All the new FMD stories from Ananova Foot and mouth noticeboard electronic telegraph

NEWS STORY ARCHIVE 2001 - 2002

Farmers call for legal regulation of supermarkets
icWales

Sheila Coleman
FARMERS have given the thumbs down to supermarkets and want to see their activities regulated by law.
These are the findings of a survey carried out by the Farmers' Union of Wales, which reveals the depth of feeling towards the retail giants.
It found that not only do farmers overwhelmingly think that they have a poor relationship with supermarkets, but the vast majority (94pc) of those questioned also want the Government to introduce laws to control the supermarkets.
Also when asked whether super-markets had a good working relation-ship with farmers, 89pc of farmers said they did not with 6pc saying yes.
Jan 9

Farmers' Blockade to go ahead
The Scotsman

Militant farmers tonight agreed to push ahead with protests against Tesco after the supermarket giant failed to agree to high level talks over produce costs. Farmers For Action (FFA) said it would push ahead with protests against the chain but said Tesco could stop the action at any stage by agreeing to the meeting. But with Tesco refusing to back down to the demand, action seems likely and it is thought blockades of key Tesco depots could be on the cards. A total of 28 farmers from across Britain met at a secret location tonight in Wiltshire to discuss their plans which could lead to the biggest mass action since the fuel protests of September 2000.
Protests against Tesco would go ahead "imminently" but chairman David Handley said FFA would give the chain a few more days to agree to their request for a meeting with chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.
"The meeting went very well indeed," Mr Handley said. "It was a unanimous decision that action will be taken but we're going to speak to Tesco to say that we're prepared to give them a little longer to consider their decision."
Mr Handley said FFA has been in touch with similar groups in France who have previously campaigned against McDonald's.
Jan 9

Whitehall machine attacked
ICWales

Jan 8 2002 Sheila Coleman
THE Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis has been condemned by farmers. A survey carried out by the Farmers' Union of Wales found great dissatisfaction among farmers with the Whitehall machine, while the National Assembly came in for praise. The survey asked farmers to rate the performance of the Ministry of Agriculture/Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the epidemic, and also for their views on the National Assembly's handling of farming matters in general. Seventy-five per cent of those questioned believed that Maff/Defra had performed badly during the crisis, with 59pc of those describing the Whitehall agencies as being poor - or worse. Only 18pc believed that Maff/Defra had carried out their duties adequately, while 6.5pc rated them as good or better. ........33pc believed the National Assembly was under performing, and a large majority would like to see the body's powers increased. The survey found that 77pc were in favour of the Assembly being given greater responsibility for farming, with only 11pc against. .........
It is unfortunate that during the foot-and-mouth epidemic, the National Assembly could only act as agents to carry out Defra's policies. "The FUW has called for more agricultural powers to be devolved to the Assembly. We believe that if the Assembly had the same powers as the Scottish Parliament to deal with animal health matters, the foot-and-mouth out-break in Wales would have been handled much more efficiently and would have been over much more quickly."
Jan 8

Farmer vows rave rage after police refuse to deal with intruders
ICWales

Jan 8 2002
A FARMER has said he is prepared to use violence to stop people breaking into his property and holding rave parties. David Benton issued the warning after claiming police stood by and did nothing as almost 100 ravers took over a turkey shed at his Lincolnshire home and held a loud New Year's Eve party. Mr Benton, 44, said, "I will defend my property, and I will use violence if I have to if this happens again. The police have already said they will arrest me if I do." Mr Benton, who runs a farm in the small hamlet of Moorby, was shocked to see 10-ton lorries crashing through a gate on his farm delivering disco equipment and alcohol on New Year's Eve. "They set up their disco equipment and were having a party," he said. "I called the police and when they arrived they said they could not do anything because it could cause a public order incident. "It was like being a farmer in Zimbabwe - the police stood out-side the gate while inside people were smashing up my property and they were doing nothing about it." He estimates the rave goers caused more than £600 damage when they broke down a gate and tore open the doors to the turkey shed. They had even brought a portable generator to power lights and music equipment. Mr Benton said he had tried contacting his local area police commander to complain about the attitude and lack of action from police who arrived at the farm. He said, "Every time I try and ring they refuse to put me through. Now I am going to get in touch with my MP and see if he can do something. ..................

Farmer faces 700 'fridge mountain' bill
The Times

BY SIMON DE BRUXELLES
A FARMER is facing a bill of up to £700 to remove more than 50 old refrigerators that were dumped on his farm after new European Union environmental rules made it difficult to dispose of them legally. Regulations that came into force on New Year's Day require ozone-depleting CFC gases to be removed from the foam insulation layer of fridges and freezers before disposal. Previously, CFCs had to be removed only from the cooling systems. Tens of thousands of old fridges will need to be stored until they can be disposed of safely because Britain does not have any plants able to remove the CFCs from foam. The nearest ones that can are in Germany and Holland. Bob Partridge, from Tregolds, near Padstow, Cornwall, has discovered that 50 fridges were dumped on his land at St Merryn at some time in the last fortnight. It is the worst case of fly-tipping he has experienced in the 20 years he has owned the land. He fears it could pose a danger to his 300 cattle, and blames the new European law for the fridge "mountain". .....
Jan 8

Farmers to blockade Tesco over milk price
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
POLICE chiefs have been told by militant farmers that they intend to step up protests against the supermarket giant Tesco from tonight unless the company agrees to negotiate over farm prices. The grassroots Farmers For Action plans to target distribution depots and numerous stores. A hardcore of about 500 farmers aim to disrupt supplies of staple goods such as milk, bread, meat, fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers.
Most action is expected to take place in Cheshire, Northamptonshire, South Yorkshire, Hampshire and South Wales where Tesco's main regional depots are based. A letter has been sent to selected chief constables giving a warning about possible blockades.
The FFA fears that Tesco, largest of the high street food retailers with 700 stores and £1 billion a year profit in 2001, is attempting to force down milk prices by up to 2p from April 1. A Tesco spokesman denied the charge last night, but made clear that the company could not control the leading dairies which set the price.
The leading high street stores are paying 20p a litre for milk (about 10p a pint), which is still below the average 22.5p it costs to produce a litre. The FFA, however, is convinced that Tesco is keen to see prices down to 18p a litre in the spring and fears that if it achieves that price other supermarkets will lower prices.
................. Tesco said farmers in its producers' clubs could attend meetings to air grievances. The FFA had targeted depots before Christmas and "we cannot talk to people who are taking unreasonable direct action". The Times has learnt that ministers are to be advised to create an independent prices watchdog to monitor relations between farmers and supermarkets. The move is among key proposals from the Government's policy commission on food and farming, due to report to Tony Blair this month. Supermarket chiefs are enraged by the proposal, however, and the issue has been forced back on the agenda of today's commission meeting.
Jan 8

Protest uses cows to air beef with state
Japan Times

KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) Authorities impounded six cows emblazoned with spray-painted protest slogans Monday after the animals were found wandering around Kumamoto Castle park here.
A cow spray-painted with the slogan "NO BSE" wanders around Kumamoto Castle park. Investigators believe the cows were sprayed with slogans such as "Koizumi Help" and "It's safe" as an act of protest over the central government's handling of the recent outbreak of mad cow disease.
Their owner is now being sought.
A passerby spotted four of the cows at around 5:10 a.m. on the castle's grounds and reported the discovery to police, sources said. Investigators found two more cows in the ensuing search -- one of which was nearby and the other a couple of kilometers away from the site. The cows were tame and no one was hurt in the incident.
Of the six cows, two were dairy animals and the rest beef cows known as red cows. The animals are currently being kept at an agricultural research center in the prefecture.
According to police, the abandonment of a cow can net the offender a fine of up to 300,000 yen under the animal protection law.
Jan 8

Farmer puts his energy into grass-growing
Ananova

A farmer is diversifying part of his business from growing traditional British crops and vegetables to planting a versatile grass. Brian Rutterford, from Lakenheath, Suffolk, is growing elephant grass on 10% of his 2,000 acre farm. He says the reduction in prices for crops, and an expanding market for the 12ft high plant, also known as miscanthus, have prompted the change. Mr Rutterford, a farmer for 30 years, said: "With the economics of modern food farming these days there is just no money in it.
Jan 8

Farmers want say over South Downs
Farmers Weekly

By Isabel Davies
FARMERS affected by plans to designate the South Downs as a national park want adequate representation on a future national park authority. Producers are expected to turn out in force for a meeting organised by the Countryside Agency in Lewes on Wednesday (9 January). Farmers will insist that they are fully represented on any future national park authority, according to the National Farmers' Union. They will also say they want to reinforce the point that the landscape of the downs will only be maintained by a profitable agriculture. Shaun Leavey, NFU south east regional director, said the government must remember that farmers manage 80% of the landscape in question. "Farmers have serious reservations about any national park authority on which they do not have adequate representation.
Jan 8

Don't plough to dodge law - Whitty
Farmers Weekly

FOOD and Farming Minister Lord Whitty has appealed for farmers not to plough up land to avoid new laws on uncultivated ground. Environmental assessments must be made before new land is brought into intensive agriculture under rules which come into force in February. The regulation will apply to unimproved grassland, heath, moorland, scrubland and wetlands. Lord Whitty said farmers could cause "irreversible environmental damage" if they ploughed previously uncultivated land to avoid the new laws. "Don't plough up your land and risk destroying valuable environmental habitats without considering the consequences," he said.
The minister said the introduction of Environmental Impact Assessment was a European requirement and the UK was not "gold-plating" regulations. "There is a clear public interest in safeguarding our most valuable and sensitive landscape and historic features and our wildlife habitats." A leaflet explaining the new rules will be sent to all farmers later this month. The laws will not be retrospective but do apply from 1 February.
Jan 8

New label rules to boost beef'
Farmers Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
BEEF industry leaders forecast that demand and prices for homebred cattle should improve as a result of labelling rules introduced last week. The country in which animals were born and raised must be named on meat packages under rules introduced on 1 January, 2002. The National Beef Association is anxious that enforcement authorities are quick to identify companies slow in meeting the new rules. Association chairman Robert Robinson said more home-killed beef should be available from 2003 if retailers act now. "Retailers should realise the best way to encourage British farmers is to make sure they are offered more for their product," he said. "This is more likely to happen if accurate country-of-origin labelling is introduced at speed."
Jan 8

Crunch time for gene crops
Farmers Weekly

By Adrienne Francis A BIOTECH company hopes to change opinion about genetically modified foods by improving the crunch in cornflakes, reports the Daily Telegraph. Monsanto will conduct a multi-million-pound research and breeding programme to create a strain of maize resistant to moisture, it says. Researches will try to discover plant genes producing high wax levels and transfer the quality into corn grown for breakfast cereals. UK development manager Colin Merritt said he hoped the research would show GM technology could produce "an obvious direct consumer benefit". But a spokesman for Friends of the Earth told the Telegraphthe research had a "fair claim to be the most pointless GM product yet".
Jan 8

Clone experts puzzled as Dolly grows old too soon
Telegraph

By David Derbyshire and Tom Peterkin (Filed: 05/01/2002)
DOLLY the sheep suffers from an unusual form of arthritis rarely found in ewes her age, raising concerns that cloning could trigger premature ageing.
Professor Ian Wilmut, the leader of the British team that created Dolly, said the ailment was likely to be linked to the cloning process and called for more research into the long-term health of clones. But he added that Dolly's pampered "celebrity" lifestyle, which has included overfeeding from visitors, might also have taken its toll.
Animal welfare campaigners said the discovery proved that cloning was cruel. Dolly, the first mammal cloned from a single cell from an adult animal, is enjoying an early retirement at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, where she was born in 1996.
Shortly before Christmas she became lame in the left hind leg. X-rays at the University of Edinburgh confirmed that she had arthritis in the hip and knee and she was given anti-inflammatory drugs to ease discomfort.
posted Jan 7

'No way of knowing' cause of Dolly's arthritis
Ananova

A scientist says there is no way of knowing if Dolly the Sheep's arthritis is linked to the cloning process Professor Ian Wilmut, who led the team which cloned the animal, said five-year-old Dolly has arthritis in her left hind leg at the hip and at the knee. Dolly is being "closely monitored" by veterinary staff at the Roslin Centre in Edinburgh. Professor Wilmut said: "We can't tell how it will develop but she is responding well to treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs." Asked whether the condition is because Dolly was cloned, he said: "There is no way of knowing if this is down to cloning or whether it is a coincidence. We will never know the answer to that question." "We are very disappointed and we will have to keep a careful eye on her. We will be monitoring her condition to see how it develops. In every other way, she is perfectly healthy and she has given birth to six healthy lambs." In May 1999, research suggested Dolly might be susceptible to premature ageing. The possibility that the world's most famous sheep might die early was raised after a study of her genetics.....
posted Jan 7

Mart is back but problems herald new year
The Darlington & Stockton Times

FARMERS taking sheep to Barnard Castle auction mart on Wednesday faced long delays, with freezing temperatures causing hold-ups in the cleansing of vehicles. Several described the situation as chaotic, with stock being taken into the mart but vehicles then unable to leave because pipes on a pressure washer, used to clean them, had frozen.
Mart chairman, Mr Len Cooper, confirmed there had been a problem with a pressure washer early on in the day. "It had not been used over the holiday period and the pipes were frozen solid," he said. "We rang around and got another to resolve the situation."
Mr Phil Barber, Barnard Castle NFU branch secretary, commenting on the lifting of foot-and-mouth restrictions in the county, had heard about the difficulties. "Now restrictions have been lifted, it will make moving stock about a lot easier," he said.
"However, because of continuing biosecurity, farmers are unable to put straw down in trailers, so even if they are washed out there could be potential welfare problems with stock sliding about when the water freezes.....
Jan 6

How Heath betrayed our fishermen
Sunday Telegraph

Christopher Booker's Notebook By Christopher Booker (Filed: 06/01/2002)
SECRET documents revealed last week under the 30-year rule complete the story of the most cynical smash-and-grab raid in the history of the European Union. It was this which led the prime minister of the day, Edward Heath, to give away the world's richest fishing waters - a national resource worth tens of billions of pounds - as the price he was prepared to pay to fulfil his dream of taking Britain into the Common Market in January 1973.
The new papers that have just been released, covering the year 1971, show that Heath's ministers did belatedly wake up to the catastrophe that this would prove for both fish stocks and Britain's fishing industry. But, when they realised that they had been outwitted, they were prepared to lie openly to Parliament to hide what they had done.
As was disclosed by the first batch of Foreign Office papers released last year, this strange story began in June 1970, when Britain, Ireland, Denmark and Norway were about to apply for membership of the Common Market.
Realising these four countries would control fishing waters containing more than 90 per cent of Europe's fish, the six original members and the European Commission laid an ambush by agreeing in principle, just hours before the applications arrived, that all fish in western European waters should be regarded as "a common European resource".
As the documents covering 1970 made clear, the Six knew that this was illegal. It was not authorised by the Treaty of Rome, but they gambled that, so long as the principle was agreed before the new countries applied for entry, the applicants would have to accept it as part of the acquis communautaire, the established body of Common Market law. The 1970 documents also revealed that the Heath government decided not to challenge the new "Common Fisheries Policy" for fear of prejudicing the negotiations.
...........................
Rippon returned to tell the Commons on December 13 "we retain full jurisdiction over the whole of our coastal waters up to 12 miles", which was wholly untrue. There would be, he said, "no change at all in the protection" afforded to British fishermen over the inshore waters from which they took 95 per cent of their catch. "I must emphasise that these are not just transitional arrangements which automatically lapse at the end of a fixed period." It is clear from the files that Rippon's officials knew that none of this was true. Harold Wilson, as leader of the opposition, protested it was wrong that the treaty should be signed before MPs had a chance to debate the fisheries deal. But MPs did not know how grievously they had been lied to because the relevant clauses of the treaty remained secret until after it was signed five weeks later, in January 1972. The consequences of Heath's surrender have become increasingly apparent, not least with the extension of the fisheries limits to 200 miles in 1976, under which British waters now contain more than two thirds of all Europe's fish. The CFP has resulted in a conservation catastrophe which has rapidly turned these waters into the desert that the Foreign Office privately foresaw in 1971. Under a regime which, for instance, permits French fishermen to catch 90 per cent of all cod in the English Channel, Britain's fishing industry, already savagely reduced on Brussels's orders, today faces terminal disaster. Ultimately there may have been no more damaging consequence to our national life of those events of 30 years ago than the way they engendered in politicians and civil servants that culture of deceit which has since become endemic throughout our government machine. What in 1971 was still shockingly new has now, in the age of Blair, become commonplace. Sir Edward, Knight of the Garter, has indeed left us a fearful legacy.
Jan 6

We still don't want euro, say Britons
Sunday Telegraph

By Joe Murphy, Political Editor
BRITONS are as determined as ever to keep the pound despite the fanfare launch of the euro five days ago, an exclusive opinion poll reveals today. It shows that 73 per cent of people oppose the single currency compared to 21 per cent who believe that Britain should join. The margin of more than three to one is one of the widest of any survey since the currency was first proposed. Most of those who say it is inevitable that Britain will join eventually believe this only because they think the Government will force them to do so against their will. Today's poll, the first test of public opinion since the New Year's Day launch of euro notes and coins, will alarm pro-euro campaigners. It is a severe blow to Tony Blair's hopes that opposition to the new currency would start to crumble once people saw it working successfully. It comes as tension increases between pro-euro ministers and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, over whether a referendum on joining will take place during this parliament. ...........Dominic Cummings, the director of the No Campaign, said: "People think the euro is inevitable only because of their low regard for this lying Government who they think will force them in."
Jan 6

Opinion polls would appear to reflect the desired outcome of the pollsters.....See the very different conclusions in the Sunday Times

Majority of Britons warm to euro entry
Sunday Times

DAVID SMITH AND DAVID CRACKNELL
BRITISH voters are warming towards the euro, suggesting that the government could win a referendum on taking Britain into a single currency, a new poll shows. The survey, by YouGov Opinion Research, will be seized upon by the pro-euro lobby.
It comes as Charles Clarke, the Labour party chairman, gives a broad hint that the government will make its decision on euro entry this year. Clarke, in the strongest indication yet that the government is close to making up its mind on the issue, said in an interview with The Sunday Times that 2002 would be a "decisive year" for Britain's euro entry prospects. He also emphasised the "political imperative" of joining the single currency.
The poll shows for the first time that an overall majority of people (52%) would either join the euro immediately ( 18%) or when economic conditions are right (34%). Only 25% are hardline opponents of entry, saying Britain should never join.
Jan 6

And this one.....

Three out of four Britons say no to euro
Scotland on Sunday

BRIAN BRADY
bdbrady@scotlandonsunday.com TONY Blair's hopes of leading Britain into a quick vote on the future of the pound suffered an early blow last night as a new poll showed that 73% of voters had not been won over by the new European single currency.
The first test of public opinion since the euro was introduced on New Year's Day revealed voters did not believe Britain had missed out by failing to join the new currency in the first wave.
Scotland on Sunday has also learnt that ministers' preferred date for a euro referendum is next spring  which will clash with the Scottish parliament elections. The news comes as a new split emerged within the Cabinet when Charles Clarke, the Labour Party chairman, cast doubt on how important the Treasury's five key economic criteria for euro-entry were  increasing fears Britain could be bounced into entry against the advice of more cautious ministers.
The government has always said it would rigorously apply Chancellor Gordon Brown's tests on whether to adopt the euro but Clarke said that they were open to interpretation. He said: "Of course there will be room for argument, as with [any] tests, by definition. You can never get two economists to agree so there will always be plenty of arguments about how the tests are done."
His outburst is likely to enrage Brown, who has seen himself as the main judge of whether Britain will be economically ready to enter the single currency.
The poll of 1,000 people on January 1 and 2 was carried out by ICM on behalf of Business for Sterling. The results contradict the government's view that resistance to the single currency is 'soft' and can be won over by intensive campaigning.
Ministers from Blair downwards have been waging a concerted campaign to 'soften up' the public in preparation for an escalation in the argument over the future of sterling.
Anti-euro groups last night welcomed the results as proof Britain could prosper outside the new Euro-zone, while senior Tories claimed the government should stop trying to "bully" voters into accepting the landmark change. Dominic Cummings, of Business for Sterling, said: "People do not feel they have missed out and they know Britain can thrive outside the euro."................
Jan 6

Lib Dem Attacks Westminster Labour over Farming
The Scotsman

By Joe Quinn, Scottish Political Editor, PA News
A senior Holyrood Liberal Democrat today accused Labour politicians at Westminster of wanting to bring about farming job losses and a latter-day Highland "clearance."
The attack from George Lyon, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for agriculture, was unusual for the savagery displayed to a party with whom the Liberal Democrats are in coalition in Scotland.
Lib Dems, however, argued that the criticism was directed against Labour at Westminster, and was not to be taken as a criticism of policy within Scotland. Labour in Scotland declined to comment on the attack, but Scottish Nationalists claimed hillfarmers and crofters would not recognise Mr Lyon's "eulogy" to Ross Finnie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat rural development minister. Mr Lyon argued today that it was only Mr Finnie that "stood in the way" of Westminster destroying many of Scotland's rural communities. Mr Lyon claimed the Labour government at Westminster wanted to "get rid of" 50% of farmers and crofters, and slash vital support.
"It is quite clear to all farmers and crofters that the Labour agenda at Westminster is to get rid of half of farmers and crofters because they are unnecessary and unneeded," said Mr Lyon.
"Labour at Westminster have also made it crystal clear that they intend to slash vital support for our most fragile rural communities which would result in massive job losses and potentially a new Highland Clearance'."
He claimed that the English rural affairs department DEFRA was called "Deathra" in some crofting and farming communities and said: "Many crofting and farming leaders are now openly saying to me that it is only the Scottish Executive and Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, that stand between them and disaster."
But in the SNP's attack tonight, shadow agriculture minister Fergus Ewing said: "The deal struck by the Lib-Lab coalition for hillfarmers and crofters can more accurately be described in the words of Scottish Labour MP Calum MacDonald as a rotten deal."
Jan 5

Beckett calls for farm subsidy rethink
Telegraph

By Sarah Womack, Political Correspondent
) MARGARET BECKETT told farmers yesterday that in future they would need to justify the £3 billion a year that was spent on them by taxpayers.
Margaret Beckett at the at the Oxford Conference yesterday She told delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference that more subsidies must be directed towards environmental protection and the countryside rather than supporting food production.
But the message sparked Opposition accusations that what she said was meaningless until the European Common Agricultural Policy was reformed.
Mrs Beckett is also calling for CAP reform, but there is little sign that the European Union as a whole is prepared to do more than tinker with the present system.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary said: "Government has a responsibility to help the industry - but as a challenging partner in a vital business, not as a provider of endless subsidy."
"We should help the industry to do its business through our environmental and conservation agenda, not by subsidising the industry to produce goods not wanted in the marketplace."
She gave examples of farmers who were finding ways of creating new markets, by opening farm shops, diversification with tourism-related activities and setting up co-operatives.
Baroness Byford, the shadow Lords spokesman for agriculture, said Mrs Beckett had not spelt out how farmers should compete with cheaper, imported foods. Nor had she produced a solid framework for action as the industry awaited the policy commission report by Sir Don Curry. .....................
Jan 5

Market won't go for these little piggies
The Times

BY MARK COURT
INVESTORS in PPL Therapeutics, the Scottish biotechnology company that developed Dolly the cloned sheep, have endured a rollercoaster ride this week after the initial promise of its cloned piglets sparked controversy in the world's scientific community.
Yesterday PPL's shares, which trade on London's Stock Exchange, plunged 16 per cent after it emerged that Dolly had developed arthritis at the relatively young age of five, putting a question mark over the health of cloned livestock.
Jan 5

Britain's new role as force for good
The Times

BY TOM BALDWIN AND PHILIP WEBSTER
Blair speaks out while rows at home blight India mission
TONY BLAIR will today make a fresh attempt to put Britain at the heart of a new world order even as his latest diplomatic mission is threatened with being blown off course by rows over the euro and public services. In an important speech in Bangalore, India, the Prime Minister will proclaim that after losing an empire Britain has at last found a "modern foreign policy role" as a "force for good" in world affairs after the September 11 attacks.
Yesterday, however, he was left scrambling to salvage the battered credibility of the Government's euro policy following a senior Treasury aide's admission that the decision on British entry will be "political" rather than economic.
At the same time the Government continued to be battered on public services, with classroom assistants threatening strike action over pay, while an RMT dispute left up to 150,000 commuters shivering on platforms throughout southern England. .....................
Jan 5

