'Show us evidence' demand farmers

Mass slaughter is planned as the Welsh toll rises

Farming leaders in Wales are pressing the government to provide a full scientific explanation behind its reasons for ordering the mass cull of livestock in the name of eradicating foot-and-mouth.

The Farmers' Union of Wales is also questioning why slaughter is considered a better option than taking blood samples from animals to see if they are carrying the disease.

Signs like this are becoming all too familiar

By Friday night, the total of confirmed cases in Wales had reached 20 - including one at a farm adjacent to the prestigious Royal Welsh Showground - and concern among farmers is escalating.

The FUW's demands for evidence come at a time when opposition to culling healthy animals as a preventative measure appears to be growing across the UK.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown has insisted the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals believed to be at risk from foot-and-mouth must go ahead - despite the mounting anger of farmers.

The government believes action is vital to eradicate those animals possibly infected before they can pass it on.

Holding their breath

Farmers with animals which spent time at Welshpool Market in Powys after 19 February have been told that those animals - together with any they may have come into contact with - will have to be slaughtered as a precautionary measure.

Families across Wales - many of which could face losing complete herds of livestock - are holding their breath for similar news.

FUW President Bob Parry - who held crisis talks with Welsh Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones on Friday - demanded that the government must publish the evidence it had received which justified the mass slaughter programme.

The rival National Farmers' Union said it reluctantly accepted the pre-emptive cull, but Mr Parry said his members wanted action.

Sheep take longest to show signs of the disease

"Farmers will only be satisfied if they can see the full scientific and medical evidence presented to the government by the chief veterinary surgeon which recommends this drastic course of action," Mr Parry said.

"These are exceptionally tough times for the industry, with farmers expected to make the ultimate sacrifice by allowing entire flocks of sheep to be slaughtered to halt the spread of this disease.

"The least the government can do in return is to publish the scientific evidence in full which would show farmers that this is the only realistic course of action that can be taken."

Friday brought confirmation of four new cases of foot-and-mouth in Wales on Friday.

One of the cases is on Anglesey - within two miles of Welsh Country Foods, one at Grosmont in Monmouthshire, while the others are in Powys - at a farm in Forden, Montgomeryshire, and at Llanelwedd, near the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.

Worth £30m

The outbreak at Llanelwedd - the home of the Royal Welsh Show - has caused huge concern.

Fields at the Llanelwedd farm adjoin the prestigious showground - the shop window for the best in Welsh agriculture which attracts 250,000 visitors each summer, and boosts the local economy by £30m.

The busy A470 road - the main thoroughfare between north and south Wales - has been closed around Builth Wells as restrictions are put in place.

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said it was too early to say if the annual three-day event in July - the biggest in the agricultural calendar - would have to be called off.

The Aberystwyth Show - the largest one-day agricultural event in Wales, scheduled for 13 June - has already been postponed indefinitely.

The NFU has set up a new dedicated helpline to answer queries on foot-and-mouth: 08000 646363.