The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has lifted the restrictions on the marketing of meat, milk, skin and manure from sheep and goats from the province of Granada and Almeria that had been affected by Caprine Sheep Pox (SVC), with the signing today of the resolution by the Director General of Agricultural and Livestock Production, Manuel Gómez Galera.
Gómez Galera wanted to highlight «the important effort made by livestock farmers, veterinary services, competent authorities, sector organisations and the Agrupaciones en Defensa Sanitaria Ganadera (ADSG) to control the outbreak of a disease that is particularly complex to control, such as SVC, in a short period of time». The director general also stressed «the advantages of having lifted the protection and surveillance zone measures, such as the fact that farmers can now move their livestock freely, with the exception of grazing in certain cases, and can sell their products normally». The lifting of the restrictions is due to the fact that the period between the detection of the last positive outbreak on 14 December and the 30 days during which the restrictions were to be maintained has expired.
As a precaution, the restrictions on access to pastures are maintained, except for those farms which, on the basis of a risk analysis, are authorised to graze, with the aim of avoiding the possible re-infection of animals when they go out to pasture and, therefore, the declaration of new outbreaks, which would lead to the reactivation of all the restrictions. Another point is that in certain farms in Granada and Almeria, in accordance with a decision of the European Commission, certain conditions are established for certain movements.
The Regional Ministry reports that from the date of this resolution until 16 January 2023, unless an extension of the deadline is determined as a result of the persistence of the risk, access to pastures for sheep and goats on holdings that were in the protection and surveillance zone is prohibited. Without prejudice to the above, in the event that the holders of the holdings concerned so request, the Territorial Delegations, in accordance with a report issued by the Regional Agricultural Office (OCA), may authorise access to sheep and goat pastures on their holdings, on the basis of a risk analysis. In the event of authorisation, the holders of the holdings, before grazing commences, will submit a responsible declaration to the corresponding OCA.
In this delicate process, the Andalusian government has been in permanent contact with the affected sectors and livestock farmers and has quickly set up a line of additional aid to livestock farmers, aimed at compensating for the costs incurred by the confinement of animals as a result of outbreaks of sheep and goat pox, with a budget of 700,000 euros. This aid has been added to the existing aid for the slaughter of animals on livestock farms where this viral disease has been detected.