Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie, Conservative Craig Hoy and Labour’s Donald Mackinnon locked horns over bluetongue disease in the Scottish Parliament.
by BILL HEANEY
Midges are spreading bluetongue disease in herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, which could cost individual farmers up to £20,000 to have their animals vaccinated against it, the Scottish Parliament was told this week.
Conservative MSP Craig Hoy told concerned Holyrood members that he had been to one agricultural show at the weekend where there were no livestock.
And where farmers were clearly anxious and unsure when local vets will have sufficient vaccine supply to tackle the disease.
He told Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie: “They know that the process could be costly, with one hill farmer telling me that the cost of vaccinating her flock could be close to £20,000—money that is not readily available.
“Given that my constituents are paying a heavy price to provide the circuit breaker that might or might not be successful in stopping the virus spreading in Scotland, how will the minister ensure that adequate vaccine supply can be assured for the south-west?
“How will he determine how financial support can be made available to farmers who were already struggling before the worrying outbreak of bluetongue in the south-west?”
Mr Fairlie added: “Over the past three years, the Scottish Government has been watching with concern the developing disease outbreak in England and Wales, and we have engaged with the livestock industry to develop, jointly, a control strategy that is effective against the threat of bluetongue but also proportionate.
“I thank all the stakeholders who have been involved for their constructive engagement, and I thank the wider farming community, who have had to endure a difficult time, particularly over the past few weeks.
“Culling of infected animals is also appropriate but, crucially, once the disease is being transmitted locally by midges, those measures become less effective. Another feature of bluetongue is that virus transmission is dependent on weather. It can occur only at average temperatures above 13°C, meaning that there are times of the year when some restrictions can be eased.”
The Scottish Government has repeatedly issued advice to the industry, in which we strongly advise keepers to consult their private veterinary practice to consider vaccinating their flocks and herds.
“That is because vaccination remains the only long-term strategy for controlling the disease.
“The disease has spread gradually from the south-east of England, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declaring all of England a restricted zone in July 2025. The virus then reached Wales, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, which meant that it could reach the Scottish border.”