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Foot-and-mouth licence talks held | Foot-and-mouth licence talks held |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Farming union leaders are to meet assembly government officials to press for foot-and-mouth animal movement restrictions to be lifted quickly. | |
Abattoirs in Scotland have been told that they can resume slaughter. | |
The Farmer's Union of Wales (FUW) said there would be "hell to pay" if its bid to ease the rules were not successful. | |
But Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said they were not in a competition and she must be satisfied it was safe before she relaxed the rules in Wales. | |
Ms Jones said she would be meeting Defra and veterinary experts before the meeting with unions on Wednesday. | |
But she stressed she would not be rushed in to changing restrictions put in place nationwide after the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth was confirmed in Surrey last week. | |
ADVICE FOR FARMERS Defra Helpline: 0845 9335577Animal Health Offices - Caernarfon: 01286 674144 Carmarthen: 01267 245400; 07000 780144 (eve)Cardiff: 029 20 768500 Welsh assembly website | ADVICE FOR FARMERS Defra Helpline: 0845 9335577Animal Health Offices - Caernarfon: 01286 674144 Carmarthen: 01267 245400; 07000 780144 (eve)Cardiff: 029 20 768500 Welsh assembly website |
"Once I am persuaded that it is safe to do so I will certainly be allowing it to happen in Wales," she told BBC Wales' Good Morning Wales programme. | |
"I have a responsibility to retain Wales' disease-free status and I intend to do that and only make changes to the restriction on the movement of livestock when it is safe to do so." | |
Restrictions on the transportation of animals were imposed last Friday, but have been relaxed in Scotland to allow animals to be transported from farms to slaughterhouses under strictly controlled conditions. | Restrictions on the transportation of animals were imposed last Friday, but have been relaxed in Scotland to allow animals to be transported from farms to slaughterhouses under strictly controlled conditions. |
Gareth Vaughan, President of the Farmers' Union of Wales, said he would be pressing for a similar relaxation. | |
"We will be making a very strong case for the removal of this ban because we have already temporarily lost a very hard won export market and it is essential there are no delays in returning to normality as far as the food chain is concerned," he said. | |
We must continue this fight and if we don't have any success today there will be hell to pay Gareth Vaughan, Farmers' Union of Wales | |
Mr Vaughan said there is only seven to 10 days of meat production within the food chain in the UK and it was "vital" that home production was back on the shelves as quickly as possible. | |
"We cannot afford to lose our very important home market to imports. We must continue this fight and if we don't have any success today there will be hell to pay," he said. | |
On Monday, the European Commission formalised a ban on British exports of meat, milk products and live animals. | On Monday, the European Commission formalised a ban on British exports of meat, milk products and live animals. |
People have been urged to continue visiting the countryside as normal | |
Mr Davies said in the long-term after the restriction on movement of animals within Wales was relaxed, they would ask the EU to lift the ban on the export of Welsh beef and lamb. | Mr Davies said in the long-term after the restriction on movement of animals within Wales was relaxed, they would ask the EU to lift the ban on the export of Welsh beef and lamb. |
He said Welsh beef and lamb had a Protected Geographic Indication (PGI), which is a status awarded by the EU to foods that are unique to a particular geographic area. | He said Welsh beef and lamb had a Protected Geographic Indication (PGI), which is a status awarded by the EU to foods that are unique to a particular geographic area. |
Mr Davies said it would "reassure people in Europe the animals had come from Wales, a region which is a fair distance from Surrey". | |
The ban on moving cows, sheep and pigs means farmers are not able to sell any livestock or take them to abattoirs and workers at two abattoirs on Anglesey and in Gwynedd have been temporarily laid off. | The ban on moving cows, sheep and pigs means farmers are not able to sell any livestock or take them to abattoirs and workers at two abattoirs on Anglesey and in Gwynedd have been temporarily laid off. |
And on Tuesday, councils in Wales said they were investigating two possible breaches - in Pembrokeshire and Wrexham- of moving livestock during the ban. | |
New guidelines on the disposal of dead animals on farms came into force in Wales at midnight allow for the collection of dead livestock from farms - subject to tight bio security controls. | |
If carcasses cannot be collected within a specific period, farmers are permitted to bury them on their land. |