German farmers reel under E.Coli-related losses

Germany is counting the losses incurred due to the E.coli outbreak, which so far left 35 people dead, The Hindu reported.

As new infections ebbed away and life returned to normal for thousands of consumers are confused by unsubstantiated warnings about the cause of the epidemic.

Germany’s farmers’ association has described the epidemic as the “worst crisis” for the country’s agricultural sector since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 25 years ago, and claimed that farmers and traders of fresh fruits and vegetables have suffered “massive losses” as a result of false warnings about cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce as possible carriers of the deadly Escherichia coli bacteria.

The warnings issued by the health authorities against those fresh vegetables without scientific evidence did not prevent further spreading of the epidemic, but caused uncertainty about the source of the contamination and damaged the country’s farm sector, according to Gerd Sonnleitner, president of the German Farmers’ Association.

Sonnleitner described as “insufficient” 210 million euros offered by the European Commission in Brussels last week to pay compensation for EU farmers hit by the E.coli crisis.

Even though the consumers began buying fresh vegetables, it will take some time to restore the trade in fresh fruits and vegetables, which was completely broken down by the epidemic, he said, ahead of a meeting of EU agriculture ministers tomorrow to finalise the aid plan.

German health authorities at the weekend pinpointed bean sprouts as the main source of the worst E.coli epidemic in more than 60 years and confirmed that the contaminated vegetable had their origin in an organic farm in Bienenbuttel, in northern Germany.
They also lifted the warnings against eating raw cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce.

Health officials are currently investigating the possibility that the lethal bacteria may have been carried to the farm by imported seeds.

The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national disease control and prevention centre, confirmed that the death toll in the five – week epidemic rose to 35 on Saturday, but the number of new infections continued to drop steadily.

It estimated that around 3,200 people have developed symptoms of E.coli infection since its outbreak.