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Tuesday, 13 March, 2001, 06:55 GMT
Moved animals show signs of disease
![]() Nine cases have now been confirmed in Wales
Fresh worries about foot-and-mouth have emerged with news that a group of sheep which arrived at a mid Wales abattoir may have been carrying the disease.
It brings into question the new system of allowing animals to be taken for slaughter from unaffected areas. Welsh agriculture minister Carwyn Jones has called the incident "regrettable" The Hamer International abattoir at Llanidloes - which processes branded Welsh Beef for the supermarket group Safeway in a £3m contract - is now one of nine cases being investigated in Wales. A new case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed in Wales on Monday - at Lower Uchel Dre Brooks Farm at Welshpool, where a herd of 200 suckler cows were affected. There are also 1,300 sheep at the farm which is within the existing cluster in Powys.
Meanwhile the government is believed to be considering a mass cull of 500,000 sheep to reduce the spread of the disease. Nineteen fresh outbreaks of foot-and-mouth across the UK on Monday brought the total number of cases to183.
But Welsh politicians are taking a more cautious view. Welsh Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones said on Monday he hoped the picture across Wales would be clearer soon. "The incubation period in sheep is three weeks, but the order forbidding movement of animals has only been in place for two weeks," he said.
"Hopefully, by Friday we will have a better idea of where the disease in Wales," said Mr Jones. The unconfirmed case at Bancyfelin near St Clears is the greatest concern for more than 3,000 farmers. It is an important milk producing region which so far appears to have escaped the epidemic. If it proves positive it could signal the most serious development yet in the spread of the disease. "Every farmer in west Wales is very apprehensive that it's on the doorstep," said Peter Davies of the Farmers' Union of Wales. "We all hope and pray that this suspected case of foot-and-mouth will not be confirmed." Three generations The latest case was confirmed at a farm near Church Stoke on the Montgomeryshire-Shropshire border on Saturday. Nearly two hundred cattle have been slaughtered on the farm where three generations of the same family had built up the pedigree herd of Holsteins. "We are a farm that is very islolated,"said farmer Winston Jones. "We have a quarter of a mile drive, no roads passing by and the footpaths closed off." "Its just unbelievable that it got to us." The Farmers' Union of Wales has said the Army must be called in to dispose slaughtered livestock. The union fears that slaughtered animals left lying in fields for days on end before being dealt with poses a threat to healthy livestock on nearby farms. "We are facing a national disaster, which fully justifies the use of the Army," said FUW president Bob Parry. Members of Plaid Cymru in foot-and-mouth affected areas are being told not to attend the party's spring conference at Ystrad in the Rhonnda on Saturday. It has also emerged a question mark is hanging over Wales's premier literary event , the Hay-on-Wye literature festival because of the deepening crisis. Festival director Peter Florence said they were taking close advice on whether to go-ahead with the festival at the end of May. The NFU has set up a new dedicated helpline to answer queries on foot-and-mouth: 08000 646363
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