Teagasc and Department Visit All 120 Affected Farms in Louth
Issued 30thMarch 2001
Senior Teagasc and Department of Agriculture officials are visiting all 120 farm families in Louth affected by the strategic animal culling strategy following the confirmed outbreak at Proleek, on March 22nd.
Ten expert teams of two people are today visiting the 37 families who have had all their animals culled. The other 83 families who have had sheep only culled will be visited tomorrow and early next week. The visits are being carried out at the behest of the Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh.
Chief Agricultural Officer in Louth, Oliver Dillon, said the purpose of the visits is to commit the full support of the two major state agencies to families during their current trauma.
"We are sitting with families in their kitchens, listening to their concerns and assisting them in starting the recovery process".
"The visits will be followed by comprehensive advice by Teagasc tailored to the individual needs of the families. This will concentrate on household and farm budgeting, on alternative income sources and on practical farm management during the period when the farm is destocked", he said.
"Like a sudden bereavement the real support for these families will be required over the coming months. Teagasc in Louth, with national specialist support, will be available to these families over the long haul" he committed.
