"Everything possible must be done to limit the damage of Foot and Mouth in North Wales" - Eleanor Burnham comment (Eleanor Burnham )

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Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

"Everything possible must be done to limit the damage of Foot and Mouth in North Wales" - Eleanor Burnham comment

August 8, 2007 10:51 AM

Eleanor Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, has stated that the Welsh Assembly Government must do everything possible to limit the devastation of Foot and Mouth disease in Wales as government officials meet to discuss the crisis today.

Farms across Wales, as in the rest of the UK, are still in lock down following the first outbreak of the disease on a farm near Guilford, Surrey last Friday. Ms Burnham was speaking as Welsh Assembly Government officials meet FUW representatives today to get the movement of cattle in Wales back underway as soon as possible.

Ms Burnham said: "This is the busiest time of the year for cattle farmers, not just across my region of North Wales, but across the whole of Wales. Abattoir workers in Anglesey and Gwynedd within my region are already suffering temporary redundancy as a result of the outbreak.

"The current ban on the movement of cattle, while crucial as a precaution against the spread of Foot and Mouth, could have a severe impact on the export market that Welsh farmers have battled hard to win.

"Obviously the government has a responsibility to ensure that Welsh farmers are protected from the impact of Foot and Mouth, one of if not the most the most virulent diseases known within mammals. However, as I discussed with the FUW at the National Eisteddfod on Monday, the Welsh livestock industries cannot afford to lose out on the EU market.

"I would also urge the Minister and the government to work with the industry to ensure that Welsh beef is promoted as rigorously as possible. Customers will need reassurance now more than ever that Wales is a fair distance from Surrey and to emphasize that our beef and lamb has a Protected Geographic Indication which sets it apart within the UK."

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