Knowing that the virus causes major problems, but it can only be felt and experienced in the yard. “That is why such a visit is so important,” says Jeroen van Wijk, provincial chairman of LTO Noord Utrecht.
‘The severity and magnitude of the problem quickly became clear. They lost half. “When you hear a livestock farmer say that he would rather let his sheep die if they are infected than see them suffer like this, it goes through your skin,” says Van Wijk.
When the LTO North driver walks past the sheep with Tom Pronk, the farmer tells him that the vet will be coming that afternoon. One by one he points out the sheep that he wants to euthanize because he knows that otherwise they will face death through suffering. It makes a great impression on the provincial chairman, who already has dead cows due to the virus that midges spread.
As LTO Noord leader, Van Wijk outlines two lines that the advocate will follow. ‘In the short term we have to see if we can obtain financial compensation somewhere. You cannot cover half of your sheep with entrepreneurial risk. At this time you have the most sheep of the season. The lambs are born in the spring. You have had the costs, but no revenues. Bills cannot be paid. We have to lobby for a solution and bring the right parties together.’
The LTO North director does not find it difficult to justify compensation. ‘During the corona period, also a virus, the government also helped entrepreneurs. Farmers cannot do anything about this and they really do not want to hold up their hands on a structural basis. But now money is needed. Otherwise there will be fewer sheep in the Netherlands. Because sheep farmers are fed up with it and are quitting. While sheep are important for the maintenance of dikes and the management of nature reserves.’
Vaccinate
The second path that should be followed according to Van Wijk is focused on the long term. ‘You can’t get rid of those midges. So there must be a vaccine. This must be tackled at European level, otherwise it will no longer be possible to export. For this we need to contact outgoing Agriculture Minister Piet Adema. The best thing would be if we could vaccinate before next spring.’
And then there is another question that the LTO North director would also like to see answered. ‘How did the bluetongue virus get here? The estimate is from Italy. But how? Via the waste from Rome that we process here in Amsterdam? Or via Schiphol? But it could also have been an infected animal that was stung by a midge. It is important for the future that this is sorted out.’
2023-10-23 08:55:32
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