BLUETONGUE OUTBREAK COMPOUNDS UK FARMERS' HORROR STORY THIS SUMMER

4.43.04pm GMT Fri 28th Sep 2007

Commenting on the confirmation of the Bluetongue outbreak this afternoon, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"This confirms that the year is turning into a horror story for British farming. The last thing livestock farmers needed after the foot-and-mouth outbreak in August was the arrival of bluetongue.

"This will pile the pressure onto small farmers already facing a serious cash crisis. The Government needs to provide a package of support for those most adversely affected as soon as possible.

"Farms within the 150 mile protection zone will now be banned from exporting to countries without bluetongue for at least two years.

"We welcome the decision not to implement the protection zone on a county-by-county basis. It is important that the disease is correctly contained while ensuring that there is no unnecessary hardship for farmers on the edge of the zone."