Seville, (EFE).- The general director of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Junta, Manuel Gómez, has sent this Saturday “a message of tranquility” to the farmers affected by the ovine caprine virus to whom he has guaranteed the payment of their aid “not only to alleviate the expenses caused by the slaughter of cattle, but also those that they have had to face due to the immobilization of their animals”.
The subsidies, which have a budget of 1.3 million, will be calculated based on the number of days and livestock affected by the ban on grazing.
Gómez has insisted that “in the next few days said aid will see the light” and that, therefore, “farmers must be prepared to present their documentation in an agile way in order to collect them as quickly as possible”, according to the Andalusian Government in a note.
The general director explained that Andalusia is one of the few autonomous communities that has supplemented State aid to alleviate the effects of the VOC, the sheep and goat virus, and that, therefore, Andalusian farmers will benefit “even more” .
Maintain livestock activity
With these subsidies, the Andalusian Government provides emergency assistance in the form of liquidity to the owners of farms affected by VOCs in the Alto Almanzora region of Almeria and the Granada areas of Baza (South Plateau) and Huéscar (North Plateau).
The objective of the Board is that the producers can face the complicated situation in which they have been immersed and, therefore, the maintenance of the cattle activity is guaranteed.
In the coming weeks, after its publication in the BOJA, farmers will apply for these aids, requesting compensation for extraordinary expenses derived from the immobilization of animals during the established period.
On the other hand, compensation is also contemplated for farms that have had to sacrifice animals. In this case, the amount is determined based on the volume of feed and manure destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.
VOC is an infectious viral disease that, in addition to having serious repercussions on animals, can also considerably affect the profitability of livestock farms by disrupting the movement of herds and their products within and outside the European Union. EFE