Deputy State President Hacı Mehmet’s important statements on plague and smallpox
State Vice President Hacı Mehmet stated that they held a meeting with Yorgos Stratakos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, who visited the region due to the increase in smallpox cases in the region in recent days.
Stating that the measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the disease and to provide support to the animal breeders who are suffering, Hacı Mehmet said, "We do not want any of our producers to be victims. We have conveyed our demands in writing and verbally," he said.
ANIMAL TRANSPORT BANNED FOR 10 DAYS
Hacı Mehmet said that the transport of sheep and goats is banned for 10 days due to smallpox in ovine animals, and those who do not comply with this ban will be subject to penal sanctions. In addition, Hacı Mehmet stated that they demanded feed support for producers who keep their animals closed, and recommended that the vehicles that come into contact with animals, animal feed or small cattle pens should be disinfected in order to prevent the disease.
Mehmet said, "According to the news we received yesterday, we learnt that my proposal was accepted. In order to prevent this disease, from now on, animals, animal feed, in short, vehicles that come into contact with the pens will be disinfected in some way. For this purpose, in Xanthi, Portalagos, Fere and other regions, water troughs with medicated water for disinfection have been created. In addition, vehicles will be disinfected under police supervision at the exit and toll plazas of the Egnatia motorway. In this way, we believe that the spread of the disease will be prevented."
Rıdvan Hacı Mehmet also emphasised that the disease is only seen in small ruminants and that there is no problem in milk trading and that producers can easily sell their milk.
Hacı Mehmet said that those who have difficulties in selling milk can contact them.
Meanwhile, according to the statement made by the authorised institutions, the number of corrals and facilities where smallpox was detected is as follows:
North Evros: 22
Southern Evros: 59
Kavala: 14
Rhodope: 6
Xanthi: 1
It was stated that the number of animals culled due to the disease in the region was approximately 15 thousand.
