Virus testing extended

The cull was ordered following blood test results

Tens of thousand more sheep look set to be checked for foot-and-mouth as the Welsh Assembly extends the testing programme around the Brecon Beacons in mid Wales.

Farmers have been told of plans to check over 20 more flocks as the scheme stretches down towards the south Wales Valleys.

Crisis in Wales

Total confirmed cases UK-wide 1,928 - with 114 in Wales

Powys - 74 cases

Anglesey - 13 cases

Monmouthshire - 20 cases

Caerphilly - 2

Rhondda Cynon Taff - 1

Neath Port Talbot -1

Newport - 3

Over 6,500 sheep have already been culled in the Beacons after antibodies were found following an outbreak at Libanus.

Meanwhile MPs are to investigate the cost of compensation payments to farmers whose livelihoods have been affected by the crisis.

It has been revealed that up to 37 farmers - one believed to be from Wales - have put in claims of more than £1m for livestock slaughtered during the outbreak.

Surely the cause of the problem should be solved instead of bickering about what is happening afterwards

William Jenkins

But the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has defended the payouts, saying its members were not becoming "foot-and-mouth millionaires" as most of the money would be spent on restocking.

Monmouthshire sheep farmer William Jenkins has said that the situation should not be blown out of proportion.

Mr Jenkins said: "If we look at what the cost is to that particular farmer it could be quite a large farm with lots of families earning a living off the farm, when you look at the £1m it is all relative.

"Surely the cause of the problem should be solved instead of bickering about what is happening afterwards."

Farmers await test results

Meanwhile as the compensation row intensifies the crisis has shown no sign of abating in mid Wales.

As farmers await the results of 4,000 tests - which were carried out last week - the assembly administration has announced plans for another four flocks on the Beacons to be checked.

Testing also looks set to be extended around the Crickhowell area after a cluster of cases were identified there.

And 30 farmers who graze 17,000 sheep to the south east of the Beacons including the Llangynydr and Llangattock mountains have been called to talks with ministry vets on Monday to discuss gathering in those flocks.

Upbeat

But the Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones has been upbeat about efforts to trace and combat the disease.

He said: "The results we had confirm an emerging picture, whereby the disease is getting less the further away you get from Libanus," he said.

"All the evidence so far suggests that the disease has been spreading on the mountain from one original point and that the level of infection drops sharply as we move out from that point.

"It provides us with some comfort - the disease isn't as widespread as people had feared at one time."