24 September 1998 Edition
British Army fail to move on TB outbreak
Toni Carragher, spokesperson for the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee has accused the British Army of failing to adhere to Department of Agriculture guidelines, and in doing so contributing to a TB outbreak that is threatening the livelihoods of 50-60% of local farmers.
Farmers in the Crossmaglen area are suffering as British Army footpatrols spread the disease by crossing between quarantined and uninfected farms. Whereas farmers are bound by rigid Department of Agriculture guidelines to disinfect all machinery and footwear on leaving quarantined farms to prevent the spread of TB, the British Army has failed to undertake any precautions and appears not to be bound by the same regulations.
On 10 April Ms Carragher meet with two DoA officials and an officer from the divisional veterinary office. Following the meeting, where the three officials accepted the actions of the British Army could contribute to the spreading of TB, and two follow-up letters to the MoD, the British Army has yet to make plans to educate its soldiers or alter their patrolling patterns.
Carragher highlighted the plight facing farmers as absolute, especially with no MoD compensation forthcoming.
She said, ``farmers often have to destroy their entire herds with only poor DoA compensation. But they also have to keep the farm quarantined for 3-4 months while disinfecting all buildings and machinery on the farm. Only then will they be given the all-clear to start up farming again.''
Farmers in the Crossmaglen area are suffering as British Army footpatrols spread the disease by crossing between quarantined and uninfected farms. Whereas farmers are bound by rigid Department of Agriculture guidelines to disinfect all machinery and footwear on leaving quarantined farms to prevent the spread of TB, the British Army has failed to undertake any precautions and appears not to be bound by the same regulations.
On 10 April Ms Carragher meet with two DoA officials and an officer from the divisional veterinary office. Following the meeting, where the three officials accepted the actions of the British Army could contribute to the spreading of TB, and two follow-up letters to the MoD, the British Army has yet to make plans to educate its soldiers or alter their patrolling patterns.
Carragher highlighted the plight facing farmers as absolute, especially with no MoD compensation forthcoming.
She said, ``farmers often have to destroy their entire herds with only poor DoA compensation. But they also have to keep the farm quarantined for 3-4 months while disinfecting all buildings and machinery on the farm. Only then will they be given the all-clear to start up farming again.''