IT’S NOT just Fermanagh’s farmers fearing the possible return of foot and mouth disease, with news of the return of the disease bringing back not-so-happy memories for many border residents over the age of 30.
The government has issued another warning to farmers and animal keepers after last week it emerged three separate cases of foot and mouth were confirmed in cattle herds on the Slovakia-Hungary border.
The government had already increased biosecurity measures last month after a case of the disease was detected on a cattle farm in Hungary, following a previous case of the disease found in water buffalo in Germany in January.
Strict controls have been imposed on the import of animals and animal products from the affected areas to protect the farming world, with the confirmation of the latest case setting off alarm bells in the industry.
“Having a second case on the continent in Hungary should give us all a cause for concern,” said DAERA Minister Andrew Muir.
“The foot and mouth outbreak in Hungary is a clear reminder that we must continue to adhere to excellent biosecurity and responsible sourcing. We all have to play our part to keep this devastating disease out of our livestock and wildlife.”
While not a threat to public health, foot and mouth disease can have serious consequences for animal health, and thus the agri-industry and trade.
Those of a certain age will remember well the disruption the last major outbreak in the UK in 2001, which resulted in approximately 6.5 million animals being culled and cost the economy an estimated £8 billion.
That outbreak, just a couple of short years after the Good Friday Agreement, effectively saw the return of the border checkpoints as the Irish government set up measures to prevent the disease spreading to the South.
Writing for The Centre for Cross Border Studies back in 2002, Patricia Clarke noted how now-retired MLA Tommy Gallagher appealed for reason from the powers-that-be regarding the “absurd” restrictions that had been put in place on the border at the time.
Ms Clarke outlined Mr Gallagher’s reasons,“Examples of inconvenience included cases of children not being allowed to take sweets or chocolate across the border into the South, parents of infants being asked to awaken them and take them out of their safety seats in order to have their feet dipped, and people on their way to work being searched daily and told not to have butter on their sandwiches.
“Other examples cited were of people from the South being prohibited from taking produce such as milk or apple tarts back to their homes across the border, even though such produce originated in the Republic.”
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