Concern over bluetongue cost

The cost of bluetongue vaccinations will be an added financial burden on Shropshire farmers when the disease "protection zone" extends to the county, a leading councillor said today.Heather Kidd, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for the Ludlow constituency is fighting to save county farmers the cost of bluetongue vaccinations.

She said: "It's more humane as well as more practical and less economically damaging than culling.

"I was heavily involved in the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak in my ward and that was traumatic to say the least.

"However if the 'Protection Zone' is extended to Shropshire, current Government policy is to charge farmers the cost of vaccination. Given the financial pressures on farmers at the moment of bovine TB, rising fuel and other related costs, this is an additional burden."

To enable farmers to move animals, to market etc, in a "protection zone" they must be vaccinated.

The cost of vaccine is about £33 per 50ml bottle.

Each sheep requires one dose and cattle are in need of two.

Andrew Richards, senior policy advisor for the National Farmers Union, in West Midlands, said: "The Government issued a note last Friday saying that Warwickshire was now a protection zone.

"I don't expect Shropshire to become a protection zone for another three weeks but that's speculative.

"Of course if we get an outbreak, we'd be in the zone immediately."