Gatherings took place at noon in Kołbaskowo, Świecko, Gubin, Jędrzychowice, and Olszyna.
A recent outbreak in Brandenburg, Germany, involved water buffalo near Berlin, all of which had to be culled after testing positive for the highly contagious disease. Foot-and-mouth can weaken livestock and often prove fatal, triggering mass culling orders within the European Union and causing significant financial losses for farmers.
“We’re worried about the serious threat to Poland’s livestock and crops,” said Roman Waszczyk, spokesperson for farmers in the West Pomerania region. “An outbreak could lead to mass deaths and ruin our agricultural sector.”
Protesters called for halting cross-border transport of farm animals from Germany but said they would not block roads. Instead, they aimed to draw attention to the potential impact of foot-and-mouth on Polish agriculture and to urge authorities to secure the border against infected livestock.
(jh)
Source: RMF24