Tensions in the Sardinian livestock industry have reached critical levels. Coldiretti Sardegna has raised the alarm, sending an urgent letter to Regional President Alessandra Todde , requesting the immediate activation of a state of emergency due to the spread of LSD (Lumpy Skin Disease), also known as "lumpy skin disease."

The document—signed by President Battista Cualbu and Director Luca Saba—is an appeal to the institutions: "The situation has become unsustainable. We are facing a boiling point that threatens to explode. Farmers are exhausted, and social tension has reached explosive levels. The institutions must assume responsibility for urgent and concrete interventions," the statement reads.

Among the priorities outlined by Coldiretti are the introduction of selective (rather than indiscriminate) culling, a compensation fund to offset losses due to vaccinations and culling, compensation calculated on actual market prices, and aid to cover the increased costs associated with the movement ban.

Also under scrutiny is the need to build structural supply chain contracts that also involve large-scale retail trade, with the goal of ensuring local meat purchases at fair and stable prices, ensuring income and continuity for the sector.

There's also a call for clarity: Coldiretti is demanding transparent guarantees and constant updates on the spread of the disease, the vaccine's efficacy, and any adverse reactions. "If the vaccine causes harm, clear, rapid, and accessible compensation is needed," Cualbu and Saba denounce.

The request stems from weeks of local assemblies and a well-attended meeting in Nuoro, where the livestock sector's concerns were forcefully expressed.

"We're facing a crisis that's not just economic, but also social," Coldiretti emphasizes. "Livestock farming is the beating heart of entire communities, and the collapse of the sector would mean the end of many family farms."

According to the agricultural organization, emergency management must follow scientific criteria but also take into account practical needs and the survival of businesses. "An extraordinary, shared, and immediate strategy is needed," Coldiretti leaders conclude. "The Region, along with all the relevant institutions, can no longer procrastinate."

HERE ARE THE PROPOSALS IN DETAIL

  • Adopt a clear policy on culling, which must be selective and not indiscriminate, in line with the recommendations of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Teramo, which expressed its position following Coldiretti Sardinia's request for clarification regarding the ongoing plan, especially regarding vaccinations.
  • Immediately activate a compensation fund to compensate for the economic damage suffered due to the culling and vaccination campaign, with compensation calculated on current cattle market prices.
  • Urgent measures are needed to cover the increased costs associated with blocking animal movement and maintaining livestock on the farm, which, under normal circumstances, would have already been sold.
  • Building solid and structural supply chain contracts, including large-scale retail trade, to ensure – even in the medium to long term – the purchase of local meat at fair prices and support the incomes of Sardinian farmers.
  • Transparent, continuous, and timely guarantees regarding the progression of the disease, the efficacy and effects of the vaccine, and—should the vaccine cause harm—the availability of reliable, rapid, and accessible compensation through simplified procedures.

(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)

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