The bluetongue emergency is increasingly widespread in the Nurra farms, where the disease affects dozens of animals, to the desperation of the farmers who are once again on their knees.
Giuseppe Peddio, President of the Lait Social Cooperative, which has 370 members in and around Ittiri, draws a disastrous balance: " We are living a real nightmare," says Peddio. "In just a few days, the virus has reached several sheepfolds in the Ittiri countryside and especially in Nurra, where we have 60% of our contributors ."
For Peddio, it is a tragedy that could have been avoided: « The regional institutions had been ringing the alarm bells since last year , when in Guspini and other areas of the island it was a total massacre. It was necessary to intervene with targeted prevention, alongside the breeders : the vaccines have not solved anything, now we find ourselves back at square one».
There are several concerns for the future of the sector: " Bluetongue not only kills our livestock," concludes Peddio, "but it damages the entire economic fabric . From the sale of milk and meat, to the movement of livestock now blocked. We hope that those in charge will intervene immediately, studying definitive solutions starting from prevention. Otherwise, once this phase is over, in a few months everything will be the same."