The Ministry of Health has given the green light to move livestock in Sardinia following the ban imposed due to bovine dermatitis outbreaks, with the exception of the health surveillance zone 50 kilometers from the identified outbreaks. This move had been anticipated for several days.

"This is an important response for thousands of farmers who once again risked paying a very high price due to the health emergency. We worked closely with Commissioner Filippini, overcoming even the most difficult times, but now we have achieved an important step forward," declared Coldiretti President Battista Cualbu and Director Luca Saba during the regional assembly in Cagliari before Minister Francesco Lollobrigida and over 3,000 farmer members from across the island.

"This is a measure that Coldiretti worked on in close collaboration with the government and the relevant health authorities," Cualbu and Saba emphasize. "It is crucial to have avoided a total ban on movement, which would have had devastating economic and production consequences for Sardinian livestock farms."

Coldiretti Sardegna highlights how the ability to move livestock, excluding the 50-kilometer health surveillance area surrounding the outbreaks, now allows for the preservation of an entire season's work and ensures business continuity.

Minister Lollobrigida herself also addressed bovine dermatitis: "Globalization brings some advantages, such as the increased circulation of goods and exports, and disadvantages, such as the circulation of pathogens, which forces us to continually address new emergencies," she said. "Commissioner Filippini is implementing a strategy that takes into account two pillars: European regulations on vaccination and culling." In any case, "as Minister of Agriculture, I say we will support the businesses that will suffer. We will not fail to support our farmers because livestock farming is central."

Confagricoltura also welcomed the news of the approval for the movement: "This first step," said regional president Stefano Taras, "must not make us lower our guard. Now we must all work together, including institutions, veterinary services, and livestock farms, to contain and eradicate the outbreaks, thus freeing the entire region from the cordon sanitaire and allowing one of our agricultural sectors of excellence to fully re-enter the market."

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