Second mass cull plan for Powys

Sheep are put in canvass pens awaiting slaughter

Plans for a second mass cull in Wales havebeen announced as the first carcasses of the 40,000 sheep being slaughtered in Anglesey are transported for burning.

Welsh Assembly Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones said on Wednesday that a mass cull will be conducted in Powys.

A total of 25 cases have been confirmed in Powys

Mr Jones said all susceptible animals on farms adjoining those where the disease has been confirmed would be killed on Thursday.

Meanwhile, environmental fears surrounding the building of a huge pyre to burn animals culled on Anglesey have been gathering momentum with one local school closing until after Easter.

Farmers and householders living near the disused Mona airfield are threatening injunctions after expressing concerns over health issues.

And the Environment Agency has warned that air quality down wind of the burning pyres is likely to be very poor.

Material for Anglesey pyre

175 tonnes of coal

380 railways sleepers

250 wooden pallets

500 gallons of diesel

It recommends that people should not stay within two kilometres of the centre of the pyre for any significant length of time.

The agency's north Wales manager Andrew Dixon said concerns continue about the use of Mona airfield because of poor soil cover and underlying geology which might allow contaminated water to seep towards the Cefni reservoir or local streams.

He also said that there is the potential for contaminants in the smoke from fires on hard standing to affect the reservoir as well as the contribution to atmospheric pollution.

But any preparations for a pyre - which would require 175 tonnes of coal - are in their early stages and carcasses are currently piling upon open ground.

Assembly Member and Anglesey farmer Peter Rogers

Around Wales, there are no new confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth with the total remaining at 42 cases of foot-and-mouth in Wales, with 13 of them on Anglesey, 25 in Powys, and four in Monmouthshire.

Across the UK there were 44 new outbreaks on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 693.

Following similar action in Cumbria, the assembly has ordered the mass culls in order to create a firebreak around the contaminated area to prevent any further spread of the disease.

Referring to the proposed cull in Powys, Carwyn Jones said: "We intend to proceed with a cull of all susceptible animals including sheep, cattle and pigs on farms that are contiguous to confirmed cases.

"We will assess whether the cull needs to take place of all confirmed cases or whether or it needs to take place on cases going back to March 16, namely the last date of the movement order."

Fellow Assembly Member and Anglesey farmer Peter Rogers said that the mood among farmers had shifted at that many were now calling for an end to the cull and the beginning of mass vaccination instead.

We intend to proceed with a cull of all susceptible animals including sheep, cattle and pigs on farms that are contiguous to confirmed cases

Welsh Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones

"The cull is too late, Carwyn Jones has only got one option left and that is a vaccination scheme," he said.

"This is a crisis and it has to be met with crisis action immediately."

On Wednesday, Welsh Assembly Finance Minister Edwina Hart has announced that she is making £12m available to help businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The money will be used by local authorities to grant rate relief to as many as 20,000 businesses throughout Wales - mainly those with links to agriculture and tourism.