The Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA) has called for the importation of livestock from the UK to cease immediately following news of a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease in England.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that it established a temporary 10km control zone in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, in the east of the country, in response to the suspected case.
The IBLA said live animals should not be imported from the UK “to avoid foot and mouth arriving in Ireland”.
In a statement today (Friday, June 24) the IBLA said it is “alarmed and concerned at the recent 10km control zone declared in the Norfolk/Suffolk border in the UK”.
“While nothing is confirmed, IBLA requests the immediate cessation of imports of any live animals from the UK,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the IBLA hopes that laboratory results will show negative results for foot and mouth, or swine vascular disease, which has identical symptoms.
Protecting family farms
Just this week, lamb prices in Ireland have seen a sharp and unexpected drop, with up to 40c/kg wiped off base prices (as of yesterday, June 23), and as much as 70c/kg slashed in the space of just over a week.
In this context, and in light of the suspected foot and mouth case in the UK, the IBLA has called on the meat industry to reverse recent “attempted price cuts paid to producers of Irish lamb”.
“The meat industry cannot be allowed to pose a risk to the Irish family farm and our livestock industry by continuing to process livestock from outside of the Irish jurisdiction in these worrying times.”
As reported by Agriland this morning (Friday, June 23), Defra confirmed that there was a suspicion of the vesicular disease in a number of pigs on the affected premises in the east of the country.
Official tests are being carried out to determine the true nature of the disease.
The temporary control zone came into force from 10:00p.m yesterday (Thursday, June 23), and will remain in place until further notice from the Defra.