December 4, 2007

UK livestock farmers want postponement of disease cost-sharing plan

UK livestock farming organisations are calling on the government to rethink its plans to pour heavy investments for animal disease outbreaks as livestock farmers are still reeling from the impact of this autumn's foot-and-mouth and bluetongue crises.

In a public statement the farming organisations state that the government's timing is wrong and costs must be minimised before any question of sharing them. Joint responsibility for animal disease policy must be established before costs are shared, it said.

The statement points out that the loss of livestock sectors of the recent animal disease outbreaks - caused in part by a leak from a government-regulated research facility - is at least GBP100 million.

In addition, the entire sector is suffering from soaring feed and energy costs, to which prices have yet to adjust.

"To suggest, against that background, that the industry should be picking up additional costs from government is divorced from reality," the statement says.

"If and when we become involved in detailed discussions on cost-sharing, the first step must be to ensure that this work is managed as efficiently as possible so as to minimise the cost, both to industry and government.

"An essential pre-condition for any constructive engagement is a firm assurance that the industry will be given genuine responsibility for the development and delivery of animal health policy and the way animal disease outbreaks are handled as a quid pro quo for the sharing of costs."