THE Malvern-based National Sheep Association says slaughter to control foot and mouth is creating more problems than the disease.
Chief executive John Thorley said: "We are now losing so many of our important bloodlines that the cure is becoming more damaging than the disease."
He told farmers whose flocks are under threat under the "contiguous flock" rule to refuse to allow them to be taken for culling.
"It's bad enough taking out stock which are actually suffering from the disease, but removal of healthy contiguous flocks should only be done after a proper assessment of the risk to the flock and to onward spread."
The NSA, together with the Sheep Veterinary Society and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, has submitted a plan aimed at protecting rare breeds to the government.
NSA chairman David Smith said there were other problems associated with the cull. He said: "We continue to get reports of vehicles carrying carcasses for farms to burial/burning site leaking body fluids."
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