Another blow to farmers

Paul Cheale: His abattoir has been placed in an exclusion zone

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is a body blow to pig farmers, still reeling from three years of low prices, a swine fever outbreak, and a winter of floods.

It is panic stations big time, across the country

Ian Campbell
National Pig Association

The National Farmers Union said the outbreak was immensely worrying and was a blow which had the potential to "devastate" Britain's pig farmers.

The next 24 hours could be crucial in establishing how severe the outbreak, the first for more than two decades, will prove to be.

If Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) vets can quickly trace the primary source of the disease that farm, or farms, can be isolated and the outbreak contained.

Animals showed symptoms within 48 hours of reaching abattoir

If not, the highly-contagious virus which affects several species including pigs, sheep, and cattle but not humans, could be blown from one end of the country to the other.

Farmers are desperately hoping the outbreak can be contained.

But it will not be easy, because the abattoir where the infected animals have been found serves farms from Scotland to the Isle of Wight.

"It has the potential to be devastating," said a National Farmers Union spokeswoman. "It is a massive blow and very, very worrying."

But she said "tried and tested" methods had worked well to contain the last outbreak in 1981.

"It was brought under control very quickly and that's what we're trying to emulate.

'Panic stations'

"We need to make sure it's stopped dead in its tracks."

Ian Campbell of the National Pig Association said: "It is panic stations big time, across the country."

I've aged more in the last three years than in the last 30

John Gray
Essex farmer

Farmers were in a state of shock, particularly those hit by last year's swine fever, he said

"I can't imagine how bad the atmosphere on East Anglia farms must be today. It's a nightmare."

The particular strain of the virus has not yet been identified and Mr Campbell said there were fears it was an especially virulent type.

Healthy animals arrived at the Cheale abattoir in Little Warley, Essex, on Friday, and by Monday morning were showing clinical symptoms, he said.

"It is expressing itself very, very quickly. It's frightening."

He warned that unless the outbreak was swiftly contained, the crisis could "cost the country millions".

Essex farmer John Gray lost an estimated £120,000 when his farm in West Mersea was quarantined for over a month, during last year's swine fever outbreak.

After a winter of heavy rain and floods he was looking forward to a better year as prices began recovering.

Mr Gray sells about 300 pigs a week and regularly uses the infected Cheale abattoir just 45 miles away.

Thankfully, he said there were no signs of disease amongst his 6,000 pigs, so far.

Mr Gray's farm is on an island, but this is little comfort to him because the 1981 outbreak was thought to have been caused by the virus blowing across the English Channel.

He said: "I don't need this, nobody does. In the pig industry we have just been seeing a recovery to break-even prices after they'd been on the floor for three years."

After a life-time in farming, Mr Gray said: "I've aged more in the last three years than in the last 30."

Meat 'safe to eat'

All farmers are being urged to follow MAFF advice and to watch their stock carefully by the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Spokesman Brian Finnerty, said: "They need to take precautions and think twice about visiting other farms. They must assume it is out there and try and contain it.

"The implications are very, very serious."

He stressed there was no risk to human health and called on consumers to keep buying British meat.

"I hope they will show their support to British farmers."