August 23, 2006

The Netherlands may lift livestock export ban this week

Dutch Agriculture Minister Cees Veerman is considering lifting a country-wide livestock export ban later this week, the Dutch newspaper Financiele Dagblad reported on Tuesday (Aug 22). 

The ban was imposed last week on exports of cattle, sheep and goats due to a outbreak of bluetongue disease in the southeast Dutch province of Limburg.

Veerman said he first wanted to await the outcome of an investigation into suspected new sites of infection this week.

If no further cases of bluetongue disease were found, the export ban would be lifted in the course of the week, Veerman said.

Veerman's decision to impose the ban was criticised by politicians and livestock dealers in the country, who felt he had over-reacted.

EU authorities established a wide-area surveillance zone around the farms where cases of bluetongue were confirmed. The zone covers most of the Netherlands and Belgium, all of Luxembourg and parts of Germany.

Bluetongue disease has so far been found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Luxembourg was added to the surveillance zone as the whole country lies within the 150-km radius around the affected farms.

Bluetongue is spread by mosquitoes and affects ruminants but not humans. The disease has traditionally been found in Southern Europe and authorities fear the disease may have migrated north due to global warming.