There is still alarm among Sardinian breeders over the health and economic consequences of the recent bluetongue epidemic .
With a letter sent to the regional councilors for Agriculture and Health, Gian Franco Satta and Armando Bartolazzi, Coldiretti Sardegna has requested an "urgent" meeting of the regional technical table on the emergency. The aim is to address some critical issues, among others compensation for vaccination plans, management of outbreaks and the need for effective preventive strategies.
" We ask to be actively involved in decisions but above all clearly informed about the regional strategy to address the problem without forgetting the vaccination campaign and prophylaxis for next year - state the president and director Battista Cualbu and Luca Saba in the letter - we cannot allow delays or the attempt to pass the responsibility on to the breeders".
Coldiretti also emphasizes that, "although the vaccine is an important tool, the real priority is to implement a contrast plan that is effective for the fight against Culicoides and prevent the spread of the disease. On this fight against the insect vector, Coldiretti believes it is necessary to increase the funds for the fight against the proliferation of Culicoides by supporting and implementing the experimentation".
Coldiretti Sardegna also believes it is "essential" to understand what actions the Region intends to implement to contain the bluetongue and prevent new resurgences . "We cannot continue to chase emergencies and we need a comprehensive plan that allows us to anticipate problems, considering that every year, with the arrival of the hot season, the virus returns to strike the Sardinian livestock sector", the president and director recall. "Clear planning is needed to avoid further penalizing the sector and to allow breeders to sell their animals at crucial moments of the market - they observe - Furthermore, we ask to allocate economic resources for the purchase of repellents useful for combating the culicoides and to prepare land reclamation plans to reduce the presence of the vector insect and limit its spread".
