FUW LEADER URGES FARMERS TO PLAN BTV VACCINATION

Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan today repeated his earlier demands that Welsh farmers should make immediate preparations to vaccinate their livestock against Bluetongue.

"The FUW's annual Royal Welsh Winter Fair survey revealed Bluetongue is recognised as a major risk to farmers' businesses with 59.1% of those who filled in the questionnaire fearing the disease," said Mr Vaughan.

"That fear is well founded as experience has shown in France, where over 23,000 holdings were infected last year and the disease devastated the French farming industry.

"I have no doubt that if farmers in southern and eastern England had not vaccinated their livestock last year, we would have seen the disease sweeping across the industry just as it has in France.

"However, 79.1% of the respondents to our survey admitted they had not yet vaccinated against BTV with the majority (70.8%) stating they would do so in the spring."

Mr Vaughan also warned farmers that, despite perceptions, the arrival of BTV infected midges remained one of the most significant risk.

"Movements from France are now effectively banned and our call for a voluntary import ban on movements from the continent stands, as does our call for a full ban on imports from high risk areas.

"It should not be forgotten that three-quarters of cases in the UK over the past eighteen months have come from midges being blown over from mainland Europe, and these could easily be blown into the UK in 2009 from infected countries nearby.

"Failure to vaccinate will put our own and our neighbours' businesses at risk and prolong the effect of the disease.

"Farmers who vaccinated last year will need to revaccinate this year, and those who chose to wait until spring 2009 should also be making the necessary arrangements with their vets to vaccinate as soon as is practical."