Scottish fury over bluetongue plans

THE Scottish Beef Cattle Association appears further apart than ever with its English-based counterpart, the National Beef Association, following a call for Scotland to be included in a Great Britain-wide bluetongue protection zone.

Bluetongue is a viral disease of cattle, sheep and goats spread by a particular species of midge. It arrived in southern England in August and there have been more than 60 confirmed cases, but Scotland is perceived to be less at risk because of its cooler climate and more northerly latitude.

The NBA proposal has been fiercely attacked by NFU Scotland. A spokesman said: "There is no way we can back a call for the whole of the UK to be a protection zone at the moment - that would be a very dangerous move. If we go down that route, we may as well wave a white flag at the disease."

Brian Simpson, the executive director of the SBCA, speaking during a visit yesterday by Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet secretary for rural affairs, to Balbuthie Farm in Fife, run by the SBCA president John Cameron, was equally forthright.

He said: "The SBCA fully backs the stance taken by NFUS against this ludicrous proposition by the NBA to move livestock from affected areas in England to Scotland.