British Government publishes rates for slaughtered animals
The British Government has published the rates it will pay farmers for animals slaughtered because of foot-and-mouth.
The levels have been set to give farmers an alternative to consulting a valuer in a bid to speed up the slaughter process.
The levels range from STG£18 for a piglet on sow to STG£1,100 for a breeding cow.
Answering a Commons written question from Martyn Jones (Lab Clwyd S), Deputy Agriculture Minister Joyce Quin said an order had been made to change the valuation procedure.
Ms Quin said: "This order gives farmers the option of payments at standard rates or of having animals valued by a valuer.
"This is intended to help speed up the valuation process and so ensure that animals can be slaughtered as quickly as possible."
Meanwhile there are now 672 confirmed cases in Britain and one in Northern Ireland, making a total of 24 new cases.
