FMD: Rs 17.6M to breeders

32 farmers, whose cattle were slaughtered due to the foot-and mouth disease, will receive a compensation of Rs 17. 6 million. According to a source, the compensation will be paid following culling of 523 animals, including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs. “This is the first disbursement,” said the source. The latter also asserts that the ban on deer hunting has been extended to September 14.

On the other hand, the Minister of Agro-Industry Mahen Seeruttun pointed out that 1,288 animals have been slaughtered so far and 5,900 cattle heads have been vaccinated. The slaughtering and vaccination exercise will continue, he said. Moreover, infected cattle detected in Bois-Pignolet will be slaughtered soon. In Rodrigues, a sum of Rs 15.3 million as compensation has already been paid to 184 farmers. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has assured that it will support Mauritius in its fight against foot and mouth disease.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture has thus disbursed Rs 25 million. The country signed a Technical Cooperation Project Agreement on the National Food Safety and Plant Health Protection Systems which will allow it to obtain FAO technical input required to complete two projects. “The first project aims to promote local production and the second concerns the protection of our forests,” said Mahen Seeruttun.