The outbreak of bluetongue, better known as bluetongue disease, has already killed more than 40 thousand animals in Portugalthe overwhelming majority of them sheep. The late autumn, as well as higher than normal temperatures, prolonged the presence of the mosquito that proliferates the disease, leaving producers facing yet another crisis in the sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture has already announced measures to support the agricultural industry, namely the temporary authorization of a vaccine, which will be paid by the State to producers, support worth around one million euros. But both farmers and experts point to flaws in the government’s response to the crisis, lamenting that the priority is on reaction rather than prevention, especially when Spain also recorded a rise in bluetongue disease cases before Portugal.
Source: expresso.pt
