France takes preventive measures over foot-and-mouth disease
FRANCE - The French Ministry of Agriculture announced a series of precautionary measures Saturday to prevent the foot-and-mouth disease from entering the country after reports of an outbreak in England were confirmed reports Xinhua.
The measures included a comprehensive calculation of the cattle, pigs, sheep and other cloven-hoofed animals imported from Britain over the past 10 days; compulsory visits by vets to all cattles showing suspected symptoms; a ban on the herding of all cloven-hoofed livestock which are easy to catch the foot-and-mouth disease, before the calculation work is finished; and a timely adjustment of the measures in accordance with changes in the disease situation.
The ministry stressed that when Britain was last hit by the foot-and-mouth disease in 2001, the French livestock industry was well protected from the disease thanks to a series of effective measures they had taken.
The French Livestock Husbandry Association has expressed support for the government's measures, calling them necessary steps against the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease and urging livestock breeders to obey related government decisions although they may somewhat affect their livestock exports.
The ministry stressed that when Britain was last hit by the foot-and-mouth disease in 2001, the French livestock industry was well protected from the disease thanks to a series of effective measures they had taken.
The French Livestock Husbandry Association has expressed support for the government's measures, calling them necessary steps against the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease and urging livestock breeders to obey related government decisions although they may somewhat affect their livestock exports.