Ireland's agriculture industry
stared ruin in the face yesterday when, despite weeks of massive
national effort, the first foot-and-mouth case was confirmed in the
republic.
Irish ministers immediately launched a two-pronged offensive
designed to protect the country's multi-million-pound trade in food
exports while attempting to confine the disease.
It was confirmed on the relatively isolated east-coast peninsula
of Cooley. An emergency cull was immediately ordered in the hope of
limiting the disease to that area, while even tighter restrictions
on rural sporting and other activities are expected across the
republic. These restrictions were expected to be eased until the
news broke yesterday.
The official advice to travellers to stay out of Ireland unless
visits are absolutely necessary will remain in force, leaving the
tourist industry facing a disastrous summer season.
How the disease spread to the farm was unclear, but the Irish
Agriculture Minister, Joe Walsh, announced "an aggressive strategic
slaughter in the region", which is expected to cull up to 3,000
sheep and 1,000 cattle in a 1km radius. Exports of animal products
have been suspended. Michael Rice, the farm owner said he was in "a
state of shock.''
The new case is the latest to be found outside Britain. The Dutch
government will learn today whether it can go ahead with plans to
vaccinate thousands of farm animals to contain an outbreak in three
holdings in the east of the country.
In Britain, 45 new outbreaks were confirmed, taking the total to
480, as pressure continued to mount on Tony Blair over plans to call
the general election on 3 May. The former prime minister John Major
wrote to Mr Blair saying it would be "unforgivable" if action to
combat foot-and-mouth was delayed by the election campaign and if
"the inevitable traffic of electioneering" was to spread the
disease.
He followed the Tory leader William Hague and some Labour
backbenchers in urging Mr Blair to postpone the local and general
elections. There were signs emerging last night that Mr Blair might
be forced to contemplate such a move � in recognition of the mood of
the country � although the official position remains unchanged.
Mr Blair came face to face with the feelings of many rural
communities when he received a hostile reception during a hastily
arranged trip to Carlisle. The Prime Minister was barracked by
anxious farmers before talks with leaders of the local agricultural
community.
Marian Burnup said the pub she runs with her husband in
Threlkeld, near Keswick, was losing about �1,500 a week. "We are
desperate," she said. "Businesses are going down the drain, people
are losing their jobs."
In a clear recognition that the Goverment might not have
responded quickly enough to the crisis, Mr Blair promised a "massive
effort'' to tackle the disease.
Nick Brown, the Minister of Agriculture, announced a �150m
welfare package last night to compensate farmers who lose healthy
animals. Farmers would be paid up to 90 per cent of market value for
animals and would typically receive �81 for a breeding ewe and �42
for a new season's lamb.
Scientists analysing the outbreak said one scenario would not see
the outbreak peaking for another 17 weeks, well past 3 May.
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