Takac: Illicit Night Transports of Animals Not to Be Tolerated

Bratislava, April 4 (TASR) - The state received reports of illicit night transports of animals, Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) announced after a late Friday session of the crisis team on the ongoing foot-and-mouth contagion. Authorities will begin to slaughter infected livestock in the latest epicenter of the contagion in Jurova (Trnava region) on Tuesday (April 8), after the necessary equipment is transferred from Plavecky Stvrtok (Trnava region). The minister once again urged all farmers to comply with the measures. "I'd like to call on food producers not to underestimate the situation. There have been various indications of illicit transports in the middle of the night. There will be inspections carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, inspections of individual farms from above and their surroundings, to make sure all measures are properly met," he underlined. Takac added that vaccination at the latest epicenter area is already underway. mf