MORLEY CONSULTS ON PLANS TO MODERNISE ANIMAL WELFARE
DEFRA Press Release

Plans to review, modernise and simplify outdated laws on animal welfare were unveiled today by Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley. Animal welfare groups, local authority representatives, courts, police and industry are to be consulted in what will be a far reaching review drawing together the environmental and industrial concerns of animal welfare.
DEFRA wants to hear views on the existing 11 Acts of Parliament governing the welfare of pets and farm animals. The Department is considering the possibility of a new animal welfare bill, pulling together current legislation and closing loopholes. Mr Morley said: "This is a broad and sensitive area of legislation on which we plan to consult widely and openly to make sure the law reflects the animal welfare needs of the 21st Century. This will be a lengthy process but we need to take our time and get it right so that any resulting changes stand the test of time. "The Protection of Animals Act dates back to 1911. It has been amended over the past 90 years, but its roots go back to the 19th Century. We need to have in place legislation that not only protects animals against physical abuse, but also recognises quality of life and physiological needs. "With the creation of DEFRA, most of the animal welfare laws are now under one roof. This provides a unique and timely opportunity to gather views, streamline and modernise outdated and unwieldy legislation.".........
Jan 2 posted Jan 5

Families worry about farming future
Farmers Weekly

THE government's commission on the future of farming, due to report at the end of this month, may be a damp squib, family farmers have warned. Michel Hart, chairman of the Small and Family Farms Alliance, said he was sceptical about what the commission's report would achieve.
"The terms of reference have tied it to the government's existing aims of Common Agricultural Policy reform and trade liberalisation," he said. "I think we needed a far more fundamental and radical rethink on the future direction of agriculture."
Jan 4

Beckett under fire at farm conference
Farmers'Weekly

By Tom Allen-Stevens
RURAL Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett fielded 30 minutes of questions from delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference. Delgates criticised her department, saying it was uncommitted to farming, issued burdensome regulations and maintained poor import controls. "Does the government have a policy on what proportion of goods should be produced in the UK?" asked Hampshire farmer Mark MacClay. A member of the National Association of Young Farmers' Clubs said change was hard when the government continually moved the goal posts. "How can you convince us to work with you when your commitment to farming is laughable?" asked Hampshire farmer Hugh Oliver-Bellasis. "We have suffered a lack of agrimoney and import controls and increased legislation on diffuse pollution and ploughing of grassland." But Mrs Beckett aggressively rebutted the accusations. ..............
Jan 4

New crackdown on BSE and scrapie
Farmers Weekly

THE government is stepping up efforts to detect BSE and scrapie under new rules which came into effect on 1 January. Farmers are required to report casualty cattle and fallen stock between 24 and 30 months, which will then be tested.
The move is part of a European Union programme to test more cattle for BSE, sparked by increasing incidence of the disease on the Continent. More than 50,000 casualty cattle and fallen stock over 30 months have already been tested since July 2001.
Scrapie testing in sheep is also being stepped up. A sample of 3000 fallen sheep and 20,000 sheep slaughtered at abattoirs will be tested for the disease that scientists fear could be masking BSE. Ministers are concerned that scrapie in sheep is under-reported and are desperate to get more accurate estimates of incidence. The government is under pressure to improve surveillance after the fiasco in which scientists mistakenly tested cattle instead of sheep brains for BSE.
Jan 4

Minister issues subsidy warning to farmers
Ananova

Margaret Beckett is warning farmers the Government will not subsidise them to produce unwanted goods.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister says taxpayers expect better value for the billions of pounds spent each year on agriculture. She told the Oxford Farming Conference subsidies must be directed towards helping the environment and countryside. Mrs Beckett said: "Demands on the budget for agricultural support are coming under greater scrutiny across not just the EU, but the world. The pressure to reduce market-distorting subsidies is probably at an all-time high.
"And with the pressure to reduce subsidies and curtail budgets comes the pressure to identify our real priorities - to choose where the funding should go, when it cannot and will not go everywhere." Mrs Beckett added: "Government has a responsibility to help the industry - but as a challenging partner in a vital business, not as a provider of endless subsidy.
"Surely the Government should help the industry to do its business and pay for what the nation requires of the industry through our environmental and conservation agenda, not by subsidising the industry to produce goods not wanted in the marketplace."
Mrs Beckett said the key role of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was to promote sustainable development.
She wants the industry to seek reform of the Common Agricultural Policy with a reduction in production-based support.
Defra claims resources could then be channelled into schemes for environmental improvement and the rural economy and give farmers new options for business development.
Jan 4

Beckett attacks farmers for complacency
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
MARGARET BECKETT criticised farmers yesterday for their complacency in failing to take up free business advice offered by the Government in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. She said: "Some of them do not even think it is something worth doing. I find that quite staggering when we are all talking about the future of farming."
Mrs Beckett was also irritated by reports that some farmers were threatening to disrupt the food chain this spring, by boycotting sales to supermarkets in protest at what they see as poor prices.
She had no truck with such attitudes. "I am extremely sorry to hear that some farmers appear to want to attack the very people they need to rely on, the consumers," she said.
The Rural Affairs Secretary, in an interview with The Times before she addresses the Oxford Farming Conference today, said that after such "a terrible year" for farmers and rural communities, she expected them to take full advantages of the opportunities available to help them.

After three clear months without a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth, now was the right moment for farmers to think ahead and to prepare for the return to normal trading, including exporting to foreign markets. She said that farmers must become more aggressive and chase new customers if they were to survive. .....
Jan 4

Maize Crisis Worsens
Nairobi Nation

The maize glut in Kenya's bread basket districts worsened yesterday with the revelation that the National Cereals and Produce Board can only buy a small fraction of the maize farmers want to off-load.
The board can only buy 800,000 bags of maize while farmers are waiting to sell some five million bags. Farmers in Uasin Gishu, Pokot, Trans Nzoia and Marakwet districts complained that they had been unable to sell their maize to the various NCPB depots due to stringent conditions set by the board. Others complained that the price of between Sh990 and Sh1,060 being paid for a 90 kilogramme bag by the board, especially in North Rift and Nyanza, was too low compared to production costs.
The sale is crucial to the farmers especially at this time when they need to raise school fees, prepare their farms and buy inputs for the next planting season between March and April. Some of the conditions set by the board include limiting moisture content to less than 13.5 per cent, one per cent foreign matter, one per cent broken matter and two per cent rotten, diseased and discoloured grains. Last season, when the stringent conditions were not in play, rotten, diseased and discoloured grains of up to five per cent were acceptable.
An estimated Sh800 million has been set aside by the board to buy maize from farmers who have for the past two days been queuing at various depots. The stringent conditions set by the board have raised a hue and cry among the farmers and Members of Parliament who have seen the move as an attempt to lock out majority of the farmers.......
Jan 4

Crisis-hit farmers go on fact-finding trip to Ghana
This is Bradford

by Julia Murfin
MALHAMDALE farmers Chris and Jane Hall are going to Africa to visit other farmers experiencing difficult times. Christian Aid has arranged the trip to bring together farmers hit by foot and mouth in this country and those in the developing world who are also experiencing great hardship, albeit of a different nature. The project is the brainchild of Malham resident Judy Rogers, who is about to start work as Christian Aid's area co-ordinator. She said: "The idea is to share their experiences and see that other people in other parts of the world experience similar difficulties. They are not alone.
"The trip will mark the anniversary of the first outbreak of foot and mouth in a positive way - to try to bring out some insights about farmers are coping with the situation and to show that hopefully they are coming out the other end." Chris, a churchwarden at Kirkby Malham Parish Church, and Jane will fly to Ghana where they will visit rice farmer Meiri Seidu whose business has been decimated by cheap imports.
The couple, who farm at Airton, will share their experiences of a terrible year, during which they lost their 1,475 beef cattle and sheep in a contiguous cull. They will be accompanied by a crew from Yorkshire TV who will make a film to be shown on Calendar news to coincide with the anniversary of the first case of foot and mouth. .......................
. Clare Sheehy, of Christian Aid, explained: "Both rice farmer Meiri Seidu and Chris have suffered an economic bereavement resulting in a change to their way of life. Meiri's position is the subject of a major international campaign. "Meiri, with the little resources and tools available to her, is trying to compete with the subsidised might of the US Rice Industry. People who govern international trade should protect Meiri. "Christian Aid is calling for a ban on subsidised exports. We are not against subsidies within the UK, but subsidising exports mean that Meiri and other farmers in developing countries are forced to compete. "The basic issue is that with something as important as food it is important that the poorest don't become reliant on subsidised imports. Otherwise, what would happen when it stops? It is very important that people are given the change to be self sufficient."
Jan 4

Farmer arrested in 'rave rage' standoff
The Times

BY LEWIS SMITH

A FARMER who was trying to evict 70 ravers from his land was arrested by a police officer he had called in to help. It was the second time in a month that Graeme Stephen, 40, a financier, had found his Essex property invaded by illegal partygoers. Mr Stephen had unplugged the revellers' generator and was in the midst of a stand-up row with them when a sergeant arrested him to prevent violence breaking out.
He is the second farmer recently to find police powerless to help them to deal with ravers because of a loophole in the law. Earlier this week David Benton was threatened with arrest when he grabbed a raver by the scruff of the neck at his farm in Moorby, Lincolnshire.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: "We had one police sergeant, 70 ravers and one unhappy landowner. The sergeant tried to calm the situation, but believed it was getting out of hand. We have every sympathy for people whose property is invaded, but as it stands we are restricted by the law and our first priority is preventing anybody getting hurt."
Jan 4

Children turn backs on farming
Telegraph

YOUNG people are turning away in growing numbers from the farming industry that has supported generations of their families, according to a survey published yesterday.
Forty two per cent of farmers said their children did not want to join the family business when they were older, while a further 23 per cent said their children were as yet undecided.
Only one in three farmers with children said their children definitely wanted to farm, according to the survey, conducted by the Farmers' Union of Wales.
Six hundred farmers in Wales were interviewed for the survey, the results of which were described as "worrying" by the union's president, Bob Parry.
12 October 2001: Family farm profits 'are down to £50 a week'
Jan 4

Queen names her Jubilee charities
The Times

BY ALAN HAMILTON
THE QUEEN has named five charities that will benefit from her Golden Jubilee celebrations. Buckingham Palace asks that any money-raising events to mark the Queen's 50 years on the throne should include a donation to the nominated causes: the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution; Barnardo's; Cruse Bereavement Care; the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association; and I CAN, a national education charity for children with speech and language difficulties. The last is a reminder that her father George VI had to overcome a serious stammer, while the first recognises the suffering of farmers during the foot-and-mouth epidemic.
Jan 4

County call for foot and mouth probe
Luton on Line

Public inquiry needed into devastating outbreak Beds County Council is calling for a full public inquiry into last year s foot-and-mouth crisis. Restrictions were finally lifted across the UK on Tuesday, except in Northumbria.
Here the Conservative-led county council is lobbying the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, to commission an independent inquiry.
Executive member, Coun Richard Stay said: "Despite managing to remain disease free in Bedfordshire, the impact of the outbreak on local farmers was immense.
"This council has expressed its full and active support for the farming community within the county and will therefore be making representation to Defra to request a full public inquiry to ensure we learn the lessons from this crisis."
He reminded a meeting of all county councillors of the then Environment Minister, Michael Meacher s statement in April that a wide-ranging public inquiry would be held to ascertain the cause of the outbreak and establish how to prevent another.
Jan 3

The fight for the facts about the foot and mouth disaster
Western Morning News

took a major step forward yesterday when a date was revealed for court action that could lead to the beginning of a full public inquiry. The hearing, backed by the Western Morning News, the Western Mail in Cardiff and the Farmers Weekly magazine, could mean ministers being compelled to give evidence about their handling of the crisis. It comes as Downing Street dismissed a letter - signed by the editors of all three publications plus The Journal in Newcastle - highlighting a petition calling for a public inquiry which was signed by more than 100,000 people 40,000 of them WMN readers. The two paragraph reply from number 10 Downing street, simply referred the matter to the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
WMN Editor Barrie Williams last night described the response as a 'cynical smack in the teeth for all those people who felt so strongly about foot and mouth that they signed the petition'.
He said: "if anything, it's just further proof why there must be a public inquiry. Number 10 just doesn't want to know about foot and mouth."
"This letter is typical. It's the usual Tony Blair evasiveness and dismissiveness of people in the countryside. He doesn't want scrutiny because he knows it could show up his own Government's cruel and chaotic handling of the crisis. But we're not going to let the matter rest, which is why we launched the petition and why we're backing the court action."
Jan 3

Tesco faces farmers' blockade
Farmers' Weekly

PROTEST group Farmers for Action has pledged to blockade distribution depots belonging to Tesco unless the supermarket agrees to talks. Farmers for Action chairman David Handley said Tesco faced the biggest mass action since the fuel protests unless talks were agreed by 8 January. He wants talks with Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy to secure better prices for British farmers who supply the supermarket. Mr Handley claims that Tesco - Britain's most profitable retailer which made £1 billion profit last year - forces farmers to sell produce at a loss. Sir Terry, who was knighted in the New Year honours list, has refused to meet Mr Handley, preferring to deal with the National Farmers' Union.
But Mr Handley said: "We are not going to tolerate being treated like this by someone who has been knighted." He added: "We are ready to step up our action to match the fuel protests."
Tesco has agreed to abide by a voluntary code of practice drawn up in an attempt to improve the relationship between farmers and supermarkets. But farmers claim the code is open to wide interpretation, especially in areas such as changes to prices and payments and consumer complaints.
Jan 3

Farmers seek funds for virus case
Farmers' Weekly

By Tom Allen-Stevens
A GROUP of farmers at the Oxford Farming Conference is raising funds for a judicial review in a bid to force a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth.
Robert Persey, a farmer from Honiton, Devon, launched the fund-raising campaign under the slogan "We seek the truth" on Wednesday (3 January).
"The government doesn't want a national public inquiry because it doesn't want Tony Blair to have to give evidence," he claimed. Mr Persey was supported by a group of about 20 Young Farmers outside the conference centre from Bicester, Aylesbury and Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The judicial review, to be heard in London next month, will decide whether the government should be forced to hold a public inquiry into the crisis.
Mr Persey said: "We need 1000 farmers and supporters, all wearing campaign T-shirts at the High Court when the case is held." A petition for a public inquiry last year attracted 126,000 signatures. It was backed by FARMERS WEEKLY, Western Morning News, Western Mail, Horse & Hound and The Journal, Newcastle. Three of the publications, including FARMERS WEEKLY, are underwriting some of the cost of the judicial review to be heard in mid-February.
Mr Persey said he was asking farmers to make donations and buy T-shirts to fund the shortfall, which will only be needed if the case is lost. The government has refused to hold a public inquiry, saying it would be too costly and take too long. Instead, it has announced a series of investigations.
But Mr Persey said an investigation into the lessons to be learned from foot-and-mouth, chaired by Dr Iain Anderson, would be a farce. Civil servant servants would be reluctant to anything that could undermine the authority of their bosses, he added.
Jan 3

Farm crisis costs reach £500m
BBC Wales

Farmers in Wales have received £56m in compensation The on-going cost of the foot-and-mouth crisis on farming and tourism in Wales has run into hundreds of millions of pounds, the Welsh Assembly has revealed. Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said the total bill for compensating farmers and testing and culling animals - excluding civil service staff costs - totalled £107m.
A further £65m was set aside in rural aid packages by the assembly for crisis-hit farmers last July. Mr Jones announced the breakdown of the costs in written answers to assembly questions.
In addition, the Wales Tourist Board has reported the industry's losses last year totalled £280m. In total, the crisis in Wales is estimated to have cost nearly £500m. The cost of foot-and-mouth in Wales: Farmer compensation and operational costs - £107,678,406
Cost to tourism -£280,000,000
Crisis aid package - £65,000,000
Mr Jones underlined that the costs were the direct responsibility of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in London, and not that of the assembly administration.
All of the crisis aid for the Welsh farms announced last summer comes direct from the assembly's budget. Some £45m was new money, with the remaining £20m reallocated from existing schemes. Wales saw 118 confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease - many in Powys, mid Wales - which effectively closed down the farming and tourism industries last year. The government lifted emergency restrictions last November and some livestock markets have re-opened.
Exports of lamb to Europe - a lucrative market for farmers - have slowly resumed. Last autumn, the UK Rural Business Campaign - led by a Powys-based group - said it planned to launch legal action against the government for losses incurred.
Jan 3

Cloning firm shares soar
The Scotsman

Andrew Denholm
Five little pigs who hold the key to transplant breakthrough THE use of animal organs in life-saving transplants has come a step closer with the historic birth of five cloned piglets. The five animals, born in a laboratory in the US on Christmas Day, are the first to have been bred with a distinctive genetic make-up which scientists hope will reduce the risk of their organs being rejected by humans. PPL, a commercial offshoot of the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, which also produced Dolly the Sheep, said the breakthrough was a major step towards the routine production of animal organs and cells for humans - known as xenotransplantation. Shares in PPL soared by 44 per cent on news of the breakthrough, increasing the value of the company to about £94 million. The birth of the five female piglets, named Noel, Angel, Star, Joy and Mary, could also pave the way for pioneering treatment of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. ..........
Dr Donald Bruce, from the Church of Scotland's society, religion and technology project, said: "The church gives a cautious welcome to today's announcement. "The prospect of using pig organs to save many human lives, or to improve substantially the quality of life of dialysis patients or diabetics, is attractive from the viewpoint of human medicine. "However, it raises serious ethical issues over the use of animals and a major question of safety." However, Dr Andre Menache, president of Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine, said xenotransplantation still presented a "Frankenstein scenario". He said: "It seems that all this money and time is being invested in animal experimentation when more and more successes are being made in more viable alternatives, such as stem cell production. "We are opposed to xenotransplantation from a public health point of view, from a moral point of view and from an animal cruelty point of view.
Jan 3

Farmer 'will use violence' if ravers return
Ananova

A farmer says he is prepared to use violence to stop people breaking into his property and holding rave parties. David Benton claims police did nothing as almost 100 ravers took over a turkey shed at his Lincolnshire home on New Year's Eve. Mr Benton, of Moorby, says 10-ton lorries crashed through a gate on his farm delivering disco equipment and alcohol.
The 44-year-old said: "I will defend my property, and I will use violence if I have to if this happens again. The police have already said they will arrest me if I do." "They set up their disco equipment and were having a party," he said. "I called the police and when they arrived they said they could not do anything because it could cause a public order incident." And he added: "It was like being a farmer in Zimbabwe - the police stood outside the gate while inside people were smashing up my property and they were doing nothing about it." He estimates the rave-goers caused more than £600 worth of damage when they broke down a gate and tore open the doors to the turkey shed. They had even brought a portable generator to power lights and music equipment.
Inspector Dick Holmes, of Lincolnshire police says officers can only intervene to break up rave parties if certain criteria are being met. He said: "The law states that there must be more than 100 people in the open air, causing a public disruption - those conditions were not met in this case." And he added: "While we have every sympathy with Mr Benton he will obviously be on a very sticky wicket if he does take any direct action in the future."
Jan 3

New website to help crisis-hit farmers
Ananova

A website helping crisis-hit farmers fight back following the foot-and-mouth outbreak has been launched.
The mass slaughter of animals and restrictions on moving livestock have left thousands of farmers struggling to make a living. Two tourist boards in Cumbria have put their heads together to try to find a way of helping rebuilt the UK's struggling agricultural economy. For many years, even before the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, farmers across the country had been turning their minds from crops to camps and from cream cheese to cream teas. Following one of the most difficult years in recent times for agricultural businesses in general, more and more farmers are looking to tap into other sources of income.
To help them, the North West and Cumbria tourist boards have come together to back a new project advising farmers on how to branch out into other areas of business, while also attracting more people back to the countryside. Under the scheme farmers across the country who offer bed and breakfast country holidays and short breaks are being connected to some hi-tech help to bolster their businesses. Farm Tourism Matters has hints for farmers aiming to capitalise on the 248 million day trips made to the British countryside each year.
As well as having tips for those starting out, the two tourist boards are hoping the site www.farmtourism-matters.org will become a useful forum for rural businesspeople to exchange ideas and best practice.
Catherine Lawrence, project co-ordinator of Farm Tourism North West, who is spearheading the campaign, said visitor spending in the countryside injected a massive £3.8 billion into the rural economy each year, supporting some 340,000 jobs.
Jan 3

Isolation fears as Euro rolls in
Farmers' Weekly

By Alistair Driver
BRITISH farmers could find themselves increasingly isolated now the Euro has finally become legal tender, economists have warned. The introduction of the single currency across 12 European countries could hurt British farmers, according to the National Farmers' Union. Policy director Martin Howarth believes the European Union food chain will become increasingly integrated. Many supermarkets and food processors are likely to prefer the security of the Euro over Sterling, he said.
UK farmers will also lose out on the benefits of being able to compare input prices from Dublin to Dresden, added Mr Howarth. "There is a danger that the EU food chain will build up within the Euro zone and we will find ourselves outside looking in," he said. "We will not have that advantage of price transparency."
The scrapping of the agrimoney system that compensated farmers for currency changes has left British farmers at the mercy of the strong Pound. Francis Mordaunt, head of business research at Andersons farm business consultants, said a weaker Pound would benefit UK farmers. But he warned that British farmers could find it harder to trade in the long-run if the UK stays out of the Euro.
"The UK will be disadvantaged by not being fully a part of Europe. There are likely to be barriers to trade as long as we are outside." Sean Rickard, lecturer at the Cranfield School of Management, said the decision not to tie sterling to the Euro had "crucified" the industry. "The arrival of the Euro, if everything goes according to plan, might just see a change in public attitude and a change of policy from Tony Blair. "It would be very good news if we join," he added.
David Turner, director of agriculture at PricewaterhouseCoopers, believes it is likely to be 2007 at the earliest before the UK joins the Euro. Mr Turner said he felt the Prime Minister would wait until after the next election to call a referendum on whether to join the single currency. "In the meantime, UK farming could fall off the edge of the cliff if the Pound gets stronger," he said.
Jan 2

Beckett to address farm conference
Farmers' Weekly

RURAL Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett is expected to outline her vision for the future of farming at the Oxford Farming Conference. The two-day annual conference, which begins on Thursday (3 January), is called Building Our New Industry.
Mrs Beckett has been asked to outline the role she believes farming should take within the rural economy after the foot-and-mouth crisis. After 90 days without a confirmed case of foot-and-mouth, there is a growing feeling that 2002 will be a turning point for the countryside.
The three-month gap, which passed on 29 December, is one condition the UK had to meet before it can be formally declared foot-and-mouth free. It paves the way for export restrictions and other control measures to be lifted over the next few months. Ministers, farm leaders and countryside groups are eager to tempt visitors back into the countryside in a bid to kick-start a recovery.
A campaign carrying the message that the countryside is open for business in 2002 is planned for early this year. Cumbrian farmer Alistair Wannop, who will also address delegates, said his county would rise like a phoenix from the flames after the epidemic. Meat and Livestock Commission chairman Peter Barr will reveal how consumer confidence can be rebuilt in the British meat industry.
Jan 2

