The Government lifts restrictions on livestock movement due to dermatosis

BarcelonaThe Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, has announced that all restrictions related to contagious nodular dermatosis (CND) in Catalonia will be lifted as of this Friday, as planned. Speaking to the media at the Catalan Parliament, he explained that this lifts restrictions on 1,124 farms and 165 municipalities affected by the latest outbreak in Capmany (Alt Empordà). The measure will allow the normal resumption of animal movement throughout the region, although Ordeig reiterated that vaccination is mandatory and that the sector must maintain "enhanced vigilance." He also stated that sampling and testing will continue to detect any new outbreaks. The Minister, who emphasized that 100% of animals entering farms must be vaccinated, appealed to everyone's sense of responsibility to prevent further health problems. Regarding the economic impact, he noted that €6.3 million in compensation has already been paid to the affected farms, in addition to the ICF loans made available during the crisis. Meanwhile, the government is working with the sector on a new aid package to help farms that had to carry out sanitary culling recover their productive potential. The goal, according to the regional minister, is to ensure that "no farm" is left out of operation and to prevent the loss of productive capacity, especially in the case of dairy farms, which will need more time to recover. The Catalan Beef Cattle Breeders Association (Asoprovac Catalunya) has estimated losses caused by the restrictions due to the outbreak of contagious nodular dermatosis in Girona at €4 million, as reported in a statement this Thursday. The president of the organization, Oriol Canal, emphasized that livestock farmers "have suffered a closure of commercial channels, a loss of clients and suppliers, and have had to maintain fixed costs without income."

160 million less in revenue

Therefore, it has requested "specific and sufficient" financial aid to guarantee the survival of a sector that is strategic for the region. The organization added that the forced closure of farms located in 165 municipalities has resulted in a loss of €160 million in carcass value.