The need to further unwind Foot and Mouth Disease movement restrictions as swiftly as possible has been impressed upon the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, this morning by NFU Cymru.
Although welcoming the freeing up of movements to collection centres and red meat auctions, NFU Cymru has stressed that, whilst being mindful of the need for disease control and keeping Wales Foot and Mouth free, movements needed to resume urgently.
NFU Cymru highlighted to the Minister the fact that some 35% of lamb produced in Wales was exported and this market was now closed due to Foot and Mouth Disease. The re-opening of the export market is crucial to Wales and effort needed to be focussed on establishing what would be necessary to satisfy the EC’s conditions for the resumption of trade.
Dai Davies, NFU Cymru President, present at this morning’s Stakeholder meeting in Cardiff, said, "It is imperative that both primary and secondary animal movement tracings into Wales are completed as quickly as possible to be assured that stock from high risk areas has not entered Wales and to enable greater freedom for movement and trade to resume in Wales."
It was envisaged that the export market resumption would take some time and NFU Cymru were pressing for measures which would, in the interim, support the light lamb export market; cull ewes that would normally be exported; and barren cows and calves that would also be destined for export. It is vital that such measures establish a floor to the market while we continue to work towards easing the movement restrictions.
Dai Davies, concluded, "The livestock industry in Wales is faced with massive problems through absolutely no fault of its own making. Time is of the essence and fall back positions need to be drawn up urgently to provide a lifeline to the industry."
NFU Cymru will meet again with the Welsh Assembly Minister to discuss Foot and Mouth Disease on Thursday at 11am in Cardiff.