Sheep cull fuels fear of return of foot and mouth
Guardian

As Northumberland is about to be declared disease free, a prized flock is slaughtered as a precaution Peter Hetherington Regional affairs editor
Deep in the North Tyne valley some talked ominously of foot and mouth returning. Official reassurances from the department for rural affairs that 2,100 sheep from Donkleywood farm had been culled simply as a precaution fell on deaf ears. Only a few hours into the new year, the steady stream of lorries carrying the carcasses along the narrow, slushy road from Bellingham to Tyneside and a disposal site beyond evoked memories of a horror many thought had been consigned to 2001.
Martin Weeks, who has farmed the 600 upland acres of Donkleywood for 19 years, could find no words to describe the slaughter of a prized flock just as Northumberland was about to be labelled disease free by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). "I am not finding this easy and cannot talk about it," he said. "I am extremely upset." With just 25 cattle left to tend, he did not want to comment on Defra's decision to slaughter his sheep because routine blood tests revealed two of them had foot and mouth antibodies, indicating they may have contracted the disease and recovered. They had their rules, he said.
But Mr Weeks's silence spoke volumes about the shadow of foot and mouth returning to a county where tight movement restrictions in a bio-security zone south of Donkleywood were lifted less than two months ago.
Mass culling on New Year's Day, on top of the 3.9m animals slaughtered over the past 10 months on almost 9,400 farms, carried a certain symbolism in the local pub, the Hollybush Arms. Farming neighbours of Mr Weeks had little to celebrate. "We have seen this all before," said one, who recalled the re-emergence of the disease in the south of the county late last August. "The government have wanted this to go away and tried to make sure it did," said another. "We are keeping our fingers crossed." Another added: "There's something not quite right about this." But Defra insisted the cull was not a new outbreak. "There is no evidence of active disease at present," said Keith Raine, director of the Disease Emergency Control Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. "The farm is being treated as a dangerous contact, not an infected premise. What we have found is exposure to the disease at some point in the past so we are slaughtering the flock as a precaution."
Such reassurance, however, fuels more speculation. Defra insists that, so far, there is no evidence of foot and mouth elsewhere in the area, al though further tests will be carried out. But the national Foot and Mouth Group, comprising vets and countryside campaigners, claimed last night that secret culling was still taking place in several parts of the country.
Since the last official outbreak at Whygill Head farm, near Appleby in Cumbria on September 30, it says the slaughter figures nationally have risen by 113,395. "They are going up again," insisted Valerie Lusmore, a mathematician who advises the group and regularly monitors Defra statistics. "They are almost always animals with antibodies and they seem to be shifting figures around, but the trend is upwards."
But any talk of a statistical conspiracy is dismissed by ministers and by the National Farmers' Union. Its Northumberland branch said yesterday that with 250,000 blood tests on animals, only 12 had been shown to be positive since the end of November.
That is little comfort to Martin Weeks in Donkleywood and his neighbours in the North Tyne valley where the waiting, and watching, has begun again.
Jan 2

A better year ahead for Brown than Blair
The Times

TIM HAMES
Power is not unlike that fateful drink too far at a New Year's Eve celebration. It is obvious that you have had it only after it has been consumed and by then it is too late to wish that you had organised matters differently. The past 12 months have seen exceptional power placed in the hands of the Prime Minister. The combination of a domestic crisis (foot-and-mouth), for which he assumed personal command; a second sweeping election victory for Labour, with him at the helm; a reorganisation of Downing Street along explicitly presidential lines; and then his role after September 11 have pushed his personal ratings back towards stratospheric levels and made the words "Tony wants" once more the most significant phrase in Whitehall. Yet, as surely as the new year has replaced the old, this Prime Ministerial omnipotence is waning. On reflection, Tony Blair was probably at the peak of his power last October. He dashed around the world at the behest of the American President and dominated the headlines. He was, if he had recognised it then, in a unique position to impose his will on Cabinet, party and country.
But 2002 will witness a return to business as usual. Mr Blair will find his time increasingly absorbed by the mundanities of domestic politics. He will watch in frustration as the arrival of the single currency fails to shift national sentiment towards monetary union. He will discover that his hour of influence on the White House has slipped by as US foreign policy shifts towards a new and still underestimated form of assertive unilateralism. Like Cinderella, he will discover that having enjoyed the Ball, the chimes have struck and all he is left with are the memories and a pumpkin. ..........
Iain Duncan Smith and Charles Kennedy may find this year that they are strategically outmanoeuvred by a resurgent Chancellor holding all the cards and left with a sense of irrelevance. If it is any comfort to them, the Prime Minister might well enter 2003 harbouring similar misgivings.
Jan 2

France in breach of Community law over ban on British beef
The Times

COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Commission of the European Communities (supported by United Kingdom, intervener) v French Republic Case C-1/00 Before C. J. Rodrmguez Iglesias, President and Judges P. Jann, F. Macken, N. Colneric, S. von Bahr, C. Gulmann, D. A. O. Edward, A. La Pergola, J.-P. Puissochet, L. Sevsn, M. Wathelet, R. Schintgen and V. Skouris Advocate General J. Mischo (Opinion September 20) Judgment December 13, 2001
By refusing to permit the sale of correctly marked and labelled British beef in French territory, France was in breach of Community law.
The Court of Justice of the European Communities so held in an action by the Commission under article 226 EC for a declaration that France had failed to fulfil its obligations under (i) Council Decision 98/256/EC of March 16, 1998 (OJ 1999 L195, p42) concerning emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("BSE"), in the version as amended in Commission Decision 98/692/EC of November 25, 1998 (OJ 1998 L328, p28) and (ii) Commission Decision 1999/514/EC of July 23, 1999 setting the date on which dispatch from the United Kingdom of bovine products under the date-based export scheme might commence by virtue of article 6(5) of Decision 98/256. .................. On those grounds, inter alia, the European Court:
1 Declared that, by refusing to adopt the measures necessary in order to comply with (i) Decision 98/256 as amended, in particular article 6 and annex III, and (ii) Decision 1999/514, in particular article 1, the French Republic, in particular by refusing to permit the marketing in its territory after December 30, 1999 of products subject to the date-based export scheme which were correctly marked or labelled, had failed to fulfil its obligations under those two decisions, in particular their provisions referred to;
2 Dismissed the remainder of the application;
3 Ordered the French Republic to bear two-thirds of the costs and the Commission to bear the other third; and
4 Ordered the United Kingdom to bear its own costs.
Jan 2

COMMENT 22nd/29th December 2001
Vet Record

.....Methods available for controlling infectious diseases of animals have been called into question, as have systems of livestock production and the place of agriculture in the wider economy. In political terms, the impact of the epidemic can be measured by the fact that, as a result of the outbreaks, local elections and the General Election were postponed for the first time since the Second World War.
Shortcomings in the resources available for state veterinary provision and research into animal diseases have been highlighted, and questions have been raised about the way in which science is translated into policy and policies are translated into action in the field. Some of these questions are being addressed in the various inquiries that have been set up to look into the outbreaks (albeit that some people feel that one, all-embracing inquiry might be more effective) and it is to be hoped that answers are both found and applied.
The impact of the FMD epidemic has been felt far beyond the UK, as highlighted at an EC conference in Brussels last week, at which delegates considered the consequences of the outbreaks and the options for preventing and controlling the disease in the future. The need to develop alternative strategies was emphasised particularly strongly by Mr Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, agriculture minister in the Netherlands, which suffered the largest number of outbreaks after the UK and where public reaction to the slaughter of animals was, if anything, even greater.
Mr David Byrne, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, signalled his intention to introduce a new directive on the issue early next year, and said that the EU would be looking for a new agreement on how to deal with FMD internationally by 2003. Reiterating a view expressed by many over the past 10 months, he remarked, 'It is simply inconceivable that we could ever allow a repeat of the crisis that occurred this year.'
Dec 31

England set to be declared free of foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore is to receive the results of tests which could see England declared free of foot-and-mouth disease after more than 10 months. Government vets worked through the weekend in four regions of the country still classed as being "at risk". They carried out blood tests on farm animals to ensure that they are rid of the disease, three months after the last recorded case. It is hoped that Mr Scudamore would be able to declare Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland foot-and-mouth free early this week, clearing the way for England to be declared free of foot-and-mouth. A spokeswoman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said a "massive effort" had been put in to complete the tests and prepare reports on the four counties for Mr Scudamore. "The three months guideline is just one element of all this. Each region has its own peculiarities and the Chief Veterinary Officer has to take a view on each case," she said.
The last case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed in Cumbria on September 30, eight months after the start of the outbreak, which was the most serious animal disease epidemic in the UK in modern times and led to the slaughter of millions of animals. If disease-free status is achieved, the next step for many in the farming community will be the relaxation of restrictions imposed at the start of the outbreak. This is expected in the worst-hit areas by mid-February, and will involve the re-opening of cattle markets and the general licensing of animal movements.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already been declared disease free.
Dec 31

Mexicans fume over genetically modified corn
Times of India

EXICO CITY: In a cautionary tale about the difficulty of controlling genetically modified plants, corn researchers in Mexico went ever higher into remote mountain villages looking for natural varieties of the 4,000-year-old crop. Time after time, they couldn't find them. Samples revealed that just a few years of unlabeled U.S. imports had transferred modified genes to local corn in the southern state of Oaxaca - even though planting genetically modified crops is banned in this country, the birthplace of corn.
The discovery, confirmed in the science magazine Nature this month, caused outrage among Mexicans, whose ancestors believed the gods created Man from an ear of corn.
"It's a worse attack on our culture than if they had torn down the cathedral of Oaxaca and built a McDonald's over it," said Hector Magallone, an activist with environmental group Greenpeace. There is no evidence that genetically modified grains harm those who eat them. But some scientists worry that genetically modified strains could displace or contaminate Mexico's genetic warehouse of over 60 corn varieties - a wealth that enriches staple crops worldwide and includes wild varieties that have yet to be cataloged.
The accidental spread of laboratory-inserted genes, scientists fear, could allow aggressive plants to crowd out other varieties, reducing biological diversity. Diversity is prized as a hedge against disease, pests and climate change. While some plant strains may be vulnerable to one disease, others may have natural immunity that enables them to survive. The case has drawn international attention. In an open letter, 80 scientists from a dozen countries have asked the Mexican government to stop the genetic contamination.
Dec 31

Japanese researchers create prion antibody to help CJD, BSE
Kyodo News

SAPPORO, Dec. 30, Kyodo - Scientists in Hokkaido said Sunday they have created a unique protein that links only with an abnormal protein called prion believed to cause mad cow disease and a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) that is associated with it.
The researchers at the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, headed by Morikazu Shinagawa, said the discovery may help diagnosis and treatment of CJD and mad cow, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A new test method on BSE will likely be developed using the antibody, they said.
According to Motohiro Horiuchi, an assistant professor on the team, a Swiss researcher announced in 1997 the discovery of an antibody to an abnormal prion. But the researcher failed to provide further successful test data.
The three-dimensional structures of an abnormal prion are still unknown, but an analysis of the molecular structure of the antibody is expected to shed light on the matter, the researchers said. Three cows have been confirmed with BSE in Japan since September.
Dec 31

Campaigns for justice can still be won
Sunday Telegraph Booker's Notebook

AT the end of the year I reflect sadly on how many battles that I have reported in this column seem to wind on without resolution. One of the weirdest battles of 2001, for instance, was that over the vaccination of animals against foot and mouth disease.
On one hand a phalanx of the world's leading veterinary experts, led by Professor Fred Brown, Dr Simon Barteling and Dr Paul Sutmoller, tirelessly made the case for a vaccination policy that could have saved Britain from much of its worst ever farming disaster.
Yet on Friday's BBC Today programme, the Government's chief scientist, Professor David King - whose expertise is "surface chemistry" - was yet again allowed by the presenter James Naughtie to trot out all those tired objections to vaccination that are dismissed by the real experts as being based on no more than scientific ignorance.
Change, however, may be on the way. Earlier this month, at a two-day international conference in Brussels, it was clear that the British team, led by Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for the Environment, was now almost totally isolated in its hostility to vaccination.
It was the British who, in 1990, persuaded Brussels to drop the policy of routine vaccination which in 30 years had made the European Community disease free.
As David Byrne, the Commissioner in charge of foot and mouth policy, made clear, however, there is no way that the EU could accept any repetition of the catastrophic mass-slaughter of healthy animals which marked the 2001 epidemic in Britain.
Mrs Beckett and Professor King may soon find they are forced to accept vaccination regardless. It will be fascinating to see just how quickly their objections melt away once the policy line from the top has changed.....

Thank you, readers

BY ancient ritual, as another year ends I should like to thank all those readers who have sent in such encouraging letters in 2001, not all of whom have had a proper reply. In particular this year I have had several hundred often harrowing letters from farmers and their wives facing the ordeal of the foot and mouth crisis, or rather the Government's grotesquely incompetent and arrogant response to it.
I should also like to thank those readers who so generously contributed more than £60,000 towards the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund, and to assure them that, when those Appeal Court judges have finally scratched their heads long enough to come up with a judgment, it seems just possible they may not be wholly disappointed by the outcome.
Meanwhile a Happy New Year to you all.
Dec 30

Mean Fields: Jonathan Miller: Bury this rural myth in concrete
Sunday Times

Rupert the ram is in with the ewes and has been diligent in his work. So in five months we will have baby sheep. I am not sure why I have allowed myself to be talked into permitting this as the last thing I need is any more sheep. After the holocaust of the year, and the emergence of Defra, the reorganised department of rural terrorism, there is hardly much point in carrying on with the ludicrous farce of agriculture.
.............. Here is the situation, Peter: the British farm economy is, broadly speaking, in two estates. There are the masochistic, foolish and self-deluded who carry on farming though they could make more money scanning Argentine corned beef in Tesco and without getting covered in manure. These people, who are frequently charming and resourceful, receive nothing but obstruction for their efforts, other than the psychic reward of being close to nature. Then there are the big subsidy farmers, represented by the National Farmers' Union, comprising less than 20% of the farmers and receiving 80% of the subsidies. These subsidies are typically paid for these people to do terrible things with their animals, to grow crops saturated in chemicals and to stuff their wallets with cash from consumers who are the captives of a gigantic, perverse and corrupt agrisubsidy empire. These are the people who gave us BSE and the foot and mouth catastrophe. You can recognise them in the country because they are the ones driving new four-wheel-drives paid for by Defra. .....
Dec 30

Calves slaughtered over veal-crate ban
Sunday Times

HUNDREDS of thousands of newborn calves are being killed each year as a result of animal welfare laws and restrictions on exports after the BSE and foot and mouth crises, writes John Elliott. Previously, the animals would have been turned into veal or exported. But the ban on the use of veal crates, phased in during the 1990s, has meant that about 200,000 animals that would previously have been required for the industry have instead been killed at birth. A further 370,000 a year used to be sent abroad despite vocal protests from animal rights activists at the Channel ports, often for veal production in France or Holland. They are now slaughtered instead as they have no market value. ...................... A spokesman for the RSPCA said that, compared with a short life in a veal crate, an early death for bobby calves was "the lesser of two evils". The 40,000 calves raised for veal each year used to spend their short lives tethered in small cages until the practice was banned. ........
Dec 30

Country diary: the cull continues
Telegraph

(Filed: 29/12/2001) RWF Poole is aghast at Defra's behaviour
WERE you not all mightily impressed as to how, the very moment Mr Blair declared "The War Against Terrorism" (what an interesting acronym that makes) foot and mouth seemed to disappear from the world's radar screens? Did Ma Beckett and her boys wave a magic wand?
Many of you will remember Bob the Contractor and the extracts from his diary that made such painful reading. I am glad to say that Bob is well and still keeping his diary and will continue to do so while the cull continues.
"Cull? What cull?" I hear you cry. How can there still be murder afoot when our wonderful Government has found time to stop the virus just as efficiently as it is doing away with the Mad Mullahs? That is really two questions and the answer to both is that it (the Government) has not. Just as it papered over "domestic terrorism", so it is attempting to paper over foot and mouth by writing up new infections as "DCs" (Dangerous Contacts) and "SOSs" (Slaughter on Suspicion). How does it get away with this? The answer in one word is "intimidation". Farmers won't talk because they won't get paid. The same goes for the contractors and the vets. The vets are in double jeopardy, because by turning a blind eye they are ipso facto guilty of "professional misconduct", which could get them drummed out of the proverbial Brownies.
I heard what Bob told me and shook my head. It was not that I did not believe him; it was just that I did not see how Defra could hope to get away with such egregious behaviour. This was especially so as Defra had just given the go-ahead for hunting to start again, albeit so wrapped in red tape that there will be enough going spare to plait the mane of every hunter in the country. It was then that the ghastly penny dropped and just at the same time I received a most interesting document.
I have never tried to wrestle with the Defra website. I have been told that it is totally impenetrable and, anyway, I reckoned that any organisation that issues map references for farms that puts them on the Dogger Bank is unlikely to issue accurate figures. However, some people are made of sterner stuff. Tucked away somewhere in England is a professional analyst who decided to untangle the sticky threads of the Defra web and produce a chart of his findings. I must emphasise that all these figures were taken from the Defra web and are therefore in the public domain.
Somehow or other, a copy of this chart landed on my desk. It apparently shows the numbers of animals slaughtered for reasons of foot and mouth during the month of November. I am definitely not a professional analyst and, indeed, I am dyscalculic. However, as far as I can make out, the numbers slaughtered on infected premises during that month decreased by 10,349. This should be encouraging, except that we have heard nothing of these infected premises.
Be that as it may, the total number of animals - sheep, pigs, goats deer and "others" - slaughtered in November showed an increase of a staggering 62,496. Only cattle showed a decrease. Of these figures, sheep (39,840) and pigs (23,674) make up the bulk. Most of these were slaughtered as DCs on both "Contiguous" and "Non-Contiguous Premises", "contiguous" meaning "bordering an infected premises". By now I expect that you are as confused as I am and asking the question: what infected premises? And, if they are still about, why has Defra allowed hunting to start again? I fear the answer to that - it is the ghastly penny that dropped. Defra must know that its cover-up is paper thin and, when it tears and the virus pops out again, the wicked fox-hunters will make a perfect scapegoat to be slaughtered.
Dec 29

Visit the countryside, Britons told
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
A NEW campaign to encourage people to visit the countryside is to be launched by the Government in the new year. There have been no new cases of foot-and-mouth disease for three months, but many rural firms are on the brink of bankruptcy. Ministers want to encourage more day-trips; they also want families to choose walking and exploring holidays in Britain during February half-term week. Owners of heritage properties are being urged to open their houses and gardens earlier to extend the tourism season.
Rural campaign groups and MPs, however, are demanding that the Government also grants longer tax holidays and VAT and business rate deferrals to allow firms to continue trading until incomes return to normal. The Country Land and Business Association is also calling for an overhaul of the tax regime for the agriculture industry to give farmers more incentive to start new rural enterprises. For example, under the rules farmers and landowners lose relief from inheritance tax if they start a new business in farm buildings.
Peter Ainsworth, Conservative Rural Affairs spokesman, said: "We must give more help to rural firms as the package so far is inadequate and fails to understand the long term impact of the disease." Even though tomorrow is a symbolic date for the ending of the virus, Britain will not be officially decreed free of foot-and-mouth until a panel of international veterinary experts meets in Paris next month.
Bobby Waugh, the Northumberland pig farmer blamed for starting the foot-and-mouth epidemic, is to give up farming because he "has lost heart". Mr Waugh, 56, has given up the tenancy of Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, and is to appear before magistrates next May on 22 charges relating to animal husbandry and welfare.
Dec 29

France set to overtake Britain in new BSE cases
Independent

By Steve Connor, Science Editor
France will officially report more new cases of BSE than Britain next year for the first time since scientists identified "mad cow" disease in 1986. An analysis of the rising number of French cattle being diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and the rapidly diminishing scale of the British epidemic, reveals that the cross-over point will be reached in 2002. The prospect of France becoming the number one European country for recently diagnosed cases of BSE will be acutely embarrassing for the French government which stands alone in Europe in banning beef imports from the United Kingdom on the basis of BSE risk. .............. Whereas the number of new cases of BSE in Britain has almost halved each year in the past few years - and plummeted from its annual peak of nearly 37,000 cases in 1992 - BSE in France has risen sharply in each of the past five years.
There were six cases of BSE in France in 1997 but by 2000 the number had risen to 161. In 2001, confirmed cases have reached 258. If the trends continue, France will overtake the United Kingdom in the second half of next year with no sign of its own home-grown epidemic having peaked.
British farmers have long been suspicious of the degree to which their French counterparts have covered up their cases of BSE - one British joke is that the French acronym for the disease is "JCB" because each suspect animal is buried so quickly. This suspicion was borne out to some extent after the French government imposed mandatory BSE testing in abattoirs, which revealed many more cases of the disease than would have been reported otherwise. Some scientists argue that if Britain did the same it too would have to revise its BSE figures upwards. ............. France is known to have imported thousands of tons of animal feed contaminated with BSE from the United Kingdom at the end of the 1980s before the trade was stopped.
Like Britain, France also rendered the remains of cattle carcasses into animal feed. This continued for several years after the practice was banned in the United Kingdom. This would have helped to spread BSE throughout the French national herd.
In 1996, the European Union imposed a ban on the export of British beef after the discovery of a link between BSE and the human brain disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, but this was lifted in 1999 after Britain imposed stricter safety measures. France, however, declared a two-year embargo on British beef imports. Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice declared that it was illegal for France not to have lifted its import ban on British beef in 1999 with the rest of the European Union. The French government has yet to indicate whether it is ready to comply with the ruling. It faces massive fines if it fails to do so.
Dec 29

Orton Grave: now they seek approval
Cumberland News

The Government has hinted for the first time that it should have sought permission to bury 500,000 slaughtered sheep in Cumbria. The Cumberland News has learned that DEFRA has put in a retrospective planning application to turn the airfield at Great Orton into a mass grave. The move throws into doubt whether the Government was within its rights to push through the plan without restrictions after just one full day's consultation with the Environment Agency. Last night a DEFRA spokesman admitted the move was an attempt to "square the circle". And Labour MP Eric Martlew said the Animal Health Bill - which will make it more difficult for farmers to appeal against the culling in future - was recognition that there were "things we did not have the legal powers for". That reaction led Conservative City Council leader Mike Mitchelson to describe the Government's behaviour as "astounding" and renew calls for a public inquiry.
The Great Orton burial site hit national headlines when it became operational on March 26 after the intervention of the Army under Brigadier Alex Birtwistle. Around 466,000 animals had been dumped in 120-yard trenches by the start of September despite residents' fears that the Environment Agency had only learned of the plan on March 24. DEFRA said at the time that it did not have to seek permission before constructing the mass grave under emergency powers. Now DEFRA has lodged an application with Cumbria County Council for the site, together with plans for its future use. A spokeswoman for Carlisle City Council confirmed yesterday that the authority had received a retrospective application for the Great Orton site in its role as consultant. Allerdale councillors will also have a say before the county's development control committee meets to decide the issue in the spring. DEFRA owns and manages the site, but was only able to go ahead under licence from the Environment Agency. ........... Mr Mitchelson said the Government had "railroaded" public opinion during the crisis. "I find it astounding that they come at this time with a planning application to dispose of carcasses," he said. "Measures did have to be taken but it just reinforces the railroading of local feeling throughout the outbreak. This just shows why there must be a full public inquiry."
DEFRA revealed in October that it was likely to apply to the Environment Agency to license the site for a further 250,000 carcasses in case there were further outbreaks. The department has already built a 40ft underground wall around the mass grave to prevent leakage from rotting carcasses. Liquid waste from the site is being pumped out of the site in a process likely to continue for a decade, with the latest bout of heavy-duty drainage set to finish in mid-January.
DEFRA has already indicated it may eventually want to turn the site into a nature reserve, although the public are unlikely to be granted full access. Simon Barron, of the Environment Agency, said: "Over time everything that can be broken down from the carcasses will be gone and nothing will be released at all."
Dec 28

MORE VETS MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED SLAUGHTER
Cumberland News

THE Government's chief vet, Jim Scudamore, says the mass slaughter of animals in the foot and mouth outbreak might have been avoided, if only we'd had more vets.. He says it might not have been necessary to implement the contiguous cull policy if more vets had been available. "We simply ran out of vets," .............
Cumbrians constantly complained that there was a lack of understanding in London about the seriousness of the situation.
Cumbrian vet David Black, of the Paragon Veterinary Group in Dalston, disagreed with Mr Scudamore.
"It wasn't the number of vets, it was the way in which they were used," he said.
"We were like cannon fodder being sent out of the trenches. Local vets were not used effectively. "There was no structure, no hierarchy, just blanket policies from London which we were expected to carry out."
Mr Black also questioned whether the search for vets was carried out speedily enough. "Older vets weren't allowed to help at first because they were retired," he said.
Dec 28

