LONDON (Reuters)
- The first case of swine fever in Britain since August 12 was
found near an infected area, the Ministry of Agriculture said
on Monday, dashing farmers" hopes on a quick lifting of restrictions
and culls. About 1,000 pigs will be slaughtered after the disease
was discovered on a farm in Norfolk in eastern England. As a result,
many nearby farms may remain under watch for longer than was previously
thought, the ministry said in a statement.
Swine fever
is not dangerous to humans but can decimate a pig population.
The Agriculture
Ministry said the new case may be linked to previous discoveries
in the region. Some 12,000 pigs have been slaughtered to date.
The National
Pig Association said farmers in the area were "dismayed"
at Monday"s news as they "were beginning to hope for
the lifting of the zones later this month." "The prospect
of this situation continuing for several weeks is daunting,"
it said in a statement, criticising the government for "gravely
underestimating the seriousness of the situation" with a
compensation plan of 35 pounds ($51) per pig.
Last week,
Agriculture Minister Nick Brown said he was seeking approval for
emergency payments to farmers who have had to destroy pigs hit
by swine fever. The European Union slapped a ban on English pig
exports after an outbreak but scaled it down in late August to
apply only to the region surrounding infected farms.
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