![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
Friday, 19 October, 2001, 22:09 GMT 23:09 UK
Prince's gift to rare breeds project
![]() The foot-and-mouth crisis led to the mass slaughter of farm animals
A rare breeds project which aims to boost the farm animal "gene bank" in the wake of foot-and-mouth has received a cash donation from Prince Charles.
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust launched a £2.5m appeal in July to expand a "gene bank" after this year's farm disease crisis threatened to wipe out unique breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats. The trust also says that other crises in the farming industry, such as BSE and swine fever, have also led to many animals having to be destroyed.
The trust's chief executive, Rosemary Mansbridge, said: "We are greatly indebted to the prince for his generosity, which will help us to move the project further and will encourage others to provide vital support." She continued: "We have to make sure that we hold sufficient genetic material to ensure that when the next farming crisis hits, we shall not lose any of the 63 unique breeds that the charity looks after." Others under threat include British Lop pigs, Irish Moiled cattle, Castlemilk Moorit sheep, North Ronaldsay sheep and Boreray sheep - of which only 60 ewes remain.
At least 12% of the 1,800 Beef Shorthorn breeding cows were also destroyed. Money raised from the initiative will be put into the National Regeneration Bank. The trust says a quarter of the funds will be used immediately to increase the collection of genetic material to ensure the future of rare breeds. The rest will be invested to provide an annual income to maintain and update the bank.
|
![]() |
See also:
![]() Internet links:
![]() The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top UK stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more UK stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more UK stories
|
![]() |
![]() |
^^ Back to top News Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | In Depth | AudioVideo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |