Farmers demand compensation for foot-and-mouth losses

FARMERS called on the Welsh Assembly Government yesterday to raid its cash reserves to pay compensation to livestock farmers.

The appeal was spearheaded by Royal Welsh Agricultural Society management board chairman Dai Lewis in the main ring at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

Speaking on behalf on the Wales Young Farmers Clubs, the farming unions and the CLA, Mr Lewis said the UK Government should recognise the moral and legal obligations arising from the avoidable leak of the foot-and-mouth virus from the Government-licensed research laboratories at Pirbright, Surrey.

"All the organisations contend that a recovery package should be financed by the Treasury, but if the Welsh Assembly Government cannot persuade central government to meet its obligations, they must find the resources within their contingency reserves to mitigate the impending disaster for the Welsh livestock industry," he said.