Fico: Gov't to Discuss Again Developments of Foot-and-mouth disease on Tuesday

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The government will again hold an extraordinary meeting on the developments of foot-and-mouth disease in the south of Slovakia on Tuesday (March 25), Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) posted on a social network on Monday. "If the disease spreads, the entire Slovak agriculture and food industry will be threatened. That's why we've expressed our full support to [Agriculture] Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD), with whom I'll negotiate tomorrow in the presence of representatives of farmers and food producers on compensation and further action," said Fico. The extraordinary cabinet meeting and the crisis committee at the Agriculture Ministry were held over the weekend on March 22-23. The emergency measures ordered by Slovak Chief Veterinary Officer Martin Chudy on Friday (March 21) also came into force. The presence of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed at livestock farms in three villages in southern Slovakia - Medvedov, Narad and Baka. The disease probably entered Slovakia through the air from Hungary. It is a serious, highly contagious and febrile viral disease among livestock with significant economic impacts. am