Renewed call for ban on risky bluetongue imports

It says other member states put disease security ahead of free trade rules.

The association has written to the new farming minister Jim Fitzpatrick after it became aware that importations were still happening on some scale.

“A ban is absolutely essential if we are to help maintain the UK free of this costly disease,” said RABDF chairman, Lyndon Edwards.

“During May alone, Defra recorded more than 847 cattle were imported from bluetongue restricted countries, a figure 50 per cent higher than March and more than 20 times greater than January.”

And he said this did not even take account of more than 1,000 head imported from Ireland.

The RABDF wants the ban to apply to all bluetongue susceptible species.

It is worried farmers might be starting to believe the risk of the disease has reduced in some way.

“In reality the warm weather we have seen in the past few weeks may amplify the potential threat,” said Mr Edwards.

“It takes only one infected animal to be brought onto our shores, one that has gone undetected as was the case last year, to then pass this to a midge which could potentially spread the disease to who knows how many cattle.

"There is no doubt that we must take action now or we could be facing a major epidemic.”

When in February Mr Edwards approached the then Farming Minister Jane Kennedy he was told a statutory ban on imports would be illegal.

Explaining why the RABDF had again raised the issue of a ban he said: “Fellow member states waste no time at all in putting their national herd disease security before the rules of free trade and it is time the UK did the same. In the meantime, we cannot stress how important it is for farmers to stop importing cattle, particularly during this vector period.

"We trust that other farming organisations will step forward and reiterate our stance to their members.”