SPAIN and Italy banned the import ofBritish beef on March 2 1. Germany andFrance are also contemplating a totalban. Panic spread throughout Europe inMarch-end over the consumption ofbeef from cows infected with the MadCow disease. The European Union (EU)is greatly exercised and Jerry Kaily, theEU commissioner for agriculture, hascalled for an independent scientificcommittee to look into the issue. TheEU'S commission on agriculture is holding an emergency meeting in Brussels.
The Mad Cow disease seems tocome from a virus which bores a hole inthe brain membranes of the cattle,thereby killing them. Some years ago, ithad been noticed that a similar virus wasaffecting humans as well. But thoughthere were suspicions !that the humanscould have contracted the virus aftereating diseased beef, there was no scientific evidence to back it up. Now, a new study in Germany has found some corelations, intensifying the panic.
British farmers stand in grave danger of losing a us $6,000 million market. In Britain, supermarkets will sell themeat till the government officially bansit. But reports said that at least one-thirdof the schools have stopped selling beefover their canteen counters. Britishfarming associations are obviously trying to reassure the people all overEurope. But there are few takers. TheBBC reported that though some of theEuropean governments are unsure of animmediate ban, they are having to bowdown to immense public pressure.Meanwhile, right wingers in Europehave stepped up their campaign againstunification.
Scientists believe that the diseasemight have spread through the food chain. It seems now that 11 million cattle may have to be slaughtered andincinerated. That raises the question ofcompensation. In 1967, at least 400,000cattle had to be incinerated after theywere found infected with the foot-and-mouth disease. The farmers had beencompensated. But to compensate for11 million cattle in today's prices wouldbe a mammoth task; no one has evencalculated the cost.
Meanwhile, an Organisation calledthe Compassion in World Farminghas blamed the modern intensiveanimal rearing system for being atthe root of the crisis, and said therecould be much more serious crises inthe future.