2001: YEAR OF THE HEROES TODAY The Cumberland News pays tribute to the Cumbrian heroes of 2001.
Cumberland News

.............Jonathan and Sandra Stalker, farmers at Ratten Castle, Sowerby Row, on behalf of all the farmers caught up in the utter confusion of the early days of the cull. The couple, and dozens like them went to hell and back in the space of three days. The Stalkers had 1,300 sheep and 280 cattle, and faced complete wipe-out, reprieve and then slaughter of their healthy sheep within days as the Government announced the 3km cull policy then changed its mind about cattle. Maff officials struggled with the practicalities, and with phone lines jammed, all many farmers had to go on was rumour and conflicting official advice. Mrs Stalker said at the time: "It's been absolutely terrible. It's just like waiting to be hung..." l Farmers' spokesmen Les Armstrong and Will Cockbain for maintaining a voice of reason. Mr Armstrong, from Kirkoswald and Mr Cockbain, from Keswick, both NFU representatives in Cumbria, were on opposite sides of the foot and mouth debate. Mr Cockbain argued on national television for vaccination, and Mr Armstrong supported the cull. But while conspiracy theories abounded, some were talking of taking up guns and others were comparing Tony Blair with Hitler, they remained calm, respectful and called repeatedly for reasoned debate. l Caroline Fox, 12, of Hilltop Farm in Longtown, for a spirit that wouldn't be beaten. Caroline wrote to the then agriculture minister Nick Brown in April asking him to save her pet lamb and sheep from the foot and mouth cull. She did not receive a reply and her sheep were slaughtered weeks later.............
Dec 28

F&M: The rural nemesis
The countryside became a huge no-entry zone for months
BBC

By Alex Kirby
The foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001 proved a classic example of how to turn a crisis into a fully-fledged copper-bottomed disaster. It meant the deaths of nearly four million animals, and destroyed thousands of farmers' livelihoods. It brought devastation to much of the tourist industry and the rural economy.
But there was little reason for it to turn out like that.
The government's first mistake was to think, in the earliest days of the outbreak, that it was dealing with a disease that was mainly affecting pigs. Foot-and-mouth spreads rapidly among pigs, and once the disease enters a herd it can cause havoc. But pigs tend not to be moved around the country as much as sheep. It now looks as if the disease had infected very few sheep at that stage, perhaps fewer than 20 animals. But the second mistake was not to place an instant ban on the movement of farm animals. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff, now renamed the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) simply did not realise ........ that sheep were often sold informally, without entering a market. It did not know about "bed-and-breakfast sheep", hired out overnight to a farmer who wanted to top up his herd numbers for an inspection. Yet these were ideal ways of shuttling sheep the length and breadth of Britain, carrying the virus with them.
Foot-and-mouth disease is not a newcomer to the UK. The last serious outbreak was well within the memory of farmers working today, in 1967. If Maff officials had read the report on the handling of the 1967 outbreak, they showed no sign of having done so.
The report argued for the army to be brought in early in an outbreak to help Maff to control it. But Maff, true to form, continued to believe that it could save the day unaided, and the army was left on the sidelines for three weeks. The government was convinced it could overcome the outbreak by slaughtering both infected and potentially infected animals. But in a crucial error it failed to will the means to achive its aim. The result was animals waiting too long to die, and carcasses waiting too long for burial.
There was another strategy which ministers toyed with, but never found the will to use - vaccination. Foot-and-mouth disease does not often kill healthy animals, nor invariably cause them great suffering. Vaccinating them can give some protection, even though it has to be repeated every six months or so. .... At the least, vaccinating animals in a ring round a source of infection might have helped to slow its spread. But it was never tried. And finding out from Maff what was happening was often confusing and seldom straightforward. ....
"Telephoning Maff was like ringing the Bermuda Triangle," the journalist says. "The 'phones would ring and ring unanswered until I gave up.
"I eventually realised the only way I could talk to Nick Brown was to doorstep him as he came out of Maff, or to sit in the pub round the corner and wait to surprise him there." The cost of all this? The Countryside Agency put the cost to UK farming in 2001 at between £800m and £2.4bn. The cost to tourism, it reckoned, was between £2bn and £3bn this year. Yet it was the government which originally warned people not to venture into the countryside, for fear of spreading the disease.
Dec 24

I AM GETTING HOUNDED OUT AND MADE A FALL GUY
Evening Chronicle

FOOT and mouth farmer Bobby Waugh - blamed for starting the epidemic - has quit farming. He has given up the tenancy of Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, the Chronicle can reveal. ..... Almost 11 months after the start of the outbreak which has devastated the countryside, work is expected to start on disinfecting the farm within weeks. .......... He claimed he has been hounded out of farming by Government officials determined to make him the fall guy for the crisis.
Mr Waugh's farm was singled out by the Government as the likely source of the epidemic which has resulted in 3,912,700 cattle being slaughtered nationally with 376,125 of those in the North East, costing the region £200 million. He said: "There is no way I am going back to pig farming. I have said all along I am a scapegoat for foot and mouth. "The amount of money I have lost is unbelievable and for nothing. I have spent almost £30,000 since February on the farm and have had no income coming in. "It was like throwing money down the drain. My father was a farmer and it is what I have done all my life but there is no way I am going back. I don't know what I am going to do."
Now the landlord-owner of Burnside Farm, Phillip Leadbitter, has applied to Defra for a licence to start the clean-up. A Defra spokesman said they had been approached by the lease owner to make arrangements at the farm to begin secondary cleaning and disinfection. He said: "This is normal practice where foot and mouth disease has been present and where veterinary advice would suggest an ongoing risk."
Mr Waugh said: "For months all I have wanted to do is to get the farm clean and ready to start again but I have been blocked at every step. "I have been driven out of business. There was no point in me having the farm if I can't even get it cleaned and get back to work." . ...........
Hexham MP Peter Atkinson said: "It is heading towards a year since the outbreak began and the farm at the start of it still hasn't been cleaned-up. Something should have been done by now." ............... Earlier this year the Chronicle revealed the Government had spent almost £80 million disinfecting farms in the North East. Another £120 million has gone on compensation cash to farmers whose animals have been culled. Mr Waugh claims Defra and its predecessor Maff have blocked him from cleaning his farm.
The Chronicle revealed he was offered £10,000 in compensation to clean-up the farm - but only if he signed the Official Secrets Act. That decision was reversed 24 hours later.
Mr Waugh used to run Tile Shed Lane Piggeries in East Boldon, South Tyneside, but was thrown off in August 1994 for breaching the terms of his small-holding tenancy. South Tyneside Council launched a legal bid to have him ejected after complaints he kept his pigs in squalid conditions. There were also allegations he let slurry run into the drains, kept more pigs than his tenancy allowed and had failed to do repairs. Mr Waugh fought the case for nearly two years before being forced off after an agricultural land tribunal. Mr Waugh has pleaded not guilty to 22 animal health offences relating to Burnside Farm which are expected to go to trial in the New Year. He faces charges under the Animal Health Act, Protection of Animals Act and Trade Descriptions Act in a case being brought by Northumberland County Council trading standards department. He added: "I am not bothered by the court case I have nothing to hide. I just wish they would get on with this so I could clear my name." "I am not public enemy number one and I am not the villain of the piece. When my pigs were burned it was the worst day of my life. "Nothing has changed. There is still 65,000 gallons of pig slurry under the sheds waiting to be cleared. "Every other farmer affected by foot and mouth has been allowed to clean up his premises and return to farming, and have earned tens of thousands of pounds in compensation. "If they'd allowed me to do the same on day-one I could have been back working the place by now."
Farm manager Stephen Smith, 34, from Alnwick, said: "The Government have been looking for someone to blame and it seems they have decided Bobby Waugh is the scapegoat. "He has been treated shabbily all along and has been hounded out. Times are hard and I think a lot of other farmers will eventually make the same decision he has."
Dec 24

NEW ALLIANCE WARNS OF ANIMAL HEALTH BILL DANGERS
NST SG

- an analysis of the hidden impact of the Animal Health Bill reveals the dangers to livestock heritage and to farmers' rights. In a detailed paper published today a specialist sheep group, supported by Rare Breeds International (RBI) and The Traditional Livestock Foundation (TLF), sets out the dangers lurking within the Animal Health Bill currently before Parliament.
Convenor of the Northern Short-Tailed Sheep Group (NST SG), Peter Titley, said: "The unprecedented and extreme measures in the Bill would give the Government powers to override the civil liberties of farmers beyond anything experienced during the Foot and Mouth outbreak - so much so, that some genetically vital breeds are threatened with extinction and all of this on the back of unreliable science"
The Group demands further exploration of the prion protein mechanisms which lie at the heart of the Government's panic measures over BSE and Scrapie - both known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs).
Lawrence Alderson of Rare Breeds International points out that: "Part of the sheep industry, with breeds claiming high scrapie resistance, have already embraced the Government's plan to eradicate the disease from the national flock, but the NST SG rightly points out that the industry may be insufficiently aware of the longer term implications. For example, the genotypes now trumpeted as 'scrapie resistant' (and likely to form the basis of many new breeding programmes in commercial flocks) may equally not be resistant, and may simply mask long-incubation scrapie. Of course, mutations also may arise which undermine the very assumptions of resistance upon which new breeding plans are based."
The NST SG, with links to a network of international expertise and opinion has maintained a dialogue with DEFRA policy makers and advisors.
The fact that it now makes a public call for caution speaks loudly on behalf of a threatened community - threatened, not by science itself, but by a brand of political expedience which represents less than the full picture - yet again!
Dec 28

New Year could mark end of foot and mouth
Telegraph

By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
BRITAIN could be declared free of foot and mouth disease from midnight on New Year's Eve. Tests on animals from the last four counties awaiting the all-clear will be reviewed on Monday, the Government said yesterday. There was optimism among farmers that they would at last be able to celebrate an end to a dreadful year. ............ Declaring the four "at risk" counties - Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland - free of the disease will only be the first step toward a recovery, however.
Blood testing will continue in badly hit areas until the Government is satisfied that the country is clear. Only then can the process begin of convincing others - most importantly the EU, which represents the bulk of the market for Britain's meat and livestock products.
Officials say it is likely that Britain will have to wait until May, however, for clearance from the OIE, the international animal health organisation, as key stages in testing and the lifting of restrictions will not be completed by its meeting in mid-January.
Exports to the EU of some animal products have already begun from disease-free areas and cattle markets are expected to open again in February, a year after they were closed.
The Government has said it will decide then which restrictions are to remain. It has indicated that it is unlikely to want a return to the unrestricted movement of sheep, but the unpopular 20-day restriction after an animal has moved to a farm could go. ................ John Thorley, of the National Sheep Association, said: "Even though there are problems, the resilience of the sheep producer is something that cannot be ignored. They are as tough as old boots."
Financial indicators suggest that farming has "bottomed out". Government figures predict a modest rise in livestock incomes this year and this is likely to carry through to the arable sector, which had one of the worst harvests in recent memory after a record rainfall in the autumn and winter of 2000.
Key factors for farmers this year will be the strength of the Euro - subsidies are tied to the euro, so they do better when the pound is weak. The strong pound over the past five years has been a significant contributor to the farming recession.
Another factor for dairy farmers will be whether the competition among milk processors continues. There have been City rumours of closures among suppliers to supermarkets because of overcapacity. This would relieve some of the downward pressure on milk prices, which has forced many dairy farmers to sell at less than it costs to produce.
Dec 28

Farmers split over foot and mouth cash
Telegraph

By Richard Savill (Filed: 27/12/2001)
................... "There are people whose stock was culled who are now driving around in new vehicles. Their farms have been upgraded as a result of the clean-up operation, with the renewal of buildings in some cases. The ultimate person who is laughing is the one who got full compensation but does not intend re-stocking, and may even sell his farm.
"If your neighbour has a brand new Range Rover and you have still got a 20-year-old Land Rover you are going to notice it. It must create bitterness."
Mr Hill urged the Government to give some compensation to those who had been forbidden to move their stock. He criticised Alun Michael, rural affairs minister, who was reported to have said that "the problem had gone away" and there was no need to compensate people who had been under restrictions. He added: "If he really does believe the problem has gone away he is in panto land." Mr Hill said the Government would have "saved a hell of a lot of animal lives and money if it had recognised on day one that it had a major problem. The images of the animals in the pyres are with us forever. I will never forget the sights and sounds of the countryside literally being bled to death."
Bob Parry, president of the Farmers' Union of Wales, said 2001 would go down as farming's worst year. There were 2,030 confirmed cases of foot and mouth in Britain with 4,017,000 cattle, sheep, pigs and goats slaughtered. The cost of controlling the disease is put at more than £2 billion.
Mr Parry said: "The emotional stress of witnessing generations of work destroyed in an instant has been too great for many farmers. Some have decided to call it a day and leave farming for good. Others have taken their own lives."
He criticised the Government for refusing to hold a full and open public inquiry. "The three inquiries announced by the Government did not go far enough," he said. "What is the point of an inquiry if it doesn't have the legal powers to force key witnesses to give evidence? I believe that a full public inquiry is the only way of getting at the truth, however difficult or embarrassing for individuals that truth may be."
A Defra spokesman said: "Statutory compensation was paid only for animals which have been slaughtered as a result of the outbreak or for animals which have been destroyed in order to prevent spread of the disease. There are no statutory provisions for compensating farmers who are unable to move their stock. In any case the Government does not compensate farmers or businesses for other indirect losses."
Dec 27

Vet shortage 'made slaughter worse'
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
THOUSANDS of animals could have been saved from slaughter during the foot-and-mouth epidemic if the Government had had more vets to make essential checks on vulnerable farms. Jim Scudamore, the Government's Chief Veterinary Officer, admitted publicly for the first time yesterday that the controversial policy of killing all animals within 1.8 miles of an infected farm could have been prevented if there had been more vets available.
He also made clear that any future outbreaks would be dealt with by a specific plan for each county, depending on the nature of local farming.
Farmers must also take disease control and animal welfare more seriously, he said. Production subsidies could even be linked to a requirement for continuing training.
Mr Scudamore added that there had been differences, but "no slanging matches", between veterinary experts and scientific modellers about the contiguous cull. He said that the world's foot-and-mouth experts at the Institute of Animal Health - Alex Donaldson and Paul Kitching, who has since moved to a job abroad - had called for "intensive clinical surveillance and for vets to go back to farms regularly to check for disease". Mr Scudamore said: "We simply ran out of vets. In Cumbria I would have needed a vet to visit the same farm perhaps up to five times a day."
Many farmers were incensed that the Government insisted on the slaughter of healthy animals because they were on neighbouring farms.
Mr Scudamore pointed out, however, that animals had been killed on farms considered "dangerous contacts", usually neighbouring farms, without objection from most farmers. He accepted that there had been a problem with the presentation of the contiguous cull.
Latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that 1,232,277 animals were slaughtered as dangerous contacts, including animals killed on contiguous farms. The total number of animals killed was 4,017,000.
The contiguous cull was devised after the results obtained by three independent groups of disease experts who used mathematical models to show the likely shape of the epidemic. The scientific group, chaired by Professor David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, insisted that to halt the outbreak all animals on infected farms should be slaughtered within 24 hours and on contiguous farms within 48 hours.
Mr Scudamore said that he did not dissent from that view because all the models predicted the same scenario. "Comments that I am against models are untrue. Models have a very important role . . . But we must scrutinise the model and ensure the policy is deliverable and validated."
He defended the Animal Health Bill, about to be introduced in the Lords, which will limit a farmer's right of appeal against slaughter of animals in any disease outbreak, adding: "The most important thing is that it should not happen again."
Mr Scudamore, promoted to Director General Animal Health at Defra, added: "Vaccination remains an option, but it could still be ruled out. We need to look at the particular controls imposed on products from vaccinated animals. If we had vaccinated in Cumbria, for example, under current rules these animals would have had to stay in the county for one year."
He will now work closely with the nation's vets to ensure that the Government has a panel of experts to call up in any emergency.
Dec 27

Re: Let it be
Telegraph letter

Date: 27 December 2001 SIR - I see that Paul McCartney is using his (fading) popularity and the season of the year to tell the whole country that "the majority" of it is against foxhunting. I suggest that any poll of the whole population - and I would bet my mortgage on it - would produce the following result:
Instransigently for the ban: 10 per cent. Resolutely against the ban: 10 per cent. Couldn't care less: 80 per cent. The Government ought to be told to waste no more time on this question; there are better things to do.
From: Alan Shutt, York
Dec 27

Oscar Arias Speaks Out on Ecoagriculture in Folha de Sao Paulo
Future Harvest

A major theme of next year's World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg- - also known as Rio + 10 - will be the critical issue of poverty in conjunction with conservation. Where poor and hungry people have few options other than to encroach on the environment for a day's pay, conservation efforts will be stymied. Instead of working against each other, farmers and environmentalists need to work together to find farming methods that both produce more food and preserve the environment. Read more of Arias' view on http://www.futureharvest.org a global nonprofit organization that promotes research in agriculture and the environment
posted Dec 27

/

True leadership
Telegraph

(Filed: 26/12/2001)
THE Queen's Christmas Day broadcast was a masterpiece of its kind - moving but dignified, inclusive but culturally self-confident. The dramatic centrepiece was the expression of solidarity with the United States for the events of September 11, subtly reasserting the relationship with America as a cornerstone of British security. Such feelings of kinship were reaffirmed without qualification. ................... But the Queen's emphasis on greater understanding between "communities" was not solely denominational. It also referred to the need to bridge generational, geographical and cultural divides - particularly between the town and the hard-pressed countryside, whose distress has faded from the front pages in recent months but which remains a cruel reality for those who dwell in rural areas. The message was diplomatic, but unmistakeable.
Such skills should surprise nobody. The Sovereign quietly reminded us that this was the 50th such broadcast which she had delivered since succeeding her father in 1952. Rightly, this was a slow-burn start to an important year for her: the Palace is deliberately not overegging the Golden Jubilee, as John Major's government did initially with the D-Day celebrations in 1994, thus raising excessively high expectations of mass enthusiasm. Instead, it is hoping that such enthusiasm will rise gradually and organically, from the grassroots, after the fashion of the highly successful Silver Jubilee of 1977.
It is worth thinking of the changes over which she has reigned. When she assumed the throne, Churchill was in his final term as prime minister. He relished the role of taking her under his wing, much as Lord Melbourne had done with the young Queen Victoria.
Today, the Queen can teach the ephemeral politicians a thing or two. It is to her that many in this country instinctively turn for reassurance. Once more, she deserves our thanks.
Dec 26

Re: Game bird-shooting safaris
Telegraph letter

Date: 26 December 2001
SIR - It would seem that Defra has finally parted company with its trolley. A friend of mine recently requested a schedule of conditions for a licence to shoot game birds.
Schedule No 1(a) stated that: No person shall participate in a shoot if they have come in contact with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, deer or elephants.
Further, under 1(b): They must not approach, handle or touch any of the above while participating in a shoot.
Life gets increasingly difficult, don't it?
From: Peter Duckworth, Marthwaite, Sedbergh
And ALSO

Re: Look to Defra
Telegraph

Date: 26 December 2001
SIR - The Government has the cure for the NHS in its grasp. It should transfer responsibility for running it to DEFRA and vice versa, with these results:
NHS: No waiting lists: all patients over 30 months culled; anyone in a family with an ill member will be regarded as dangerous contacts and culled; challenges will be decided by blood tests: if you have antibodies, you will be culled.
Defra: NHS funding will be utilised for a revitalised farming industry; all equipment will be provided free of charge by the Government; surplus funding will be given back to the Treasury for other uses.
From: Peter Greenhill, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Dec 26

Even Newer Muckspreader
Private Eye

Looking round for a last way to kick farmers in the teeth before the end of the year when they organised the biggest administrative shambles in British government history, ie the FMD fiasco, Mrs Beckett's officials came up with 'Operation Big Brother'. This is their brilliant wheeze to insist that every farmer in the country must buy a computer, to keep him (or her) in electronic touch with 'Control'. ie the Department for the Elimination of Farming and Rural Affairs. This will enable Control to dish out its latest orders to farmers on a daily basis, meanwhile requiring the farmers to report back to Control everything they do on the farm.
This comes hard on the heels of Big Sister 's earlier proposal, that all farms will in future must be licensed by the ministry, so that any farmer who in any way offends the officials can have his licence to stay in business withdrawn. This also of course comes from the government which has been rushing through its 'animal death bill', empowering Deathra officials to go onto any farm, to kill any animal they wish, including cats and dogs (but not goldfish), while making it a criminal offence for the farmer to question what they are up to. Such are just some of the spectacular recent initiatives launched by the minister whose contempt for farmers was summed up in her lip-curling comment at a recent farm show in Cornwall, "aren't events like this boring?".
In other words, these horrible little people bore me so much I am going to do everything I can to control and regulate them out of existence. Certainly by this measure she is doing a great job. How her performance is viewed by others, however, was highlighted when the Great Caravanner recently appeared in Brussels at a major international conference on foot-and-mouth organised by the Dutch government.
This was dominated by leading vets from various countries arguing that a catastrophe like that organised by Britain in 2001 must never happen again. There must be no more barbaric mass-slaughter. The only scientific, civilised way to deal with this virus is to vaccinate, as mankind now does for almost any virus you can think of, from polio to 'flu. Bernado Cané, Argentina's chief vet, explained how his country has been successfully using vaccination for 30 years and that it is completely safe both for animals and consumers. FH Pluimers, Holland's chief vet, explained how it is now perfectly possible to distinguish between animals that have been vaccinated and those which have been diseased, and that the EU must put vaccination top of its agenda in dealing with any future epidemic.
Up to her feet then rose a strange dinosaur, Mrs Beckett, seemingly unable to grasp a single word of what all these experts were saying. Vaccination would be very difficult, she said, because consumers would not want to eat the meat from vaccinated animals (she is clearly unaware that every supermarket in the country offers meat from animals which have been vaccinated up to 20 times). We have no guarantee that vaccination is safe for the animals, intoned Beckett. There are no tests to distinguish between animals that have been vaccinated and those which have had the disease. Brothers, Big Sister was a laughing stock. It was shameful to think that this sneering, antediluvian creature represented Britain to the rest of the world.
posted Dec 26

Outrages highlight need for faith, Queen tells nation
Ananova

............... In a downbeat television, radio and Internet broadcast, she acknowledged the past year had brought trials and disasters for many people.
The UK had been hit by floods as well as the foot-and-mouth epidemic, with devastating consequences.
"But whilst many of these events were of natural origin, it was the human conflicts and the wanton acts of crime and terror against fellow human beings which have so appalled us all," she said. "The terrorist outrages in the United States last September brought home to us the pain and grief of ordinary people the world over who find themselves innocently caught up in such evil."
The Queen concentrated on the importance of community and faith - be it Christian or Muslim - in the aftermath of September 11. She said: "During the following days we struggled to find ways of expressing our horror at what had happened. "As so often in our lives at times of tragedy - just as on occasions of celebration and thanksgiving - we look to the Church to bring us together as a nation or as a community in commemoration and tribute.
"It is to the Church that we turn to give meaning to these moments of intense human experience through prayer, symbol and ceremony.
"In these circumstances so many of us, whatever our religion, need our faith more than ever to sustain and guide us. Everyone of us needs to believe in the value of all that is good and honest; we need to let this belief drive and influence our actions. All the major faiths tell us to give support and hope to others in distress."
Dec 26

Legal query delays trial on GM farm protesters
Hoovers.com

Willie Morrison TEN anti-GM crop protesters accused of trespassing on a farm during sowing operations yesterday had their cases continued, at an interim hearing yesterday at Dingwall Sheriff Court
The cases were continued for counsel's opinion on the legality of their actions Five protesters, who had trial fixed for January 18, were allowed to continue their cases until January 31, along with a further quintet of campaigners All 10 hope that by then, Edinburgh advocate Michael Upton will have delivered an opinion on behalf of one of their number, Andrew Aikman, which the remainder also intend to use as a guideline for their defence
Defence agent David Hingston, representing Aikman, said he had sent a five-page letter to Mr Upton, asking urgently for guidance on some general and specific issues One specific question was that of lawfulness, hinging on whether the Crown must prove that the activity undertaken by farmer Jamie Grant in sowing GM crops was in itself lawful, and being carried out in conformity with European Commission directives, or whether lawfulness is assumed
Campaigners claim that nobody was present at Tullich Farm, Munlochy, where the trials were being carried out, to monitor planting, and that tractors were not being cleaned as they left the field, as required by directives on GM crop sowing A line of defence Aikman and his colleagues hope to argue is that they could not be acting unlawfully by interfering with an activity which was not in itself lawful ...............
Dec 26

