Hard border to halt deadly animal disease could be 'costly and futile'

LIVESTOCK farmers in Wales face hard-border arrangements with England in what some believe is a futile attempt to halt the advance of a deadly disease.

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

The industry fears being crippled by the need to test and license vast numbers of sheep and cattle when they cross the border into England.

Unlike England, Wales is still free of bluetongue, a viral disease that causes ulcers around the animal's mouth and face. In the Netherlands, tens of thousands of sheep have died and British farmers fear worse could happen in the UK.

In an attempt to contain the virus’ spread, an England-wide restricted zone (RZ) is to be imposed from July 1. In practice this means existing movement controls will be eased, with farmer encouraged to use new bluetongue vaccines instead.

The Welsh Government is reluctant to follow suit, fearing a freedom-of-movement regime will hasten blue-tongue’s spread into the country. Instead, Cardiff wants to keep the virus at bay "for as long as we can" and so has opted not to apply an RZ in the county.

But the Welsh farming sector has warned the implications could be "catastrophic" for cross-border trade. Some 550 cross-border agri businesses straddle the Wales-England border and each year tens of thousands of animals are shipped out to livestock markets.