The president of Asaja Extremadura, Ángel García Blanco, has expressed his satisfaction with the actions implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment to combat bluetongue.
Thus, he has positively highlighted that the Junta de Extremadura has accepted the recommendations made in order to support the region's sheep farming in the face of this disease.
It should be recalled that Asaja Extremadura asked the Ministry of Agriculture to implement a double protocol with the aim of combating and eradicating "as much as possible" this virus.
The first part of said protocol proposed that the farmer himself could acquire the vaccine in authorized establishments and administer it when there was an urgent need.
In this case, the ministry would cover the cost of the vaccine according to the fixed prices, which "has been managed to increase", so Asaja Extremadura trusts that the next Governing Council will give the green light to the order that regulates it.
The second option contemplates that the regional administration authorizes, through an urgent procedure, the purchase of one million doses of vaccine at a price more adjusted to the market, a measure that was communicated this Monday by the Minister of Agriculture, Juan José García.
"Asaja had proposed, and has achieved, that the Junta invest double the amount foreseen in this procedure, from 300,000 euros to 600,000 euros," the agricultural organization stressed in a statement.
Consequently, Asaja has encouraged farmers to make use of either of the two systems and to start vaccinating sheep as soon as possible, especially against serotype 'three', considered the most aggressive.