Charles downs a pint
Craven Herald

PRINCE Charles enjoyed a pint in Craven as he visited the Craven Heifer in Stainforth. The Prince was launching a new initiative, the Pub's the Hub, to protect rural pubs which are disappearing fast. Landlord and landlady Mick and Debbie Prior also run a store and post office from the pub - and sell the Craven Herald. Earlier he had met farmers and businessmen at Skipton Auction Mart who told him of their experiences due to the foot and mouth crisis.
In his opening address, chairman of the auction mart Anthony Dean told Prince Charles how the past 10 months had been disastrous for the rural economy.
His Royal Highness expressed his sympathy. "I wish I could wave a magic wand to put things right," he said, adding how impressed he had been in the way people had coped. Speaking about the Dales where he has been a visitor for many years, he told the farmers there they were part of an "absolutely crucial tapestry" and he hoped they and the younger generations would carry on the farming traditions....
Dec 26

Ministers braced for criticism on foot-and-mouth
Financial Times

By Rosemary Bennett, Political Correspondent
Agriculture ministers are bracing themselves for a damning report from the National Audit Office over the billions of pounds of taxpayers' money used in dealing with the foot-and-mouth epidemic.
Senior figures at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs admit cost controls were "well down the list of priorities" in the rush to eradicate the disease. Costs escalated further when the armed forces were enlisted to help in the cull of millions of animals. "In a situation where you are trying to stop the disease spreading as quickly as possible, the cost plays second fiddle," said one government insider. "And once the army was involved there was little we could do to keep costs in check."
Ministers are comforting themselves that farmers affected by the disease and contractors who helped in the cull and clean-up operation are in for even more severe criticism from the NAO. They have already been accused of driving up the costs of compensation and fiddling figures when invoicing the government for their work. The NAO is sifting through hundreds of pieces of evidence collected from all parties over the past three months and intends to publish its findings next year. The Treasury has estimated the epidemic has cost taxpayers £2.7bn so far including £1.25bn in compensation to farmers who lost animals. In an attempt to curb costs once it was confident the disease was in abeyance, the government in July ordered a temporary halt to the clean-up of farms, which was costing £100,000 a piece. After a new system of cost checks was put in place the price dropped to an average of £36,000 a farm.
A review by accountants and surveyors revealed irregularities in invoices from contractors. Some companies were paying employees half the hourly rate while charging double time to Defra. Other contractors were charging high administration fees while others did not submit time sheets until ministers told them no cash would be forthcoming until the paperwork was in order.
Valuers look set to be criticised for conspiring with farmers to maximise compensation, although Defra will also be censured for failing to crack down on the practice. Evidence suggests a bidding war broke out between valuers as farmers, who were free to award the contract to the company of their choice, would give the work to the one making the most generous estimate.
In its report on the handling of foot-and-mouth disease, the NAO is examining contingency planning and how well-prepared government departments and agencies were for the crisis. It is also looking at the cost-effectiveness of action taken.
NAO staff said they would take into account the conditions under which the departments and agencies operated. The auditors would examine levels of compensation offered to farmers and whether adequate controls were taken against irregularities.
Dec 24

Riding to hounds with the usual suspects
Telegraph

(Filed: 24/12/2001) W F DEEDES witnesses the end of a year's exile for the Berwickshire Hounds and is issued with an official form, but no cherry brandy SNOW was falling as we left for the meet of the Berwickshire hounds at Abbey St Bathans, and a cutting wind was blowing across the Border hills; but that was not going to put off the followers. They had not been out for 10 months because of the foot and mouth epidemic, and the new Scottish Parliament is hellbent on making them all criminals as quickly as possible with Lord Watson's Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill. So time was short.
And long tradition will be ended, for hounds have been hunted in Berwickshire since before 1619. We passed the kennels on our way to Saturday's meet, where hounds had been making their own kind of music. They had noticed a couple of horse boxes, had reckoned it was to be a hunting day and were overjoyed to think that almost a year's exile from the hunting field had ended. What, I reflected, as we went on our way, will be the fate of these hounds when foxhunting becomes a criminal offence in Scotland? Household pets? It will be kinder to shoot them....
Dec 24

Shops hit by farms crisis enjoy festive sales boom
Observer

Consumers defy warnings of downturn
Ben Summerskilland and Sarah Ryle Sunday December 23, 2001
The Observer It is not only London and the south east which is enjoying an unexpected boom in the run-up to Christmas. Across the country, small businesses hit by the foot and mouth epidemic say they are enjoying a sales bonanza. Despite dire warnings of economic misery triggered by the 11 September terror attacks, consumers are fuelling a Christmas spending fiesta that experts predict will smash records. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and retailers across Britain have expressed delight at a sales surge in which Britons have defied the worldwide gloom by snapping up UK holidays, seasonal gifts and luxury goods. Small businesses are thriving as well as large chains. At the Nare Hotel in Truro, close to an area affected by foot and mouth, the managing director, Toby Ashworth, said: 'We've seen a dramatic increase in business since 11 September. People have decided not to fly abroad and they seem to be staying in Britain instead. Those who would take short breaks overseas are just thinking, "Why should I take the risk?"' The hotel's occupancy in October and November was up more than 30 per cent on 2000. 'Bookings are already good for the spring,' said Ashworth. 'They're coming mainly from British customers.' ...................
Britain is rare among the major economies in responding positively to the international economic uncertainty. Research published last week showed that, alongside France, ours was the only G7 country not in recession. The US economy shrank by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2001 and the world economy in total has sunk into recession. 'There are reasons why British people remain immune to fears about terrorism,' said Philip Hodson of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. 'Not only were we used to two world wars but we have lived with the IRA for 30 years. There is something about us which has always been phlegmatic. The Americans, on the other hand, lost their emotional virginity on 11 September. 'We also cope by underplaying things. We do not howl and shriek and go into excesses of bereavement.' ..........
Dec 24

Foot and mouth: the blunders
Sunday Times

Before the foot and mouth outbreak ravaged British farming, the government received a clear scientific warning of the danger. It failed to act. And after disaster struck, the decisions it made only increased and prolonged the crisis. Jonathan Leake reports
Five months before the worst disaster ever to hit British farming struck, John Ryan took the floor at a United Nations agriculture conference and delivered a stark message. Millions of animals were likely to die, the Irish veterinary scientist warned, and livestock farming was threatened with devastation. Foot and mouth disease (FMD) was certain to hit Europe, warned Ryan, and the impact could be worse than ever before.
The doomsaying could not have been blunter and yet, as a Sunday Times investigation into the FMD disaster reveals, the British authorities took no heed. And when the epidemic did strike, they were chronically unprepared and fatally disorganised.
As the disease finally peters out, the government has refused to hold an inquiry into the epidemic. If it did, it would reveal a catalogue of blunders: that the government had no up-to-date plan of action; that it did not even know where thousands of farms were; and that its handling of the crisis caused the epidemic to be at least a third bigger than it might have been.
The warnings were there at the conference in Bulgaria, where Ryan identified that a combination of intensified farming, increased animal movements and a virulent new strain meant the disease could spread with extraordinary rapidity.
The results of his study, he said, were so startling that he had repeated it. He had reached the same conclusion.
"FMD now presents a permanent threat of reintroduction to Europe," he said. "This is particularly apparent with the activities of the PanAsia type O strain."
That virus had been marching across the world, and the task of the conference was to assess the threat to Europe. Ryan was not the only concerned voice.
One of the the most significant came from Britain's Institute for Animal Health, which runs the world reference laboratory for foot and mouth at Pirbright, Surrey. Nick Knowles, a researcher, told how the strain had infected numerous countries that, like Britain, had been free of the disease for decades. The virus, Knowles concluded, was one of the most dangerous seen and "a major threat".
A few weeks later those warnings, along with a host of others from the meeting, landed on the desks of the chief veterinary officers of every European country. One recipient was Jim Scudamore, veterinary adviser to the British government.
What did the British authorities do in the face of such loud alarm bells? Scudamore read the reports and shelved them. "We knew that FMD was spreading but at the time we felt we had already taken all the right precautions," he said on Friday. "It is easy to be wise with hindsight, but at the time there seemed no other measures that we could have taken." .....(full article)
Dec 23

Lambs bring hope for troubled farmer
Ananova

The unexpected birth of two new lambs has brought hope after a "nightmare" year for the owner of a flock of Britain's oldest sheep breeds. Smallholder Moira Linaker has spent 2001 battling the authorities and worrying about foot-and-mouth disease.
It has ravaged the countryside around her Cumbrian farm where she keeps 17 rare Ryland sheep and 23 crossbreeds. The 60-year-old said the birth of two lambs was "symbolic" of new hope after so many died this year.
Their arrival, however, was a complete surprise to the experienced breeder who fought the government to keep her pets alive as millions of animals were culled in the wake of the virus outbreak. Mrs Linaker said: "I don't know if it was an immaculate conception or what." She said the mother and father of the newborns - crossbreed Suffolks - had been kept separately but that the ewe probably leapt a fence to get to the ram. "It's so unusual because farmers here in Cumbria haven't been able to put their rams with their ewes because of movement restrictions," she explained.
Mrs Linaker has received support from around the world backing her stand to protect her flock from being culled.
She barricaded herself on her farm to prevent ministry officials gaining access, and stayed at home for months, fearing her sheep may be slaughtered in her absence if she left.
Dec 23

Crisis-hit farmers say big thank-you
Lancashire Telegraph

LANCASHIRE'S NFU chairman has thanked the public for its "amazing" support and patience during the foot and mouth crisis.
Ken Baxter said: "Farmers have had a horrendous year as a result of foot and mouth and I would like to thank the public for its support and understanding throughout the crisis, which has been amazing. Farmers have really appreciated all the messages of support that they have received.
"The closing of footpaths was a necessary requirement when the disease was at its height and the way that everyone adhered to the closure was fantastic. "As a result of disease control restrictions some footpaths still remain closed and if you come across a 'footpath closed' please do not proceed. It is hoped that the remaining closed footpaths will be open by the spring."
He added: "I urge consumers where possible to support local farm shops and farmers' markets which will help local farmers and the rural economy greatly. Also, to look for the Little Red Tractor logo in the supermarket to ensure that you are buying British" "Farmers face a challenging year ahead and we will be continuing to lobby the Government over the illegal imports of meat and plants into this country. "Nobody wants to go through another year like 2001." Last week, farming union bosses warned that despite the county being declared foot and mouth free, conditions are still not back to normal.
Even though the area has been declared officially free of the disease, farmers are still facing restrictions on their work. To transport livestock, farmers must first get a licence from their local trading standards office, and when animals are moved onto a farm, there is a 21-day movement stand-still in place. The stand-still means that once an animal is taken onto a farm, no animals can leave that farm for 21 days. Thomas Binns, vice chairman of the Lancashire NFU, who runs a farm in Clitheroe, said: "The Lancashire NFU has fought long and hard to speed up the process of getting restrictions lifted. But we are still under movement licensing regimes. "There is still a bureaucratic process in place. Just because the area is foot and mouth free doesn't mean that everything Is back to normal. There is still a long way to go before things are normal.
"Lancashire will be a controlled area until the foreseeable future, until the rest of the country is recognised as foot and mouth free." During the epidemic the county had more than 50 cases of foot and mouth, the last on June 28. A spokesman for DEFRA said: "Until the country is foot and mouth free, certain restrictions will remain in place. Then the final decision will be made by the chief veterinary officer.
"But at the moment the country is not free from foot and mouth. Neighbouring county Cumbria is still at risk, and will be until they have had 90 days without a case. The last thing we want is to take an unnecessary risk."
Dec 23

Ministers rebuked for shunning countryside
Sunday Telegraph

By Joe Murphy, Political Editor
A LEAKED memo by a senior civil servant has accused ministers of shunning the countryside and being unwilling to meet wealthy landowners. The document says that ministers are sending out "mixed signals" and should go to country shows and "be seen to enjoy at least some" countryside activities. It was written by Henry Cleary, in charge of the rural division at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. His criticisms will embarrass Margaret Beckett, the Cabinet minister in charge. The memo, dated November 14 and sent to Brian Bender, the Permanent Secretary, warns: "Creating Defra is a real credit but, as you know, it will have to convince a sceptical constituency.
"I still detect mixed signals on whether ministers are really prepared to be seen alongside the full range of rural stakeholders and, in particular, the large landowners who are still key players. "Some of rural England remains largely feudal and that is often popular and unlikely to change in the short term." He added: "If we want to be seen to understand the countryside, we need to be talking and working publicly with major landowners. "That means, for example, not being wary of attending the Game Fair, and being seen to enjoy at least some of the rural crafts that would feature in a Country Life article." The Game Fair is one of the largest annual countryside events. In July, 120,000 people attended, including the Prince of Wales, making it the biggest event since the foot and mouth crisis. Mrs Beckett and other ministers were invited but stayed away. ............
Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative spokesman, said: "Rural people and farmers have been saying for years that metropolitan Labour do not know or care about the countryside. Now even their own civil servants are saying it."
Dec 23

Upstairs, downstairs
Sunday Telegraph

The National Trust is in a state of upheaval, with a new director general and a shift of emphasis from stately homes to workhouses. Sandy Mitchell questions whether it has got its priorities right
..................I chewed this over after our meeting and began to suspect that part of her vision is for the Trust to become some kind of social service. She certainly does not put fun at the top of the list. When I told her all her plans sounded terribly earnest, she snapped back, 'It's a serious organisation and should have a serious purpose.' And yet floodlit concerts, and fancy-dress picnics with bands and sideshows are the kind of events that have invigorated Trust houses in the past decade, drawing in visitors who would otherwise have thought the Trust too stuffy.
She seems uneasy, too, with the fact that the Trust appeals to members' social aspirations. A staffer at national headquarters tells me that when it comes to ensuring a big turnout for lectures, 'the bigger the title, the better the tickets sell'. The Duchess of Devonshire's talk on the gardens at Chatsworth was the fastest seller of all time. But Reynolds is said to have been queasy about the number of titles among the speakers for the coming lecture season.
How are the Trust's loyal supporters likely to react to this attitude? The Trust is kept afloat by by the annual subscriptions of its 2.7 million members and they are conservative to the bone. Sir Angus Stirling, the last director general but one, recalls what stirred them up in his time was an outbreak of nude bathing in Cornwall. 'It caused a huge amount of fury.' The editor of the Trust's quarterly magazine gets hundreds of letters from readers after each issue. Spelling mistakes provoke the greatest response.
It is safe to conclude that the members do not pay their £31 subscription, and keep paying it year after year, because they burn with Fiona Reynolds's white-hot zeal for social inclusion. They join to enjoy access to the greatest houses, gardens and art collections in England, and to keep them the way they are. The Trust has started commissioning regular market research into its members' opinions, so it knows this is the case. Already, the chairman of one of the organisations many country members' associations has warned, 'If members see what they regard as "their" houses being devalued in any way, they certainly won't be slow in making their feelings known.'
The Blairite agenda can be seen in the new acquisitions. Last month the Trust opened a cottage in Worcestershire that belonged to the Chartists, the workers' rights movement of the 1830s. It gives 'a unique insight into the rigours of mid-19th-century working-class life,' says the press release. Early next year, the Trust promises its newly restored Victorian workhouse in Nottinghamshire 'will reveal the story of poverty from the 1800s to the present day'. Though these properties were bought before Reynolds arrived at the Trust, she says future acquisitions are likely to 'follow this logic'.
Given the patrician, nostalgic appeal of the great stately homes, it is no surprise that they are in danger of being snubbed in the National Trust's new puritan era. ...............
What the Trust should be doing in its new era is rattling tins to enable it to buy the best upland farms so it can keep farmers on the land. Tim Yeo, the Tory MP and former countryside minister, leaps at this idea: 'It's a huge opportunity and would make a wonderful new crusade.'
Surely keeping these landsapes alive and enhancing public access to them is what the Trust's founding Act of Parliament intended when it laid down that the Trust was to 'preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation'. I suspect this is more likely to give the Trust a new sense of purpose than the director general's witterings about creating a 'wider interpretation of heritage'.
Dec 23

BBC's silent majority
Sunday Telegraph (Booker's Notebook)

ROBIN PAGE, the Cambridgeshire farmer, conservationist, pro-hunting campaigner and coiner of the popular term "the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation", observes that when the BBC reports anything to do with hunting these days, such as its recent resumption after foot and mouth, the news items often seem to find it necessary to add, quite irrelevantly, that according to a recent opinion poll 70 per cent of the British people are opposed to "hunting with dogs". Isn't it curious, asks Mr Page, that whenever the BBC puts out news reports relating to the single currency, it somehow never feels the same need to mention the fact that, according to recent opinion polls, 70 per cent of the British people are opposed to joining the euro?
Dec 23

Grounded
Telegraph

Foot and mouth means Father Christmas will be unable to use his reindeer to help with deliveries in England and Wales this year, says Robin Page
OH dear, poor Father Christmas. This festive season is going to be a very trying time for the old boy. This year, he has to cover the whole of England and Wales by bike. Everywhere else, he is free to fly with his beloved reindeer and sleigh; but here in England, he has been grounded.
In the cold: Alan and Tilly Smith feed the reindeer that Father Christmas will use for deliveries this year, but only in Scotland Every year for the British leg of his deliveries, Father Christmas and his friend, Rudolph, use the animals at the Reindeer Centre at Glenmore, situated at the foot of the Cairngorm Mountains. There, Alan and Tilly Smith look after Britain's only herd of almost wild, breeding reindeer. But for foot and mouth restrictions, those animals would set off once again to add their brand of Christmas magic of Christmas to thousands of children.
In previous years, excited children have flocked to see the teams of reindeer as they visited all parts of Britain, from the portals of Harrods to the shopping centre at Wigan, via the old cowshed in my farmyard.
Whereas the Scottish Agricultural Department has given Rudolph special dispensation to travel around Scotland for the Christmas season, Defra evidently believes that reindeer can spread foot and mouth - an interesting fact in itself. It is true that reindeer have cloven hooves and so can get foot and mouth, in theory, yet, whenever I have spoken to Defra about the possibility of wild deer spreading foot and mouth during the current epidemic, it has dismissed the idea. So if wild deer in Devon and Cumbria have played no part in spreading foot and mouth, and only a proper public inquiry will tell us otherwise, why does Defra believe that strictly supervised and monitored reindeer will now spread foot and mouth? The truth is that for most of the year, the Cairngorm reindeer live almost as wild animals in two herds: one in the Cairngorms and one in the nearby Cromdale Hills. Because of their specialised diet of heather, mosses and lichens, they do not share their grazing and browsing with other animals, apart from wild red deer and roe.
Once with Father Christmas, they ride in comfort and luxury in roomy lorries and their chances of infection are precisely nil. When stopping for rest and recreation at our farm, the reindeer do not mix with our cattle and in any case, we are in a disease-free area. Yet according to Defra, the Cairngorm reindeer would have to travel in a disinfected and sealed lorry for every journey. The seal could be broken only by a vet and once one journey had been undertaken, the animals would have to be in quarantine for 21 days. Consequently, if the reindeer visited Harrods, they would have to be housed at Harrods for 21 days and, of course, moss and heather do not grow in Central London.
Normally, the visits of Father Christmas and his reindeer to shopping centres in Britain supply Tilly and Alan with their main source of income, which allows them to maintain the herd for the rest of the year. Determined not to be outdone by Defra, Alan, Tilly and their reindeer can be seen at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre from 10am-5pm until tomorrow, at a special event called Christmas Fun (admission £3). Call 01479 861228 for details. Father Christmas will be on duty too, because he will be training for his great bike ride early in the morning. Rudolph and his friends wish everybody a Happy Christmas, wherever you are.
Dec 22

French farmer sentenced to jail
Yahoo news

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) - A judge sentenced militant French farmer José Bové to six months in jail Thursday, but not until riot police fired tear gas to force more than 100 of his supporters from the courthouse. The appeals court convicted Bove, a leading anti-globalization activist, for his role in destroying a genetically modified rice field in southern France in 1999. After the sentencing, a defiant Bové vowed to continue the fight against genetically modified crops. He said he would lodge his second appeal in the case, this time to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation - a move that could keep him out of jail for up to a year. Under French law, defendants don't have to begin serving sentences until all appeals are exhausted.
"Today they've tried to weaken our fight,'' Bové told reporters at the courthouse, in this southern French town. "For us, this combat will not stop ... and if they put us in prison ... the battle will continue from behind bars.''
Opposition to genetically modified foods has been very strong in France. Bove's Farmers Confederation has made the issue one of their causes, threatening to uproot experimental fields of modified food if the government doesn't destroy them.
Dec 22

Farmers hit by European curb on use of fertiliser
Telegraph

By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
FARMERS, still recovering from one of the worst years in living memory, suffered another blow yesterday when limits were announced on the amount of manure and fertiliser that can be used on the land.
The Government said it was proposing to extend the amount of the country protected as a nitrate vulnerable zone - intended to reduce pollution of drinking water, rivers, streams and coastal waters - from 8 per cent to either 80 per cent or 100 per cent of the total area of England. Similar proposals are expected soon for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Michael Meacher, the Environment Minister, said that the restrictions had been forced on the Government by the European Court which ruled last year that Britain had not fully implemented the 1991 EC Nitrates Directive in designating 8 per cent of the country a nitrate vulnerable zone to protect drinking water, but not the environment.
He said fines levied for non-compliance were currently running at £50 million a year, leaving the Government little option but to announce measures by this week.
The imposition of new nitrate sensitive areas over most of the country is likely to hit livestock farmers hardest because of the requirement that those who would usually spray slurry or manure on the land may not do so for two or three months each autumn - and will have to have secure storage facilities to prevent leaks into water courses during that time.
The cost of the measures in England alone has been estimated at £31 million for the whole country and £23 million if the zones focus just on those areas draining into waters with already high nitrate concentrations or those where wild plants or animals could be adversely affected by algal blooms.
posted Dec 22

Nitrate curbs planned for all of UK'
Farmers Weekly

By FWi staff PROPOSALS to limit the amount of fertiliser and manure farmers can use are in the pipeline for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, reports the Daily Telegraph. It follows plans, revealed by the government on Thursday (20 December), to designate most or even all of England as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.
Environment minister Michael Meacher said restrictions were necessary because the European Court had ruled Britain is not implementing the 1991 Water Directive fully. Fines levied for non-compliance were currently running at £50 million a year, leaving the government with little choice but to introduce measures, he said.
The paper reports the cost of implementing the new controls for the whole country could be as much as £31 million. Even if controls are only implemented in those areas where waters already have a high nitrate concentration the cost could be £23m.
Dec 22

MOST farmers will want to forget 2001 as the worst in living memory
Farmers' Weekly

Queen's hatmaker lays off staff after foot and mouth
Telegraph

TONY BLAIR should think twice before assuming that Conservative backwoodsmen alone are affected by his Fawlty-esque handling of rural affairs. The Queen's official hatmaker, Patey's of London, has now had to dismiss 12 of its staff of 20, following a disastrous foot and mouth affected year, in which its turnover fell by 50 per cent.
Trevor Campan, who owns the 200-year-old business, which is based in Elephant and Castle, blames his woes on the ban on hunting that followed foot and mouth. "We make most of our money by supplying bespoke riding caps to the hunts," he explains, "so their enforced inaction for the last year has had a drastic effect on us. What has happened recently, and the way that Labour has handled the whole issue of hunting, makes me very angry indeed. "Not only did they make a total mess of dealing with foot and mouth, but, given half a chance, they will ban hunting for ever. If they go through with that, I won't have a viable business left. We're not toffs - we're just ordinary Londoners trying to earn a living.
"Surely it's Tony Blair's job to encourage the creation of jobs, rather than to destroy them. If he isn't aware that he'll destroy firms like us with a hunting ban, then he should be. Having to lay off staff that I've trained to become good at their jobs is a bitter pill to swallow." Simon Hart, the director of the Campaign for Hunting, says: "This isn't surprising: the Government's own inquiry illustrated that many small urban businesses will suffer badly from a hunting ban."
Dec 21

