Cattle and sheep farming should be recognised as a "sector in crisis" in order to facilitate support for farmers in light of bluetongue cases. The proposal was made on Thursday by the Federal Minister for Agriculture David Clarinval.
The viral disease, primarily spread by insects, affects livestock like sheep and cattle and can be fatal in severe cases. However, it does not affect humans.
Clarnival says that official recognition of the situation would allow farmers to benefit from payment facilities for their social security contributions, reducing their financial burden. The proposed measure enables a streamlined and centralised management of requests for payment facility of social contributions for the third quarter of 2024.
Over 500 farms have been impacted by the disease since its first case in October 2023, according to the latest data from the Federal Agency for Food Safety (FASFC). Antwerp, Liège, and Limbourg remain the hardest-hit provinces.
Clarinval’s office will dispatch a note in the coming days to formalise the recognition to the social security offices.
The bluetongue disease has also spread into the Netherlands, Germany, and France, as reported by the respective health authorities in those countries.
