The rise in temperatures , above the seasonal average , creates great concern for the agricultural and livestock sector and, specifically - warns Coldiretti Sardinia -, the threat of the return of a new wave of Blue Tongue .
It is therefore crucial, explains the association, "an action plan that provides for immediate and timely interventions both to deal with a possible epidemic and for the provision of vaccines and repellents useful for preventing the spread of the disease and protecting the health of animals".
«The example of these over 20 years of waves of animal diseases - underlines the president Battista Cualbu - has shown that it is much better to invest in direct and indirect prevention than to intervene with public money to restore the damage , in addition to the problem of dead animals weighs by far for companies the condition of those who, even if they survived the disease, have consequences for the rest of their lives with many bosses miscarrying and others reduced to precarious conditions - he adds -. Unproductive animals are an additional cost for companies already affected in recent years by the increases in raw materials. This is why we ask that the next regional executive intervene promptly to address the problems upstream and be prepared in the event of new outbreaks."
«What were called emergencies are normal today and as such must be addressed - adds Luca Saba , director of Coldiretti Sardinia - the Region must have a strategy for the future and for this reason we ask that the 2024 campaign be planned immediately. With a task force for emergencies, we can already think about carrying out tenders for the purchase of vaccines and deciding the best strategy to implement also from the prevention side, in collaboration with farmers". For Saba, «investing in prevention means mitigating the negative impacts of climate change and protecting our agricultural and livestock heritage - he says - immediate measures are needed such as vaccinations and repellents , on the one hand, and compensation in case of damage, on the other - he concludes -. On this point, collaboration with the associations is important and we are ready, with our CAA, to work on the applications and offer support to reduce bureaucratic delays."
The economic damage resulting from Blue Tongue, from Coldiretti's findings, is considerable both for the direct losses of animals and for the costs associated with the prevention and management of the disease. We are talking about over 170 million euros in compensation and almost 1 million sheep have died in the last twenty years.
And if in sheep the situation has been dramatic, in cattle too the funds lost by companies and those put in place by the Region for compensation are huge . Again according to a Coldiretti Sardinia elaboration, over the years the heavy and incalculable burden for farmers has emerged, in particular for beef cattle, which continue to suffer the rule of blocking movement.
(Unioneonline/ss)