Farms face bid to reduce nitrate peril
Ananova

Farmers will have to cut down on crop fertiliser and the amount of animal manure used on the land under a Government bid to curb nitrate pollution. Nitrates end up in rivers and streams, groundwater and coastal waters, damaging fresh and seawater ecosystems. Now the UK is under threat of action from the European Court of Justice which says the Government has not fully met a 1991 EC Nitrates Directive.
The Government consultation paper proposes two options for carrying out the Directive: applying measures across the whole of England, which would provide a more level playing field for market competition between farmers, or designation of about 80% of England, focusing just on those areas draining into waters with high nitrate concentrations and/or areas where the balance of aquatic organisms or water quality is or may be affected....
Dec 20

'NVZ controls will mean hefty bills'
Farmers' Weekly

PLANS to designate all of England as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) will have serious financial and practical implications, farmers' leaders have warned.
Dec 20

The value of Britain's landowners
Times letter

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY LAND AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Sir, In Graham Harvey's uncritical review of Kevin Cahill's book, Who Owns Britain? (Times 2, December 12), he inveighs against the pattern of ownership of land in Britain. There are now vastly more landowners than ever before and their numbers are still increasing. Most of our 45,000 members own less than 100 acres. At present 29 per cent of rural land coming on to the market is being bought by newcomers to the rural economy.
Farming can be carried out relatively extensively only because it is innately low-cost, low-return. That is why a farmer, even the smallest, needs to occupy more land than does a householder, but Mr Cahill sees this as being somehow unfair.
The concentration of land ownership is cited as the cause of the high price of development land. Mr Cahill asserts that landowners are holding land back from the market, thus driving up prices. In fact it is all levels of government that are responsible. Very little land is granted planning permission; it is this which creates an unnatural scarcity.
Mr Cahill also suggests that the reform of land ownership in Ireland over the past century has contributed much to its current economic prosperity. Eire's membership of the EU, of which it has been a major beneficiary, has rather more to do with its economic growth than does a long-forgotten land reform process.
The CLA has existed since 1907 to protect individual property rights and promote the highest quality of land stewardship. There is a huge love for our rural landscape, both among UK citizens and visitors, something of which owners large and small can be proud.
Yours faithfully, EDWARD GREENWELL,
President, Country Land and Business Association, 16 Belgrave Square, SW1X 8PQ. December 13.
Dec 20

Farmers' plea to Rural Rebels
BBC

Scotland's farming leaders have called for talks with the controversial campaign group Rural Rebels amid fears that its tactics could damage countryside causes. The National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) expressed doubts over the group's strategy of causing disruption and said these measures may be too simplistic and counter productive. The union said it was important that the group did not drive a wedge between rural and urban communities and hoped talks would clear up any areas of concern.
More than 20 organisations are reported to have joined the broadband Rural Rebels campaign in a bid to secure, what they say, is a better deal for the countryside from politicians. The umbrella group has used a variety of tactics to publicise demands for an independent public inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease, the right to peaceful country pursuits and the right to educate country children in country schools.
So far, its members have used slow drive tactics to disrupt traffic on the Forth Road Bridge and the cross-border M74 motorway that links Scotland and England. On Sunday, more than 12,000 protestors took to the streets of Edinburgh to demonstrate their anger at what they said has been an attack on the countryside by the Scottish Parliament. Protests have continued this week, including unique carol singing outside the first minister's official residence, Bute House.
To date all of the demonstrations have been within the law ..... Mr Walker said that he now intends to seek talks with the group in the new year to stress the importance of not driving a wedge between rural and urban communities.
Despite the union's concerns the Rural Rebels are content that their tactics have made politicians and the media sit up and take notice. ....
Dec 20

Disease-hit farm families helped by police
BBC

South West police officers who stood guard at the gates of foot-and-mouth infected farms have given part of their pay to communities hardest hit by the disease. At the peak of the crisis, 120 officers from Devon and Cornwall Police were stationed at 70 sites across both counties.
Officers from across the force were given the opportunity to contribute a special fund with a direct debit scheme being set up for them to pledge £10 from their wages. In all, nearly £7,000 has been raised so far. A lot of officers were quite shocked by the crisis. It wasn't just the death of the animals, but also the total isolation of the farming communities
The money will be passed on to farmers whose businesses were devastated by the crisis. One of the hardest hit places was West Devon, where there were almost 100 outbreaks.
At Devon County Council's recent public inquiry into the disease, Devon and Cornwall Police chief constable Sir John Evans described how his officers acted as counsellors to farmers who were cut off by movement restrictions. He said in a few cases the officers removed shotguns from depressed farmers who held licences because of their concern.
Officers were also stationed at every burning pit, pyre and disease-affected farm during the crisis.
Police were often the only point of contact between farmers' families who were isolated on their land because of movement restrictions by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the outside world. They passed on mail, food and other essentials. This led officers in the area to organise the appeal to help farmers.
Some of the money raised will be handed over on Wednesday at a ceremony at Highampton Primary School. The town of Highampton was one of the worst affected by the crisis. Chief inspector Barry Frost said: "A lot of officers were quite shocked by the crisis. "It wasn't just the death of the animals, but also the total isolation of the farming communities and the fact that many farmers and children were completely desperate. "Officers felt so helpless and felt they really wanted to do something to help." Police are also sending Christmas cards to those who were affected by the crisis. ......... The charity the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) took many calls from South West farmers during the outbreak. Its helpline, which was receiving two calls a day in January, found itself having to deal with 300 calls a day at the height of the crisis in April and May. RABI spokesman Nicholas Bond said of the donations to farmers: "It's wonderful. They were obviously moved by what they had seen. It must have brought home what farmers were going through. "People who see what's happened understand what's going on."
Dec 20

Report of mad cow disease case in Bosnia was actually rabies
Hoover's News

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) _ A reported case of mad cow disease in Bosnia turned out Wednesday to be rabies diagnosed on an animal at a farm in the south of the country. ......
Dec 20

Owners of BSE farm will not continue to raise cattle
Heksinki News

By Tapio Mainio in Oulunsalo
Anguish was in the air at the Kdrsdmdki farm which produced Finland's first known case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy when Reijo Flinck, the local representative of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), visited the farm on Sunday.
Three middle-aged siblings, two brothers and one sister, manage the 30-hectare farm that they inherited from their parents. The other brother runs the farm, but his movements are currently impaired by a serious illness that was diagnosed some time ago.
"The work of generations was destroyed in one blow. On Friday morning they still milked the cows, and in the evening, the authorities slaughtered the entire cattle, twenty heads each of dairy cattle and beef cattle. They were unable to comprehend that the disease was discovered in one of their cows", Flinck recounted.
Dec 20

Meatpackers shun aging dairy cows as BSE risks
Asahi.com

(Japan)
More than 20 percent of the nation's packing plants now refuse to take in dairy cows past their prime out of concern for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infection, according to a poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun. Their concerns could affect the fate of about 300,000 cows past their peak milk-producing age that are processed annually nationwide-about 20 percent of all the cattle slaughtered for meat in Japan. The three confirmed cases of BSE, known as mad cow disease, all involved Holstein dairy cows born in 1996. Among the 167 meat processors that responded to The Asahi Shimbun's questions on the issue, 37 packers, or 22 percent, said they no longer accepted old or non-productive dairy cows.
They said that the reputation of their plants would be damaged if BSE-infected cows were found there. Beyond that, they said, confirmation of a mad cow case would force them to halt production and would affect their processing of other cattle and hogs. Nineteen other meatpackers said one reason they do not take old cows is that farmers do not bring them in since prices have dropped, or because they are also concerned that their herds may be found to be infected with BSE. ............ The effect of such rejection is already having a serious impact on dairy farmers. One Tochigi Prefecture farmer said he has three old dairy cows, but the market has dropped. "Such a cow used to sell for 50,000 to 60,000 yen,'' he said. "But now they bring in only about 10,000 yen. With about 20,000 yen expenses for processing and hauling, we lose more than we gain.'' A spokesman for the National Federation of Dairy Co-operative Associations said some kind of relief is needed for farmers stuck with cows that don't give much milk and cannot be slaughtered as beef.
Most of the meat from slaughtered dairy cows is ground or used in processed foods. The Japan Meat Processors Association said most food processors no longer use domestically produced meat from slaughtered dairy cows.
Dec 20

Tyson Foods executives indicted
Daily News Yahoo

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal grand jury in Tennessee indicted executives and managers of Tyson Foods Inc. on charges of conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens to the company's poultry processing plants, the Justice Department (news - web sites) said Wednesday. A 36-count indictment unsealed Wednesday said Tyson's managers tolerated the hiring of illegal aliens to meet production goals and cut costs.
The company aided the immigrants by obtaining false documents so they could work at Tyson poultry processing plants "under the false pretense of being legally employable,'' the department said, quoting the indictment. Undercover agents working for Tysons were directed by company managers to pick up immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border and transport them to processing plants in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Missouri and Arkansas, the indictment said.
The undercover agents were paid by Tysons for "recruitment'' expenses, it said. The case comes in the wake of a border control crackdown following the Sept. 11 attacks.
"This case represents the first time the INS has taken action against a company of Tyson's magnitude,'' said James Ziglar, commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The indictment charges two corporate executives, Robert Hash, vice president of the retail fresh division, and Gerald Lankford, former human resources manager. Four other former managers are also named. The indictment is the result of a 21/2-year undercover investigation by the INS. Fifteen plants were implicated in the conspiracy.

US farm subsidy sparks fresh row
BBC

The Republican bill was backed by the White House Fresh moves to offer subsidies to US farmers have reunited the debate over whether this domestic aid contravenes the spirit of world trade rules. Two bills - one Democratic and one Republican - have both become bogged down in the US Senate. Farm groups fear that if a law isn't put in place before Christmas, it will be dropped as the money is spent elsewhere.
Both bills increase spending on farm programmes and offer some form of subsidy. Late on Tuesday, the US Senate rejected a Republican farm bill that would have created subsidised savings accounts for farmers.
Mike Espy questions whether the bill is hypocritical The Republican bill was an alternative to a Democratic bill, which raised crop subsidies linked to falling commodity prices. The two bills would increase spending on farm programs by nearly 80% over the next years and authorise farm and nutrition programme until 2006.
Mike Espy, secretary for agriculture when the US pledged to roll back subsidies in the 1990s, said: "It is a bit hypocritical, in light of the US position advocated over the past few years in the WTO and it is quite embarrassing, I believe, to the administration....President Bush has not offered its support formally for this effort." "You have a clash domestically here between the executive branch, which is generally more tuned to international mandates...against more domestic emphasis."
Dec 19

Defra gains 'science supremo'
Farmers Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
THE appointment of a government chief scientific advisor on rural affairs creates a "powerful new post", says the Financial Times. Howard Dalton will take up the role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in March. The post will "boost expertise" at the department, which has suffered a "series of scientific misfortunes" handling animal diseases, the FT says. Civil servants have faced criticism over foot-and-mouth and experiments in which scientists mistakenly tested cattle instead of sheep brains for BSE. Professor Dalton, former head of biological sciences at Warwick University, advocates better communication between scientists and the public. Government chief scientist David King said Professor Dalton would be the first of a "new breed of scientific supremos " to improve input to ministries. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett said it was vital that Defra's policies were based on the best available scientific evidence. Professor Dalton would "raise the profile of science", she said after an announcement about the appointment on Tuesday (18 December).
Dec 19

BSE and bacteria
The Times

FROM DR MILTON WAINWRIGHT
Sir, The suggestion by Magnus Linklater (Comment, December 13) that we should promote research on bacteria as a cause of BSE is timely. Bacteria, we now know, cause stomach ulcers and have also recently been linked with diseases usually attributed to other sources, such as cancer, Crohn's disease, heart attacks, irritable bowel syndrome and even sciatica; killer diseases like TB are also making a comeback.
As a result one might expect that microbiology, the science in which bacteria are studied, would be thriving in our universities. Surprisingly, however, the number of students applying for general microbiology courses is declining, while medical microbiology has been described as being at the "bottom of the pile for medical students". In addition, much basic research on micro-organisms and epidemiology is unfashionable and is no longer funded.
In the light of its importance, it would seem perverse that our schools and universities should apparently idly stand by while this decline continues.
Yours faithfully,
MILTON WAINWRIGHT, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN. (See warmwell BSE/CJD page)
Dec 19

Science czar to oversee farming
The Times

BY MARK HENDERSON, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT
A LEADING scientist has been appointed to oversee a rescue of the abysmal agricultural research record that contributed to the BSE and foot-and-mouth crises. Howard Dalton, Professor of Biological Sciences at Warwick University, who has been appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will start work in March, with a remit to review every aspect of the department's scientific activity, including global warming, genetically modified crops and animal diseases.
Ministers hope that the appointment will prevent a repeat of a string of fiascos that earned Defra's predecessor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff), a reputation as Whitehall's scientific disaster area.
Professor Dalton will sit on Defra's management board and report to Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State, and Brian Bender, the Permanent Secretary. The role of Defra chief scientist, presently held by David Shannon, who is retiring, was being "considerably beefed up in status", a spokesman said. Professor Dalton, a Fellow of the Royal Society since 1993, plans to ensure that better scientific advice is delivered more openly.
Dec 19

Virus boosted farmers' public image
Farmers' Weekly

FOOT-and-mouth disease has created empathy for farmers among consumers, according to research from consultants Promar International.
Consumer attitudes to farming are changing, and farmers are not seen as the "bad boys of the food chain", as some people like to claim. Research executive Marsha Burkwood, who carried out the study, said that consumers do believe that farmers are credible. Far from increasing the poor image of food and farming, foot-and-mouth had created empathy among shoppers. "Consumers are far more cynical about the supermarkets' motivation, believing multiple retailers hold the consumer low on their list of priorities."
The report - Food on My Table - says growing support for British farmers is leading some shoppers to change their shopping habits. A section of consumers are starting to purchase more food from independent traders, farmers' markets and local butchers.
There is a desire to support such traders as they are perceived to offer good-quality fresh produce that is not mass-produced, claims the report.
Dec 19

Polio doses 'very unlikely' to be a risk for past recipients
The Times

BY NIGEL HAWKES, HEALTH EDITOR ABOUT a third of the oral polio vaccine used in Britain between 1986 - when BSE first appeared - and 2000 was produced with the aid of material from British cows. The vaccine was grown using foetal calf serum, a nutritious culture medium from herds that might have been contaminated with BSE. The batches of vaccine were made by Wellcome until 1991 and subsequently by Medeva. There is no evidence that they were contaminated, but the possibility exists.
The Government's Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) says that up to 60 million doses of the vaccine were produced from cultures that might have been contaminated. Millions of people - about a third of all those vaccinated since BSE appeared - have been given the potentially contaminated vaccine.
If the 113 people who have contracted vCJD are typical of the public as a whole, it would be expected that about 30 to 40 of them would have been recipients of the suspect vaccine.
The fact that two have actually been found to have had it cannot, therefore, be seen to be surprising or significant. They lived in the same area and were vaccinated at the same time, in 1994, so it is not surprising that the vaccine came from the same batch. The finding would become significant only if there was something special about this particular batch that made it more likely to have been contaminated. SEAC looked at the proportion of the vCJD victims who had been given the Wellcome/Medeva vaccine, and found it was no higher than in the general public.
............
CJD risk from vaccine dismissed
Health experts have described the risk of people contracting variant CJD from oral polio vaccine as "incalculably small". Two people who developed the illness had been given vaccine from the same batch. But the independent Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (Seac) says there is no reason to believe that the vaccine used, which was withdrawn last year, or the current vaccine, pose a risk to the public.
Dec 18

Pig farmer's denial in records case
Telegraph

A PIG farmer yesterday denied failing to keep records of animal movements from his farm just prior to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Alan Clement, 58, appeared before Bishop Auckland magistrates, Co Durham, on 14 charges of failing to keep and failing to produce legal documents proving that he legitimately moved pigs from his farm to a nearby abattoir.
Clement, of West Craig Lea, Roddymoor, near Crook, was making his second court appearance. On the first occasion he contested a decision to convict him in his absence of breaching movement regulations last Dec 15-22.
Magistrates were previously told that Clement had declined to co-operate with trading standards officers throughout their investigation and he did not appear for any of the early court hearings. Clement was told in September that he would be given one last chance to give his version of events before sentence was passed. He did not attend and was convicted in his absence. Three weeks ago the Bench at Newton Aycliffe magistrates' court decided to exercise powers under Section 142 of the Magistrates Courts' Act which allows the court to the evidence again. The magistrates at Bishop Auckland will hear the case on March 4.
Dec 18

Farmers face hardship
The is Cheshire

BIDDULPH MP Charlotte Atkins has spoken about the continuing damage from foot and mouth disease for farmers. "Even though Staffordshire became officially free of foot and mouth in October there is still great concern about the impact of the disease on the county," Mrs Atkins said in the House of Commons. "We still have no open livestock markets, six months after the last case, which has had a huge impact on places like Leek in my constituency. "The area surrounding Leek is farmed by hill farmers, and the market plays an important role in breaking down the isolation many of them suffer. "Many of these farmers earn less than £5,000 a year." The district council had paid out £100,000 to help agricultural workers who had lost their jobs in the Moorlands, she said. "However those housing benefits could be the tip of the iceberg, because the knock-on effects on the rural economy could have a much greater impact, which we have yet to experience," she said.
Dec 18

LAWYER TO TAKE ON CRISIS LAWSUIT
Cumbria on line

A London lawyer is urging Cumbrian businesses to join his campaign to sue the government over the handling of the foot-and- mouth disease crisis. Stephen Alexander is touring the country to gather evidence from businesses who lost out. The total claim could amount to £5.1 billion. He told a meeting in Carlisle: "If you leave today and do nothing more, you're letting the government win. "If we can get lots of people supporting us, then our chances of winning increase significantly." ................ Class Law has also hosted meetings in Dumfries, Powys and Devon. Cheshire and Yorkshire will follow. Mr Alexander said the plan was to select the best six cases to take to court.
If a test case succeeds, he believes that the government would have to reach a settlement.
The lawsuit could be directed against the government, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, local authorities and the European Union.
Mr Alexander said: "We know Defra gave out wrong information. That's pure and simple negligence.
"We are aware that local authorities exceeded their powers and closed roads they had no right to do. That's breach of duty. "We all know that if the government had acted more swiftly, the crisis would have been over sooner and far less damage would have been done."
Class Law is also seeking evidence that foot-and- mouth broke out earlier than February. It says proof would strengthen its cause. Ian Mitchell, chairman of the Powys-based UK Rural Business Campaign, which brought in Class Law, said businesses had suffered through no fault of their own.
He said: "Many businesses are up for sale and the government is sitting there complacently and letting people suffer.
"They're offering us 50 per cent grants but what good is that if we don't have the other 50 per cent?
"They're offering us business advisers but we know what the problem is.
"They're offering us marketing assistance but if we don't survive, what good is that? It's a survival package we need, not a regeneration package.
"The legal action we propose is a last resort. We've pleaded our case but it's the arrogance and incompetence in dealing with it that angers us most."
The campaign is holding a day of action on February 23, when bonfires will be lit as a symbol of protest.  for more information contact www.ukrbc.co.uk, www.classlaw.co.uk and www.fmdcrisis.org
Dec 18

Plans to ease foot-and-mouth restrictions
Ananova

Details are to be announced on the easing of foot and mouth restrictions. Minister for Food and Farming Lord Whitty will explain the new conditions planned for the middle of next February. The plans are also expected to apply to livestock markets.
The Interim 'Animal Movement Regime' will be introduced if there are no further cases of foot-and-mouth.
Areas of the country classified as 'at risk' from the disease have been reduced dramatically, and the last remaining area is expected to be declared foot-and-mouth free at the end of the month.
Story filed: 05:09 Tuesday 18th December 2001
Dec 18

Government set to relax virus controls
Farmers' Weekly

By Alistair Driver
FOOT-AND-MOUTH controls will be relaxed in February, providing there are no more outbreaks, the government has promised. This was announced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs junior minister Elliot Morley in the House of Commons on Monday (17 December). Mr Morley said that an interim movement regime is due to come into place in mid-February. Details of the changes will not be released until Tuesday, but they are likely to affect livestock markets and will make it easier to move animals. ..
Dec 17

Look out for beef labels, says union
Farmers' Weekly

FARMERS' leaders have urged producers and shoppers to look out for new beef labels designed to remove the guess work for people wanting to buy British. This takes place under the second part of Europe-wide legislation on beef labelling which comes into force on 1 January. All beef, including mince, is required to carry additional information stating the country in which the animal was born and reared. The National Farmers Union says the move is a major success in its battle to improve consumer information through clearer food labelling. NFU deputy president Tim Bennett said: "Our standards of beef production in Britain have earned our farmers one of the highest reputations in the world. "This has been hard won and has involved total dedication. It is only right that those that want to support these efforts are not misled when it comes to paying at the checkout." The two-part ruling - the first part became law across Europe in September 2000 - also relates to also sales information near the product and leaflets associated with it. From 1 January it will be an offence not to provide correct information on the country in which an animal is born, reared, slaughtered and butchered. The NFU says any infringement of the new labelling laws should be reported in writing to local trading standards officers.
Dec 17

Totalitarian plan
Telegraph

Date: 17 December 2001
SIR - The Government wants all farmers to be linked by computer to its rural affairs ministry to ensure compliance with its dictates (report, Dec 15). In due course, rural land owners and managers may be required to be registered in order to be allowed to farm or manage their land at all.
It is a characteristic of all totalitarian regimes that they get an inflated idea of their own abilities and resounding successes. They make grand plans for sectors where their knowledge is lacking, and silence informed and constructive criticism by oppressive use of regulatory powers. They then blame others when there is sectoral economic failure.
On the first proposal, it is clear that in many rural areas we are a long way short of adequate telephone lines for fax communication, let alone a quality data transfer facility, and we are years off getting all farmers on e-mail.
As to the second, is there not now incontrovertible evidence that the Government has proved itself ineffective in rural land-use planning and management, over food hygiene and animal health matters?
Is it not also the case that it has no coherent forward strategy in any of these areas, or for the farm-based economy as a whole? And is it not now time to insist that it demonstrates its own competence - or by default, loses effective control in this sector altogether?
From: Earl of Lytton, Shipley, W Sussex
Dec 17

Order of the jackboot
Telegraph

Date: 15 December 2001
SIR - Perhaps Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, should consult with farmers and other land managers prior to the imposition of a radically different approach to the way that government deals with them? Once upon a time countryside matters were managed by those who actually worked and lived there, but this Government has adopted the order of the jackboot to administer that part of our society about which it knows little.
There are two important principles to be taken into account. Firstly, the countryside is what it is today because of the work of farmers and land managers. Whilst the landscape will survive any malfunction of government, its management is very much a function of those who work there.
The second important principle is that the countryside produces virtually all our food which is not imported and it is the purpose of our farmers to convert the natural resources into foods suitable for human consumption.
However, following on from its failure in the foot and mouth epidemic, the Government now seeks to impose draconian measures on anybody who wishes to work and live outside an urban environment. Earlier this year I escaped from farming under the jackboot of this Government. But where will home-produced food come from if there is a mass exodus of farmers?
From: Arnold Pennant, St Asaph, Denbys
Dec 17

