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Fighting animal diseases is expensive. This is why livestock owners in Aargau will have to pay significantly more from next year onwards. (symbolic image)
Keystone
The canton of Aargau needs significantly more money than before to combat animal diseases. The cantonal government has therefore increased the livestock owner contributions per livestock unit such as a cow from the current five to nine francs. The new rates will apply from next year.
With the adjustment of the livestock owner contributions and the canton's share, an additional CHF 594,000 per year will flow into the animal health reserve, as announced by the State Chancellery of Aargau on Friday.
The canton, private livestock farmers and livestock trading companies pay into this reserve every year. The money is earmarked for a specific purpose and is spent exclusively on combating animal diseases.
The canton bears half of the costs of combating the disease. The livestock farmers and livestock trading companies finance the second half.
According to the cantonal government, the national project to combat foot-and-mouth disease - a painful hoof disease in sheep - will lead to additional withdrawals from the animal health reserve in the years 2024 to 2026. This amounts to around CHF 350,000 per year.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, one livestock unit (LU) corresponds to the feed consumption and the manure and slurry produced by a cow. Conversion factors are used to express the different types of livestock in LU.
The LU reference value is used in the context of direct payments, structural improvements and the Water Protection Act, as the Federal Office explains.
12.07.2024, 09:38
