WE WAKE up to another farming week and another epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease. And yet I am somewhat baffled as to why a total ban has been placed on all livestock movements nationwide.
After a single outbreak in stockbroker land in Surrey, I think that the State Veterinary Service has over-stepped the mark by introducing this ban.
I would urge all farmers to keep an accurate record of all their financial losses so that these could be pursued against the SVS and DEFRA at a later stage.
One of the great mistakes of the last outbreak in 2001 was that farmers did not bring a combined action against MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) before the government disbanded and landed us with Defra instead.
So negligent had MAFF been in handling the outbreak, I believe that a proper and concerted legal action against them could hardly have lost.
Empty sheep pens at this year's Oswestry Show
However, that was a long time ago. There is one positive thing this time in that they have already identified the source which is the FMD site at Pirbright.
It might become more difficult to determine the culprit as two laboratories involved try to throw a veil of secrecy over the truth.
There is no doubt about the strain of the virus which has caused the problem. And the manner of transport of the virus from lab to farm is probably the same as in 2001. Whilst I cannot recall the actual word, there is a means by which a dead virus can come back to life again when it comes into contact with its natural host, in this case cattle.
An accidental discharge of this virus into a small stream which was then drunk by the affected cattle was probably all that was needed to create this problem.
Perhaps if we had had a full and proper public inquiry in 2002 after the last outbreak instead of that largely useless “Lessons to be Learned Inquiry” by Dr Ian Anderson, then we would not have the problem now.
I am sure the national ban on all livestock movement is an excessive reaction in these circumstances.
I do not criticise the rapid reaction to control this outbreak of the disease, which is commendable. Last time the disease had four months to become established before the government of Tony Blair took action.
It is particularly galling for farmers at this time that their lives are being thrown into chaos by the very public officials who should be protecting them from such an occurrence.
However determined the Prime Minister and Hilary Benn may be to bring about rapid results, I am worried that when one public service investigates another one, they opt to “hunker in” to each other so as to protect their livelihoods’ and to prevent the full truth emerging.
