattle.

The manager of Monmouthshire Market, Phil Jones, said that the ban would leave the market in “strict straits”.

“It’s going to be disastrous for us, and also through a lot of farmers and every livestock market -through Welsh and English border.

“For us it is about 20% knocking from business that we do … if these restrictions come in the breeding sales season through July, August and September, and then we will be in strict straightforward.”

The National Farmers Union’s ABI reader was vaccinating his cattle against Bluetong in his farm in Glamorgan’s well.

There is a vaccine for cows, although it takes weeks to be effective.

Ms. Reader said: “We need to see a better rollout of the vaccine, and we need a better message going to the farmers to say it is meaningful, but we also need to think about more practical things that we can do up and down that we can help farmers to be able to trade.

“Finally we need to go to a place where animals can be traded.”

The Kisan Sangh of Wales said that the attempt to implement a limit was fruitless and impractical, and the trade would be badly interrupted, while the National Farmers’ Union said the ban was not in proportion to the risk from Bluetong.

Opposition parties have also criticized the strategy of the Welsh government.

Orthodoxies have said that ministers should focus on the economic impact of their decision, while Pland Simaru wants the minister to promote vaccination and ensure that it is available enough.

However, the Minister in charge, Secretary of Rural Affairs, HUW Irranca-Davies MS said that this was the right job.

He said, “Now our attitude, our dardast has to be done to keep Bluetong out of Wales.”

“We are really trying to do this to buy farmers’ time … but let me be clear, if the Bluetong spreads, and if it spreads faster than the estimate, we can change very quickly and dynamically.”