Abruzzo region allocates €400,000 to sheep farms after Blue Tongue outbreak

The Abruzzo regional government has disbursed €400,000 in indemnities to 106 livestock enterprises that lost 1,340 ovine animals to the Blue Tongue virus, paying €298 per dead or culled head. A further €140,000 is earmarked for 2026 to continue support for the sector, alongside other CSR‑funded measures for animal welfare and farm credit.

In the neighbouring Emilia‑Romagna province, the municipality of Sogliano al Rubicone provided a one‑off contribution of €20,084 to local sheep breeders after the summer 2025 outbreak killed 55 of the 946 affected animals. The payment, approved by the municipal council and administered through the regional breeders’ association, was highlighted by assessor Marco Brigliadori, who stressed the strategic importance of ovine farming for the territory’s economy and landscape.

Both interventions aim to mitigate the economic impact of the non‑contagious disease on Italy’s small‑ruminant sector and to sustain agricultural activity in rural mountain and hill areas.