Rural rebels step up fight
The Scotsman

Paul Gallagher
Rural Rebels......warned last night they were ready to face arrest as they prepared to hijack the mainstream movement in support of the countryside with a campaign of direct action to protect the rural way of life. The warning came after more than 15,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh yesterday in Scotland's largest ever pro-hunting demonstration, organised by the Scottish Countryside Alliance.
But members of the breakaway Rural Rebels group said direct action was required to achieve the movement's aims. Rural Rebels, whose members wear orange boiler suits in a tactic borrowed from anti-GM crops protesters, have already blockaded the Forth Road Bridge and three major roads, including the M74 motorway.
Leaders of the group were distributing recruitment leaflets at the end of yesterday's march, which was organised in consultation with the police, and passed off peacefully. Rural Rebels co-ordinator Noel Collins said: "This demonstration has been a success but if no-one is listening to us then we must carry on in other ways. We have been inundated with enquiries about our group, and we are growing daily.
"We have already told the police that they may have to start making arrests. People will go to prison for their views. Our campaign will go on and on until the politicians listen." The group is planning to disrupt business at Bute House and MSPs' offices in Edinburgh during the next week and members are set to chain themselves to railings and lie in roads to raise the profile of their campaign.
Its demands include an independent public inquiry into the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, and the right to pursue "peaceful country pursuits".
Members of the Rural Rebels were asked by the Scottish Countryside Alliance not to wear their orange uniforms at yesterday's protest march. The demonstration, called the March on the Mound, brought traffic in the capital to a standstill as it moved from the Edinburgh Meadows, down the Mound, past the Scottish Parliament and along Princes Street. ..............
Dec 17

The first maps showing the proposed right to roam areas areas have been published - including people's gardens.
BBC Today Programme

Excerpt from (15 Dec )Saturday's programme can be heard

Village pubs must diversify, says prince
Telegraph

By Richard Eden
VILLAGE pubs need to offer new services such as a post office or a shop if they are to survive, the Prince of Wales says today. More than half of all English villages no longer have a pub, 72 per cent do not have a shop and 74 per cent have no post office, he points out. "Providing new services from the pub not only keeps an essential service in the village or brings a new one in," the prince says. "But increases the income of the pub itself, giving it a more secure future." In his foreword to a report, The Pub is the Hub, by the organisation Business in the Community, of which he is president, the prince gives warning that rural communities are facing unprecedented challenges.
Margaret Clark, director of the Countryside Agency, said: "Many rural communities have had to contend with the consequences of foot and mouth, which have shown how mutually dependent are all parts of rural life - from farms to the local bed and breakfast to the last remaining village pub - so diversifying is even more important."
Dec 17

Mean Fields: Jonathan Miller: Trapped in my hell's kitchen
Sunday Times

Defra, the ministry of rural death, sends me a questionnaire and warns me it is compulsory to return it. It goes in the bin. I'll answer none of Defra's questions until the gruesome Elliot Morley answers mine. My farmer neighbour Ashley attends the funeral of a 38-year-old woman farmer in Reading. She killed herself with cattle wormer in despair over the future of her herd. Because I was in France I missed the meeting in the parish hall to discuss the master plan for our village. Jeff, the pub landlord, went and asked what was the point, since it covered the same ground as a similar meeting two years ago, following which nothing happened. Silly Jeff: the purpose of the meeting was to hold the meeting. The council is far too busy consulting people actually to do anything.
I dropped in on a neighbour who sits on the board of the Royal Surrey hospital. While she was off making tea I riffled through her papers for the board meeting. The stack was filled with news of meetings, budgets, management training schemes and consultations. Nothing about patients.
When she reappears I ask how much difference the latest government grant will make. None whatsoever, she replies. Pay up, pay up and watch our government play games.
Dec 16

Rural protesters take to the streets
BBC Scotland

Thousands of protesters have taken part in one of the biggest countryside demonstrations ever seen in Scotland. The organisers of the Edinburgh rally called on people from around the world to join them in drawing attention to what they see as the difficulties faced by rural communities. Their grievances include a bill to ban hunting with dogs in Scotland and the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Protesters are also upset about the Scottish Land Reform Bill, which will open up the countryside and extend the rights of communities to buy their land.
Around 12,000 people set out from the Mound in the capital at 1230 GMT in protest, they said, at politicians' failure to act on the rights of rural communities. ...... Following the rally, thousands of protesters, sounding hunting horns and chanting, made their way through the city centre. The Scottish Countryside Alliance had expected protesters from all over the UK and from as far afield as Australia, Norway and Europe. It described the turnout as "absolutely fantastic" and urged the Scottish Parliament to act on rural concerns. ....
Dec 16

Pro-hunt demo to attract thousands
CNN.com

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Organisers are predicting a pro-fox hunting march on Sunday will be the biggest ever staged in Scotland.
Tens of thousands of countryside campaigners are expected to travel from around the world for the event in Edinburgh, the so-called March on the Mound. Countryside campaigners are lobbying to save what they say is a way of life
The demonstration, aimed to draw attention to the difficulties faced by rural communities, comes after the government lifted a temporary ban on hunting in an effort to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth. Alex Armstrong, spokesman for the Scottish Countryside Alliance told Reuters. said: "We are hugely heartened by the turnout. There are people as far as the eye can see." Protesters from all over the UK and from as far afield as Australia, Norway and Europe were expected to attend the march, organised by the Scottish Countryside Alliance. Their grievances include a Bill to ban hunting with dogs in Scotland, the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the Scottish Land Reform Bill, which proposes to open up the countryside and extend the rights of communities to buy their land.
Allan Murray, the organisation's director, said: "This really is an opportunity for countryside people to demonstrate how they feel. "We know they are frustrated and angry because of the way rural issues are being dealt with both at Scottish and national level. "Rural people feel politicians want to pass legislation on countryside matters without listening to the people involved or to the true facts."
Dec 16

No mass cull if foot and mouth returns
Independent on Sunday

By Geoffrey Lean and Severin Carrell
Britain will never again try to stamp out a foot and mouth epidemic by slaughtering millions of animals, following a wholescale rethinking of government policy.
Ministers from Tony Blair down are convinced that the public will never accept another mass cull, and believe that recent scientific advances will enable them to vaccinate widely instead. More than six million animals were killed on more than 9,000 farms in this year's epidemic, the worst the world has ever known. Relatively few had the disease. Most were killed either to stop the disease spreading to them or for "welfare" reasons because they were trapped in fields with limited grass because of restrictions on moving them. Ministers still insist, publicly and privately, that they did the right thing. Last week Margaret Beckett delivered a defiant speech to an international conference that met in Brussels to draw lessons from the epidemic. She devoted much of it to rebutting "media comment" - originally published in The Independent on Sunday at the very beginning of the epidemic- making the case that the mass slaughter was unnecessary.
But at the end of her speech she signalled clearly that Britain was open to a radical change of policy. She admitted: "There is much to reassess about how we handle such outbreaks of disease." And she raised the questions: "Is eradication still the right and necessary policy?" and "Is there a greater role and potential for vaccination?" Late last week, her junior minister, Elliot Morley, added: "No one wants to see an epidemic involving massive culling on that scale again."
A new test that can distinguish between the antibodies produced by the disease and those that result from vaccination against it is giving the Government hope that it can minimise the slaughter in future. Sources say that the test would enable eradication efforts to vaccinate all animals in an infected region to stop the disease spreading and allow them to pick out those that have caught it for culling. This, they believe, could satisfy international rules which stipulate that meat exports can resume sooner after an outbreak if infected animals have been killed.
The Netherlands, the country most affected after Britain, kept down its slaughter to 265,000 animals by vaccinating widely. But, even so, 750,000 Dutch signed a petition protesting at the killing. Government scientists now believe that South Africa could have been the source of the virus. Investigations by epidemiologists at Pirbright animal health laboratory in Surrey have isolated the strain of the virus and matched it to the foot and mouth virus which hit South Africa in September last year.
Dec 16

Business zones win planning loophole Independent

Ministers plan to let businesses build offices and factories in "business planning zones" across the country without having to seek planning permission to do so. And tomorrow they will announce plans to stop people challenging the need for new roads, airports, nuclear dumps and power stations at public inquiries.
Environmentalists believe that the changes will fatally undermine the system and open up the countryside to development.
However, Lord Falconer, the Planning Minister, says that the zones will make rural areas more "business-friendly", attracting firms by virtue of being "simple and easy to operate". They would exempt companies from having to get planning permission, so long as the firms observe general "criteria" drawn up for the areas. This would ensure businesses that they would get the go-ahead without delay.
The new provisions for roads, nuclear power stations and other "major infrastructure projects" - stimulated by frustration at the length of public inquiries into controversial plans - are likely to provoke even more opposition. Under them, says Lord Falconer, public inquiries will be able to consider only "the how, not the whether" of schemes. The need for such projects would be decided by "a national policy statement", issued by ministers, and approval would be given by an Act of Parliament. The Government, he said, would "almost certainly" take a view on each project, which means that it would be whipped through. But Tony Burton of the National Trust said yesterday that both plans made ministers "unaccountable".
Dec 16

Booker's Notebook
Sunday Telegraph

Although more than seven and a half million animals were destroyed during the foot-and-mouth epidemic, only three won national fame. Phoenix the calf and Grunty the pig were saved, Misty the goat was not. On April 5 Kirstin McBride returned home from work at Locherbie station in Dumfriesshire to find her pet goat lying dead in the driveway with a plastic bag over its head. While police kept her mother talking in the kitchen, a vet and an official of the Scottish Environmental and Rural Affairs Department (Serad) had climbed over a wall, broken into Misty's shed and killed her.
Miss McBride asked under what law her goat had been killed. When the police could not tell her, she became so upset that she took a knife from the kitchen drawer to kill herself. When a policewoman forcibly restrained her, she pummelled the woman with her fists. She was arrested, held in a police cell for four hours and charged with a string of offences, including assaulting the police.
Since then she has been in court in April, July, August, September and October. Initially she represented herself because she could not afford a solicitor. In September she was told in the Sheriff's court she was foolish not to be legally represented. The Procurator Fiscal, the prosecutor, presented her with "a huge pile of paper, 15 cases full of legal jargon and Latin phrases". The court allowed her two minutes to look them over, yet when she mentioned Serad, the Sheriff had to ask what this was. Just before the latest hearing last week Miss McBride, now legally represented, was told that if she would agree to plead guilty to causing a breach of the peace, all other charges would be dropped. After a night's reflection she decided she did not want a criminal record and refused. The case was yet again adjourned, to March 11.
Under the law, before Misty was killed, Miss McBride should have been served with a 'Form A notice', declaring her home 'an infected place'. No one ever claimed that the goat was infected or been exposed to infection. To this day Serad has been unable to produce a Form A notice, although last week Miss McBride was served with a 'Form B', requiring her home to be kept under surveillance, with a note to say that this was to replace the Form A which has never been served. (Full story)
Dec 16

Cattle Face New Threat in United Kingdom
Farm Progress.com

After all the foot-and-mouth and mad cow disease cases, the United Kingdom cattle industry may have another battle to fight. Bovine tuberculosis, which has been spreading in recent years and poses a risk to human health, might flare when farmers start to buy cattle to replace those culled due to foot-and-mouth.
Fears are that bovine TB may have easily spread in herds that have been cooped up together in the same barns and fields for up to six months.
Cattle that test positive for TB are slaughtered. A new livestock epidemic would be devastating for the county's farmers, whose incomes have been squeezed by low commodity prices, a strong pound and a raft of food and health scares.
Dec 16

Germany Contemplating GMO Too
Farmprogress.com

Representatives of churches, trade unions, general farming associations, scientists and groups interested in environmental and consumer protection have been invited to a new round of talks on possible commercial use of genetically modified crops in Germany. In a previous round of talks, only the GM seed industry was involved. At present, GM crops can be grown for research in Germany but commercial production is banned. The GM issue in Germany is complicated because technically two independent federal agencies - not the government - are responsible for authorizing commercial GM crop use. They are the Robert Koch scientific institute, which rules on safety and health, and the federal seeds agency BSE, which rules whether seeds are a new type not already on the market.
Dec 16

Park members bend the rules to help farmer
Craven Herald

THE Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has signalled a more sympathetic line with farmers wishing to diversify in the wake of the foot and mouth crisis. It has agreed to allow Chris Hall to convert part of his Town End Farm, Airton, into a farm shop and tea room even though a strict interpretation of policy would have meant refusal. A report to the authority said that: "Policy would indicate that planning permission should be refused. However, there are other material considerations which members may take into account before making a decision here." And authority member Alex Bentley told the meeting: "This is the perfect opportunity for the national park to nail its colours to the mast and show people in the national park that we do support farmers and the farming community." Mr Hall exercised his right to address the authority and said that he had lost all his stock to foot and mouth. "That has given me and my family time to reconsider our future, not only in farming but living and working in Malhamdale," he said. He said he felt there was a need to provide farm food and produce so local people did not need to travel to the supermarket.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the application but only after lengthy debate about how much they should restrict the type of goods sold. Members also granted permission to Mr Hall to turn a barn on the farm into three holiday cottages. The decision comes in the same week as the national park called for greater support for organic and environmentally friendly farming practices which in turn help the conservation of the Dales.
It wants a greater share of Government farming subsidies to be directed towards the type of farming which supports and enhances the area. To date, public subsidies to farmers have largely focused on production. This, alongside economic pressures to increase livestock production, has pushed farmers into a more intensive use of grassland and the greater use of fertilisers. Over the years this has done little to protect or improve the environment of the national park.
Dec 16

Scrapies error is blamed on robot
Telegraph

By Charles Clover and Robert Uhlig
AFTER confusing sheep brains with cow brains a few weeks ago, Government scientists have made another serious error. However, this time they have blamed a robot handling samples in a laboratory. Under the national scrapie plan, scientists are trying to establish which kinds of sheep are most genetically prone to scrapie, which can theoretically mask BSE.
Genotype testing was in progress at two laboratories to find the vulnerable flocks. The Government is using the Animal Health Bill to force farmers to slaughter or castrate sheep prone to scrapie.
The laboratories got the scientific testing right. But the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said one laboratory had transferred the results to the wrong sheep. Some 350 blood tests on five farms were wrong. The department said no animals were required to be slaughtered based on the incorrect results. Elliot Morley, the junior Defra minister, said the result proved the success of the quality control arrangements put in place to spot mistakes. But a department spokesman conceded that the error would have been more serious in a year when the Animal Health Bill has passed into law. An investigation has identified a robot handling samples in one of the laboratories involved, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, as being to blame. Defra said that the problem was caused by a software error. Ironically, that laboratory identified that scientists were conducting tests for BSE on cows' brains rather than sheep's brains in October. Peter Ainsworth, the Conservative environment, food and rural affairs spokesman, said the mistake showed that the Animal Health Bill was draconian.
Dec 16

Blair faces Euro inquiry
Telegraph

By Robert Uhlig and Charles Clover
THE European Parliament is to hold its own inquiry into foot and mouth, which could lead to the Prime Minister being called to give evidence.
Details of the European inquiry emerged on the day that the Government's "lessons learned" inquiry, chaired by Dr Iain Anderson and held in camera, announced that it had begun. Labour MEPs tried to block the European investigation but were overruled by members of the parliament's agriculture committee, although the form of the inquiry will not be decided until the New Year.
Government sources hope to avoid a full-scale committee of inquiry, which would have the powers to call any witnesses it wished, including the ministers directly responsible - the most senior being Tony Blair. Peter Ainsworth, the Tory environment spokesman, welcomed the announcement of the European inquiry. He said: "Despite repeated calls for the Government to order a full independent public inquiry, they have stubbornly refused to hold one.
"Thanks to Conservative MEPs, we now stand a much better chance of finding out the truth about how, and when, the disease got into Europe and what lay behind the terrible complacency of the Government's early response."
Sir Edward Greenwell, president of the Country Land and Business Association, called for the lessons-learned inquiry to publish its findings. "People need to be reassured that this inquiry asked the right questions and got the right answers," he said.
Dec 15

Farmers face Big Brother link to Whitehall
Telegraph

By Robert Uhlig, Farming Correspondent
EVERY farm in Britain should have a computer with a link to Whitehall to ensure that they comply with ministry decrees, according to plans drawn up after the foot and mouth crisis. The plans - condemned as "Big Brother for farmers" by the Small and Family Farms Alliance - also confirm that the Government is working on a licensing or registration scheme for farmers or farming activity. The proposals, being considered by Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, are part of "a radically different approach to the way we deal with farmers and other land managers" outlined in an internal Defra memo seen by The Daily Telegraph.
The memo proposes the "very ambitious objective" that "ultimately each farm business would be able - or be required - to have an e-enabled whole farm plan". Michael Hart, chairman of the small farms alliance, said the costs involved would be "another nail in the coffin of the small family farm".
The scheme would require every farmer to draw up a business plan encompassing the total assets of the farms - the soil, water, trees, stock, pastures, crops and wildlife - with details of how they propose to make best use of them in sustainable farming terms. This "e-enabled whole farm plan" would have to be lodged electronically with Defra, giving the ministry an unprecedented insight into every farmer's activities. It would mean every farmer buying a computer capable of being connected to Whitehall. The memo, entitled Licensing or registering farmers or farming activity, says the plan to monitor farmers electronically "springs from widespread feeling, both inside and outside the department, that Defra needs to do more to help farmers adapt to and comply with changing requirements and obligations". It was sent to Lord Whitty, the farming minister responsible for co-ordinating Defra evidence to the foot and mouth inquiries, and copied to Mrs Beckett and other ministerial colleagues. It reveals a list of regulatory requirements and checks that would in future have to be performed electronically as part of a farm licensing scheme. "The aim would be to provide farmers and enforcement authorities with tools to facilitate compliance with legal requirements," it says. It warns that the plan "would need to be phased in carefully" and would "require extremely good co-operation". Mr Hart said the cost of buying a computer and managing any increase in bureaucracy would be almost impossible for many farms to meet. "The degree and complexity of the demands would be quite some feat to achieve and considerably add to the burden for small farmers. "It sounds like some sort of tool to beat us with rather than help us."
Dec 15

RISKS STILL HIGH AS FMD PROBES BEGIN
Dundee Courier

YESTERDAY SAW the formal start of two separate inquiries into the lessons to be learned from the foot-and-mouth outbreak, but-speaking just prior to these investigations-a leading research scientist working with the very virulent disease said that the risk of it breaking out now was as great as it had been back in February.
Dr Peter Nettleton, of the Moredun Research Institute, said the danger lay in bringing the disease in from abroad. But he said that if it did breach the somewhat non-existent import barriers then the current livestock movement restrictions would not allow it to make much progress across the country. From a scientific point of view, Dr Nettleton dismissed control by vaccination at the present time. He added that if such a policy had been implemented "we would still be in the middle of the epidemic."
There were many problems in dealing with the virus, he said, not the least of which were the many strains of the disease. As the scale of the outbreak rose, a number of eminent scientists, backed by animal welfare enthusiasts, clamoured for a vaccination programme.
But Dr Nettleton stated that much of the science calling for this course of action was flawed as it was based purely on how guinea pigs had reacted in a laboratory situation some two decades earlier. So it will be down to the various inquiries to bring forward their solutions to how this country can avoid another outbreak of the disease, which has cost the lives of more than five million head of livestock and the Treasury more than £2.5 billion. (Comment)
Dec 15

Prince Charles Speaks About Farming
Daily News (Yahoo)

LONDON (AP) - Prince Charles urged agriculture students Friday not to let "mad cow'' disease and the foot-and-mouth crisis deter them from farming.
"You are the future. You've got to keep (farming) going,'' he told the students from Kingston Maurward agriculture college near Dorchester in southwest England. The prince, who farms organically on his Highgrove country estate, met the students at Poundbury, the working village on the edge of Dorchester that has been built in keeping with Charles' ideas of agriculture and design.
He urged them not to be put off by recent setbacks in British agriculture, including this year's outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which has driven some farmers out of business. .....
Dec 15

Inquiry opens into foot-and-mouth
The Times

THE Royal Society of Edinburgh pledged yesterday to try to discover how much the foot-and-mouth outbreak has cost the Scottish economy.
The society is investigating the disease's impact and will look at control procedures during the outbreak as well as the impact of the disease on the economy, including tourism.
It held its first evidencetaking session with Exeuctive officials yesterday and defended its decision to hold the inquiry in private, saying that much of the evidence will be hugely technical. Some meetings will be open to the public.
The 18-strong committee aims to issue a brief report with a limited number of recommendations by early June. Professor Gavin McCrone, chairman of the inquiry's economic impact sub-committee, said that he wanted to look at the economic impact to see if it suggested how the disease should be managed in future.
Dec 15

FOOT AND MOUTH - LESSONS TO BE LEARNED INQUIRY STARTS TODAY
Anderson Inquiry Press Release

The Lessons to be Learned Inquiry into the Foot and Mouth Outbreak of 2001 today launched its Framework Document, marking the formal start of the independent Inquiry. The Inquiry Chairman Dr Iain Anderson announced that the document was on the Inquiry's web site at www.fmd-lessonslearned.org.uk . Copies were also distributed to many of those with a direct interest in the Inquiry.
The document explains the terms of reference for the independent Inquiry (already announced on 9 August) and lists some broad question areas in which the Inquiry will be interested in receiving responses. The Inquiry team will present its recommendations to the Prime Minister and other recipients in mid-2002. Dr Anderson said:
"The Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001 was, in social and economic terms, one of the most fundamental and traumatic events for the country since the Second World War. It is essential that we all learn lessons from this. Today, there has been no confirmed case of foot and mouth disease since 30 September: it is now time for this independent Inquiry to begin. "The Inquiry will be inclusive, and seeks views from everyone as to what lessons should be learned from the catastrophic outbreak of foot and mouth disease this year. We have been offered full co-operation by the Government.
"Our website will be an important source of information for people interested in the progress of the Inquiry and we are currently planning visits to affected regions in England, Scotland and Wales in early 2002. I encourage everyone with an interest to present their views to this Inquiry."
Dec 14

'Lessons learned' inquiry begins
Farmers' Weekly

By Isabel Davies
THE inquiry into the lessons to be learned from foot-and-mouth has been formally launched after months of waiting for the epidemic to end. The inquiry, one of three announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett in August, is being chaired by Dr Iain Anderson.
It's aim is to develop a view on the way that the government should handle any future animal disease outbreaks in the UK. It is due to report back to Prime Minister Tony Blair within six months.
Dr Anderson said it was essential lessons were learned as foot-and-mouth was one of the most traumatic events since the Second World War. "Today, there has been no confirmed case of foot and mouth disease since 30 September: It is now time for this independent Inquiry to begin.
"The inquiry will be inclusive, and seeks views from everyone as to what lessons should be learned from the catastrophic outbreak of foot-and-mouth." The Country Land and Business Association said it was pleased the inquiry was about to start, but it was worried about the integrity of its findings.
CLA president Edward Greenwell said the organisation had always believed the inquiries must be held in public. "The foot-and-mouth outbreak affected millions of people in all sorts of ways, many of which were wholly unexpected and highly damaging. "People need to be reassured that this inquiry, in particular, asked the right questions and got the right answers." A spokeswoman from the National Farmers' Union said it was preparing a submission to go into the inquiry in the New Year. The inquiry has published a framework document which sets out the general approach Dr Anderson wants to take and a rough timetable.
Dec 14

Peaceful protests could end in prison
Hereford Times

FARMERS seeking to make a peaceful protest against culling in any future foot and mouth crisis could risk imprisonment, a Herefordshire solicitor warns this week. The warning comes from Mrs Barbara Jordan of Ross-on-Wye, after she spoke to a public meeting in the House of Commons convened to discuss the new Animal Health Bill. Mrs Jordan, principal of Jordans Solicitors of Ross-on-Wye was invited to speak at the meeting with a number of others including Mr Roger Green, president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Mr Aldison, director of the Rare Breeds Trust, Mark Richer, adviser to the RSPCA and Peter Ainsworth, the Shadow Spokesman for rural affairs.
The new Animal Health Bill has now passed through the House of Commons .....
The new Bill has been designed by Government to give DEFRA increased powers in the face of a further outbreak of foot and mouth or indeed any other disease affecting farming livestock, but gives Government a huge range of powers to enable it to cull animals whether or not those animals are affected or suspected of being affected with disease. It also allows Government to order farmers not to breed from particular types of sheep, which may be susceptible to certain sorts of disease and it is notable that Roger Green told the meeting that if this Bill passes into statute any veterinary surgeon following it to the letter and overseeing the slaughter of animals that are not even suspected of disease would be in breach of their own code of professional ethics and could be guilty of a disciplinary offence and indeed risk their qualifications.
Mrs Jordan says that in her view the new Animal Health Bill is draconian in the powers it takes to Government. "It makes the peaceful farm gate protests that were common in the spring and summer this year, when farmers and smallholders were attempting to prevent the unnecessary cull of their sheep, unlawful," warns Mrs Jordan.
"Protesters under the new act could be risking an unlimited fine or up to two years imprisonment. Farmers concerned about the proposed act can contact Mrs Jordan via E-mail on enquiries@jordans-solicitors.fsnet.co.uk
Dec 14

