Gov't to reject saving stud bulls in Miyazaki Pref

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TOKYO, July 12 Kyodo -
Farm minister Masahiko Yamada reaffirmed Monday that the government will not
save the six privately owned stud bulls in Miyazaki Prefecture despite the
local government's call to make them an exception to the slaughter for
containing foot-and-mouth disease.
After meeting with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku over the issue,
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yamada said he would demand that
Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru have the bulls killed in accordance with
law.
''The chief Cabinet secretary also thinks that as part of the national crisis
management, (the stud bulls) just have to be properly dealt with in accordance
with the special law against foot-and-mouth disease,'' Yamada told a press
gathering.
Higashikokubaru earlier expressed intention that the prefectural government
would take over the ownership of the six bulls and make them an exception of
the slaughtering procedure.
The owner of the bulls in the town of Takanabe rejected the prefectural
government's earlier demand for the vaccination and slaughter of the stud
bulls, while most of the livestock in the town and its vicinity has been
slaughtered since the disease's outbreak in April.
A lawyer representing the owner said Monday evening the owner will file a
lawsuit as early as Tuesday, seeking nullification of the local government's
recommendation to kill the bulls.
The lifting of restrictions on the transport of livestock in the most
heavily-hit areas is currently scheduled for July 16, but the date could be
postponed unless the bulls are slaughtered.
Among six top-class stud bulls owned by the prefectural government, one was
destroyed after testing positive for foot-and-mouth disease, while the
remaining five have survived under preferential measures.
Meanwhile, a total of 17 livestock markets in Kagoshima Prefecture that had
been suspended for over two months will reopen as early as July 20, local
agricultural cooperatives said, adding they plan to request that buyers from
Miyazaki Prefecture refrain from coming.
A number of livestock markets had been closed due to the outbreak, but some of
the markets in neighboring Kumamoto and Oita prefectures have already reopened.
==Kyodo
2010-07-13 00:03:28