France to push for mad cow aid

Public confidence in beef has seen cattle prices drop

PARIS, France -- France's agriculture minister will push for European Union cash to help French farmers suffering from the effects of the mad cow crisis.

Jean Glavany is to plea for direct aid to farmers hit by low cattle prices as consumers reject beef for fear of contracting the human version of the disease, variant Creutzfeld-Jakob (vCJD).

Farmers have staged protests across France this week in a bid to pressure authorities into compensating them for losses resulting from public alarm over mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

Glavany did not announce any aid during talks with the French beef industry on Thursday, but said: "Naturally, by adopting specific aid, farmers hit the hardest will be a key element of the French position during the EU farm ministers council on February 26 and 27."

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However, he did unveil several initiatives designed to ease the surplus of animals on French farms because of a lack of buyers due to the presence BSE in French cattle.

Among these was a measure enabling the meat of 10,000 animals to be put into frozen storage each week.

Glavany said he would heighten health and customs control to prevent further instability in the French cattle market.

The beef crisis began in October when beef potentially contaminated with BSE was sold to three French supermarket chains.

Meanwhile, relatives of UK victims of vCJD will each receive an interim compensation payment of $36,000 (£25,000).

Families have long campaigned for compensation as successive governments have spent $5.8 billion (£4 billion) compensating farmers for culled cattle as a result of the BSE crisis.

The money will be paid immediately to the estimated 86 families hit by the brain wasting disease while full compensation settlements for each person are decided.

A further eight suspected sufferers are still alive.

The money will go to families of people who have died and those caring for a relative still alive and suffering from the incurable disease. A no-fault compensation package was announced by the government last year in the wake of the Phillips Inquiry into the BSE scandal.

The Phillips report criticised ministers and civil servants for failing to respond quickly enough to warnings that BSE in cattle could enter the food chain and infect humans.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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French Agriculture Ministry
Europa
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

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