Crisis for British farming as fever spreads

British farming is facing its biggest safety crisis since the BSE scandal after the Government last night extended its swine fever ban to 35 farms across the UK.

British farming is facing its biggest safety crisis since the BSE scandal after the Government last night extended its swine fever ban to 35 farms across the UK.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) placed restrictions on farms in eight counties, from the Isle of Wight to Lancashire, in a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak.

The shock decision was made after Maff scientists discovered the disease had spread rapidly from its previous confines of East Anglia. The move comes days after the European Commission imposed an EU-wide ban on the export of live pigs and pig semen.

In a bid to reassure Brussels, new restrictions were placed last night on seven farms in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Sussex, the Isle of Wight and Dorset.

All of the farms have been banned from transporting their pigs while Government vets make tests, a Maff spokeswoman said.

The other 28 farms under restrictions are in East Anglia. Five farms were confirmed with classical swine fever and 12,000 pigs have been slaughtered.

A direct link to the Norfolk breeding centre where the outbreak is thought to have started has been confirmed in 17 of the 35 cases.

"These farms are not necessarily going to be infected with classical swine fever," the Maff spokeswoman said. "The symptoms of swine fever can be very similar to other diseases."

Nick Brown, the Agriculture Secretary, will hold an emergency meeting with farmers in London today to discuss how to restrict the damage caused by the outbreak.

Yesterday Mr Brown pledged to keep the pig industry under tight control to prevent the spread of the disease and persuade the EU to lift its export ban.

Restrictions on the movement and slaughter of pigs would stay in place to show the EU that the outbreak has been limited to a certain area, he said.

The EU's Standing Veterinary Committee meets next Tuesday to decide whether to reduce the scope of the export ban if Britain can show that the outbreak of swine fever has been limited to a certain area. The present ban runs until 31 August.

"It is in everyone's interest - particularly that of pig producers - that we keep the outbreak of swine fever under control," Mr Brown said. "We must prevent the disease spreading because of the devastating effect it can have on pig farms.

"If we can convince our international trading partners we are taking effective action we will be better able to keep international trade controls to the minimum necessary."

Under EU laws, the Government is allowed to consider issuing licences for the slaughter of pigs from the 10km surveillance zones around infected farms seven days after the disease has been wiped out on the infected farm, he said. The pig meat from these areas must be cooked before it is sold to guarantee the disease is killed, he added.

Brussels banned exports after Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain had barred English livestock. The ban does not so far affect Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland pig farms, although the disease does tend to spread rapidly.

The United States decided yesterday to ban UK exports of live pigs. The US Agriculture Department announced temporary controls on all pig products, including meat, as well as live imports.

British officials had hoped the EU committee would narrow the ban to East Anglia, but the possibility of new cases is likely to mean that the committee will recommend an extension to the embargo.

There is no evidence that swine fever can be transmitted to humans, but the disease has catastrophic effects on animals.