Farms 'still at risk from illegal meat imports'
Telegraph

Yesterday in Parliament
THE Government came under fire from the Tories last night for failing to tighten controls on illegal meat imports after the foot and mouth outbreak. Despite suspecting that it was the way the disease entered the country, nothing had been done to tighten lax security, they claimed. Ann Winterton, a Tory agriculture spokesman, said Britain was vulnerable to animal, plant and human diseases, including the deadly Ebola virus. Attacking Labour for its irresponsible attitude, she demanded that ministers produce an annual report on what action they had taken to tackle the problem. She was speaking during the passage of the Animal Health Bill, which completed its Commons stages last night. The legislation introduces tough new powers aimed at tackling any further cases of foot and mouth, and speeding the eradication of scrapie in sheep. It makes it easier for officials to enter farms for culling, vaccination or testing on a precautionary basis, allows for a possible vaccination programme, and stops farmers getting 25 per cent of their compensation for slaughtered animals unless they comply with disease control measures. Mrs Winterton said: "The saying that prevention is better than cure is one that would be echoed throughout the farming community today. "In spite of this Bill . . . the Government has not addressed the real problem which faces this country at present, and that is our vulnerability to further infection in the future." Mrs Winterton said the legislation was "hasty and insensitive to the needs of the farming community". She said it was "absolutely disgraceful that there are double standards" in the European Union over meat import controls. Diana Organ (Lab, Forest of Dean) called for more resources for checking illegal meat imports. "The problem isn't the naive travelling public," she said. "It is those people who are deliberately illegally importing meat." Colin Breed, a Lib Dem agriculture spokesman, also backed the call for an annual report. "A regular review seen by Parliament . . . will actually be a real means of ensuring that we are vigilant in the future, bearing in mind the enormous cost that foot and mouth has caused the country and the . . . way it has ravaged our rural economy." David Drew (Lab, Stroud) said an annual report would go some way to "allaying people's fears" about the tightening up or otherwise of import regulations. Angela Browning (C, Tiverton and Honiton) called for "tangible" evidence of the Government's handling of meat imports and said she did not want to see "umpteen" glossy reports. There were further calls for an annual report from James Paice (C, South-East Cambridgeshire) who said it would provide "exposure of action being taken", while Richard Bacon (C, South Norfolk) urged the Government to take the issue "much, much more seriously". Elliot Morley, a rural affairs minister, said there was no evidence that British import controls were "substandard" compared with other countries. While the department was not closing its mind to strengthening regulations on import controls, this could be done by order and not necessarily by primary legislation. Keith Simpson (C, Mid Norfolk) backed calls for ministers to have a duty to dispose of carcasses within 48 hours of their slaughter. There was enormous pressure to take the bodies away as quickly as possible but there were logistical problems. On-farm burial was not an option in some areas because of the potential effect on water supplies. He said that if the necessary resources were not in place, Britain could suffer from another animal disease outbreak. David Taylor (Lab, Leics NW) called for transportation of animals to be limited to a total journey time of no more than eight hours. He also urged moves to prevent dealers repeatedly selling animals on by preventing livestock being sold again within 20 days of first being at market.
Dec 14

Protester jailed
The Times

Stephen Morgan, 28, of Bronallt, Llandovery, the farmhand who crushed a police van with a bulldozer while its driver was inside in a protest at the foot-and-mouth cull, has been jailed for three years for vehicle taking and dangerous driving by Swansea Crown Court.
Dec 14

Beckett warns of virus jab dangers
Farmers Weekly

By Philip Clarke in Brussels VACCINATION against foot-and-mouth disease carries many problems, Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett has warned. "There are seven major strains of foot-and-mouth," she told a conference in Brussels on Wednesday (12 December). "Vaccination against one confers no protection against all." Ring-vaccination was not a practical option when the UK outbreak was detected earlier this year, said Mrs Beckett. By then, there had already been 1.3 million sheep movements and the virus was widespread. There was also strong resistance to the idea of preventative vaccination, she said. The implications of losing export markets for 12 months outweighed the benefit of protecting against the disease. Mrs Beckett was sceptical about the use of new marker vaccines and tests to differentiate between infected and injected animals. Even if the tests were validated, there was unlikely to be demand for meat from vaccinated animals at home or abroad. "Preferring vaccination is not the same as being willing to buy and eat meat from animals vaccinated against foot-and-mouth," she said. She was concerned about the effect on tourism if vaccination was adopted as the main way of combating the disease. The cost of foot-and-mouth to the tourist industry was more than double the cost to farming, she indicated.
(See Inbox )
Dec 14

Re: Countryside is being nationalised
Telegraph

Date: 14 December 2001
SIR - Like most people I did not think the "right to roam" legislation would affect me directly. I have approximately four acres of land attached to my house, some used as a garden and the remainder as grazing for my donkeys. It backs on to the moorland on the foothills of the Pennines, but there are no public footpaths over it, or existing access rights.
By pure chance, I learnt that all of my land has been identified by the Countryside Agency in the provisional mapping process underway under the Countryside Right Of Way Act 2000 as "open country". When the Act comes into effect I can expect to find people walking through my garden and picnicking among my donkeys.
Only because a neighbouring farmer checked on his own land and saw mine was included did I discover the fact. Most of my friends and neighbours have also had their land classified as "open country" - in some cases as little as a quarter of an acre of garden, in others farmers' fields used as grazing for the sheep and cows they are dependent upon for their living.
The Countryside Agency, with the Government's blessing, made a conscious decision not to inform anyone directly if their land has been classified as "open country". Instead, they are arranging a series of low-key regional road shows for public consultation. Everyone who owns land, no matter how small a patch - even an allotment or garden - should seek out and carefully check these maps.
I can only assume that the intention is to nationalise the whole country bit by bit before the majority of us notice.
From: Sally Hargreaves, Todmorden, Lancs

Re: Landowners should be consulted

Date: 14 December 2001
SIR - The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is already hearing a growing chorus of discontent from members about land that clearly should not be subject to the right of access being wrongly mapped.
This is despite the fact that the draft maps on which the Countryside Agency is currently consulting have so far been produced for only two areas - north-west and south-east England.
The right should apply only to mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land - otherwise known as "open country". Small paddocks and enclosures of improved grassland should clearly not be mapped. They offer none of the sense of openness that should characterise access land.
The Countryside Agency is consulting now on these draft maps. It is very important that all who have an interest in land in the areas already mapped should check them before the deadline of February 11 next year.
From: Sir Edward Greenwell, President, CLA, London SW1
Dec 14

Mass culling doubts in virus review
Guardian

Andrew Osborn in Brussels
The government admitted for the first time yesterday that it was considering changing the way future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease are handled, after the Dutch government demanded that the controversial EU-wide policy of mass slaughter be dumped in favour of vaccination. In an apparent policy u-turn, Margaret Beckett, the environment secretary, told a conference in Brussels that the time was now ripe to consider the vaccination option, but made it clear that she was far from convinced by its merits. "It is time to re-examine the whole thing again from first principles," she told reporters. " It is absolutely right that we look afresh at this issue, but it is far from clear to me that there is much that could have been done differently." She told the 400 politicians and experts attending the two-day conference that the policy of eradication or mass slaughter should be reviewed and that consideration should be given as to whether there is "a greater role and potential for vaccination.
"There is much to reassess about how we handle such outbreaks of disease, whatever the underlying policy we seek to pursue," she said. She argued, however, that a vaccination policy was fraught with problems.
Consumers were unwilling, she said, to eat meat from vaccinated animals, while the disease itself, if left unchecked, caused extreme suffering and even death to animals. Vaccination was also expensive, a massive logistical challenge, and it remained impossible, she added, to distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals.
The Dutch farm minister, Laurens Brinkhorst, called for "a fundamental change to our current policy of non-vaccination". He said infected meat should not be disposed of since "it bears no risk to human health and there is no reason why we should not eat it".
Dec 13

Bigger role likely for foot and mouth vaccine
Financial Times

Vaccination is likely to play a greater role in fighting any future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe to minimise the politically unacceptable mass culling of healthy animals, David Byrne, the European Union food safety commissioner, acknowledged on Wednesday. Speaking at a Brussels conference on the threat posed by the disease, Mr Byrne said a package of new measures should be agreed by mid-2003 to prevent an outbreak similar to that in Britain this year, in which more than 4m animals were slaughtered. The disease also spread on a smaller scale to the Netherlands, France and Ireland. Mr Byrne said: "It is simply inconceivable that we could ever allow a repeat of the crisis that took place this year." There was an emerging consensus that vaccination should be more widely used to control outbreaks, he said. This could help to ensure "unnecessary slaughter and destruction of healthy animals can be avoided", he said.
However, Mr Byrne and other delegates rejected calls for the use of general vaccination to prevent outbreaks occurring in the first place - a move that would have severe trade consequences, with countries losing their "disease-free" status.
The conference heard warnings that the mass slaughter of animals in the UK and the Netherlands would be unacceptable to the public in future. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, Dutch farming minister, said the killing of 260,000 vaccinated animals there had met with fury. "The Dutch people do not support the government's policy to control the disease," he said. The current policy of excluding the virus from Europe had failed, he said. Vaccination should be widely used in future. Other measures to be included in a directive on FMD control early next year include strengthening import controls, improving identification and traceability systems, restrictions on animal movements and improved surveillance. Jacques Diouf, director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, warned that foot-and-mouth had to be tackled with an international strategy aimed at combating the virus at source. More support had to be given to developing countries where the disease was often endemic, he said. FAO analysis had shown that improving import controls was not enough to manage the risk of the international spread of the disease. An effective global information and early warning system for animal diseases had to be created, he said.
Dec 13

Don't starve this BSE research of vital funds
The Times

MAGNUS LINKLATER
At the end of this month the money runs out for a research programme that must rank as one of the most important in medical science today. It examines the real cause of BSE in cattle; it challenges the theory that eating contaminated meat leads to CJD; and it suggests the remarkable possibility of a link between both these diseases and multiple sclerosis (MS), which kills 800 people in Britain every year. If Professor Alan Ebringer's findings are right, he is on the verge of a breakthrough in microbiology. His work at King's College London has been funded by the Government for the past two years, and last August he published a report which went a long way towards establishing the validity of his claims. He believes that he has identified the microbe responsible for the BSE epidemic that ravaged Britain in the early 1990s, and says that it may also be the one that gives rise to MS.
If he is right, the implications are far-reaching. The public's fears about meat safety could be allayed; a reliable test for BSE would mean that the slaughter of healthy cattle could be stopped; most important of all, it would be possible to reach an early diagnosis of MS and thus, eventually, to find a cure for this most damaging and intractable disease.
All this cries out for investigation. And yet, on December 31, Ebringer's grant comes to an end. Pressed on the issue in the House of Commons last month, Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), delivered the following statement: "I have no current plans to extend that funding, there is no question of the research being in any way suppressed; it is supported." No one could work out what she meant.
The reality, however, is simple. The King's College programme will be wound up. Ebringer will turn his attention elsewhere. He has some American funding to support his MS research, but if that is successful, the results will, of course, go overseas. In the meantime, he has been told that SEAC, the government agency set up to look at BSE and CJD, will consider his report in February - but he has been offered no assurances of future support. Without funds, and, more importantly, without government sanction for the work, he cannot go on.
It is a baffling decision, and there are no points for revealing that it comes from the bureaucratic depths of Defra, a government department whose nerveless grasp of science is becoming a positive embarrassment. Once again, a piece of scientific research which challenges established views is being ignored and suppressed. Like the scientists who recommended vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease, Ebringer has been sidelined - in direct contravention of the Phillips report into BSE, which recommended that alternative scientific theories be properly explored. (more)
Dec 13

Country rebels threaten blockade
The Scotsman

David Scott Scottish Government Editor (dscott@scotsman.com)
COUNTRYSIDE campaigners are planning a mass rally of up to 10,000 people in Edinburgh this weekend as a warning to the executive not to ignore the concerns of Scotland's rural community. Details of the "March on the Mound," to be held on Sunday, were unveiled yesterday by the Scottish Countryside Alliance. Another group, Rural Rebels, said they planned to block roads between Scotland and England at lunchtime on Friday. Meanwhile, six MSPs have been advised by the police to be "on their guard" because of possible action by protesters following their refusal to back compensation for people who lose their jobs as a result of the planned ban on fox hunting. Announcing plans for the protest on Sunday, the Scottish Countryside Alliance warned politicians to "heed the rising level of rural protest". Allan Murray, a director of the SCA, said countryside demonstrations were likely to increase over the coming months because those involved in rural issues felt they were being let down by the political process. The alliance aims to highlight a number of issues, including opposition to the proposed ban on hunting with dogs, calls for a public inquiry into the handling of foot-and-mouth and concerns over new rules on land access rights. The rally, at midday on Sunday, will start at the Meadows before a march past the Scottish parliament buildings and along Princes Street, finishing at Kings' Stables Road at the west end of the city centre. Mr Murray said many people remained "angry and frustrated" by the treatment of the countryside by politicians. ..............
Dec 13

EU talks on radical virus rethink
Farmers' Weekly

By Alistair Driver
A RADICAL rethink of the way European Union countries deal with foot-and-mouth disease is being discussed at a major conference in Brussels. More than 400 politicians, officials and animal disease experts are meeting at the two day conference, starting on Wednesday (12 December). Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett is expected to stress the need to change the mass slaughter policy adopted in response to the UK outbreak She will question the relevance of the EU slaughter policy, which was adopted in 1991 to maintain disease free status so exports can continue. Delegates will discuss the merits of using vaccination and whether animals should be allowed to live after they have been vaccinated. A debate on vaccination has been called by the Dutch government which used the policy this year. National Farmers' Union president Ben Gill will attend the meeting and highlight the need for detailed contingency planning. He believes governments need to be better prepared for future outbreaks than the UK was in 2001.
He will tell delegates there also needs to be more research on the disease, particularly on diagnostic and epidemiological methods.
Measures to ensure that illegal imports of infected meat and animals are kept out of the EU must also be stepped up, he will say. The event was organised by the European Commission along with the UK, Dutch and Belgian governments.
Dec 13

Europe plans new foot-and-mouth law
Farmers' Weekly

By Philip Clarke in Brussels
NEW European Union legislation to deal with future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth is to be tabled early next year. Addressing 450 delegates at an international foot-and-mouth conference in Brussels, food safety commissioner David Byrne said new measures were essential.
"It is simply inconceivable that we could ever allow a repeat of the crisis that took place this year," he said on Wednesday (12 December). In particular, the new approach should exploit new tests that were emerging to differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals.
This would allow vaccination to become a more effective tool in combating foot-and-mouth, Mr Byrne said. While there was no demand for a return to general prophylactic vaccination of all livestock, it could still be used as a ring-fence measure.
But for this to be viable, the tests would have to be fully validated and international rules agreed for the trade in meat from treated animals. Dutch farm minister Laurens Jan Brinkhorst agreed that existing foot-and-mouth policies should change. "The slaughter of healthy animals led to public outrage in the Netherlands." Mr Brinkhorst suggested a system where animals on farms around an outbreak were all vaccinated, but not slaughtered. Using new tests, meat from these animals should be let back on to local, EU and world markets, when it was shown no animals were carrying the virus. Mr Byrne said the commission's new proposals will focus on improvements in livestock management. "This will require improved identification and traceability and more restrictions on animal movements," he warned.
More resources would also be put into stopping illegal imports of contaminated meat.
Dec 13

Prince to give boost to N Yorks farmers
This is York

by Andrew Hitchon
NORTH YORKSHIRE communities hit by the foot and mouth crisis are to receive a "welcome boost to morale" from the Prince of Wales.
The Prince is to visit the county on Monday to show his support for those most affected by the outbreak, and to see how local people are working together to keep rural facilities and young entrepreneurs in the countryside. Part of his visit will take him to the Thirsk area, where local farmer John Furness has helped to organise a meeting with farmers and business people in the village of Knayton.
Mr Furness, who is a North Yorkshire council member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, said: "The Prince's visit will give a most welcome boost to morale at a time when those farmers who have had their stock culled have been involved in the lengthy cleaning and disinfecting process." He said: "The Thirsk `Blue Box' bio-security area increased the difficulties for arable farms during harvest and autumn work, and also caused heavy financial losses to the large number of pig farmers unable to move their stock. "We are looking forward to discussing our plans for the future with the Prince of Wales."
posted Dec 13

The sheer wastefulness of a long-distance Christmas dinner
Guardian

Felicity Lawrence, consumer affairs correspondent
The ingredients of a traditional Christmas meal bought from a supermarket may have cumulatively travelled 24,000 miles, according to a report, Eating Oil, published today. Food distribution now accounts for between a third and 40% of all UK road freight. "The food system has become almost completely dependent on crude oil.
"This means food supplies are vulnerable, inefficient and unsustainable," said Andy Jones, author of the report for the food and farming charities Sustain and the Elm Farm Research Centre.
Buying the ingredients for Christmas dinner in a London supermarket, the report found that poultry could have been imported from Thailand and travelled nearly 11,000 miles, runner beans came from Zambia (nearly 5,000 miles), carrots from Spain (1,000 miles), mangetout from Zimbabwe (over 5,000 miles), potatoes from Italy (1,500 miles), and sprouts from Britain, where they were transported around the country before reaching the shop (125 miles). By the time trucking to and from warehouses to stores was added, the total distance the food had moved was over 24,000 miles, or the equivalent of travelling around the world once. ...............
posted Dec 13

Re: Unjust and hasty Bill
Telegraph

SIR - The president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons highlights the ethical dilemma posed to vets by the Government's Animal Health Bill and is right to do so; but we should all be concerned about the ethics of legislation that concentrates even more power in the hands of ministers, and denies rights of representation to the public.
What underlies this Bill is a cynical attempt to blame farmers for the disaster of foot and mouth. In fact, the disease was allowed to get out of control by the dithering and bungling of the very people who are now to be given sweeping powers to enter property and slaughter animals as they see fit.
Maybe new legislation is needed to combat foot and mouth; if so, it should be based on the findings of an independent public inquiry. The Government's stubborn refusal to grant such an inquiry further undermines the moral and scientific bases for the new laws it is seeking to rush through Parliament.
Unjust and hasty as it is, the Bill can only deepen the rift between the Government and rural Britain.
From: Peter Ainsworth MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London SW1
Dec 12

Disease bill 'may cause epidemics '
Farmers' Weekly

THE Animal Health Bill could create epidemics much worse than foot-and-mouth disease, a leading vet has warned.
Roger Green, president of the Royal Society of Veterinary Surgeons, claims the bill will only serve to antagonise farmers. Producers are the people ministers need to assist in any disease outbreak, argues Mr Green in a letter to The Daily Telegraph.
By riling them, ministers would encourage late reporting of disease that "could make the foot-and-mouth epidemic very small in comparison".
Mr Green also claims that the bill contains "many unsupported scientific judgements"and raises ethical issues. The bill, which receives its third reading the House of Commons on Thursday (13 December), has been condemned in some quarters as draconian. Under it, government officials could apply to court to enter land or property to slaughter animals without farmers or other parties being present. It also makes it a criminal offence, punishable by a six-month jail sentence, to refuse to assist inspectors in slaughtering an animal. In an editorial The Telegraph calls the bill "one of the most illiberal pieces of legislation to emerge from this government".
Dec 12

EU considers farm disease rethink
BBC

The UK will press for a debate on the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease at a major European Union conference in Brussels. The two-day conference, involving more than 400 politicians, officials and experts, is a response to growing pressure for a re-think of the way foot-and-mouth disease is handled in Europe. The UK, which is co-sponsoring the conference, had its last confirmed case of the disease on 30 September and hopes to be declared disease-free next month.
UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett will urge delegates to consider a fundamental re-think of international policies to manage the disease. Since 1991 the European Union has had a policy of slaughtering all animals which contract the disease, in order to keep its disease-free status and allow its meat to be exported around the world.
But there is a growing consensus that the sight of mass pyres of burning animals in this year's huge British outbreak should never be tolerated again.
The UK delegation will speak about the impact on tourism such as the US tourists who feared taking the disease back to their own country. The major debate at the conference will be whether vaccination should be used more widely in future outbreaks. It has been called by the Dutch Government, which vaccinated livestock when the disease spread from the UK, but had to kill vaccinated animals to avoid costly trading penalties.
There will be calls for a change in those rules, to allow more animals to survive any future outbreak.
Ms Beckett said ahead of the conference: "I think one of the questions which should at least be put on the table is whether the whole basis of the international policy is right. "The basis of policy across the world, not just in the EU, is if you have an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease it must be eradicated, it must be stamped out, because it has always been regarded as such a danger. "Is the policy of eradication right, if it is why is it, because what you then do flows from whether you are content to live with the disease or whether you are trying to get rid of it?"
Dec 12

Foot-and-mouth: Beckett calls for debate
Ananova

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett says there needs to be a debate on whether eradication is the answer to foot and mouth outbreaks. She is attending a two-day conference in Brussels co-sponsored by the UK and Dutch governments which brings together leading experts from across the world on both control of the disease and its wider impact. Ms Beckett will tell the conference about how the outbreak developed and how it was tackled in Britain. But she will also urge delegates to consider a fundamental re-think of policies adopted internationally to manage the disease, and whether eradication - the basis of all policy - should be re-considered. "I think one of the questions which should at least be put on the table is whether the whole basis of the international policy is right," she said. "The basis of policy across the world, not just in the European Union, is if you have an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease it must be eradicated, it must be stamped out, because it has always been regarded as such a danger. "Is the policy of eradication right? If it is why is it, because what you then do flows from whether you are content to live with the disease or whether you are trying to get rid of it?" She added: "What I hope to see is a very much more full and open public debate, in part touching on what happened here in the UK this year when we had this unprecedented experience, but mostly starting to think about what it teaches us for the future, not just in the United Kingdom or in the European Union but internationally." The UK delegation will include Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley, Minister for Food and Farming Lord Whitty and the Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore. The last confirmed case of the disease in the UK was on September 30 in Cumbria and officials are hopeful the whole country will be declared free of the disease by the end of this month or the beginning of January.
Dec 12

Farmhand cleared of trying to murder policeman with bulldozer
Ananova

A farmhand has been cleared of attempting to murder a policeman by crushing his van with a stolen 16-tonne bulldozer.
Stephen Morgan, 28, allegedly ran riot at a mid Wales firing range earmarked for the disposal of slaughtered carcasses at the height of the foot and mouth crisis. A Swansea Crown Court jury took just three hours to reach a unanimous verdict of not guilty of attempting to murder Pc John Stone following the three-week trial.
Morgan was also cleared of two charges of damaging property with intent to endanger life. He was also found not guilty on three separate counts of damaging property and being reckless as to whether life was endangered. But the jury will return to their deliberations tomorrow after failing to reach verdicts on two outstanding matters. One charge, of damaging property with intent to endanger life, relates to Pc Stone. The second charge, damaging property while being reckless as to whether life was endangered, relates to a tent at an army checkpoint.
Morgan, of Llandovery, was accused of creating a major panic during an anti foot-and-mouth protest at the Epynt firing range, in Sennybridge, near Brecon, in April. In a few minutes of alleged mayhem an army check point was destroyed, a police van shunted aside, a Land Rover almost written off and a van with a policeman inside crushed.
Dec 12

Animal Bill 'is unworkable'
Telegraph

By Robert Uhlig, Farming Correspondent

THE president of the Royal Society of Veterinary Surgeons warns today that the Animal Health Bill could become unworkable for vets and create epidemics much more widespread and damaging than the foot and mouth crisis. In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, Roger Green says the Bill, which receives its third and final reading in the House of Commons on Thursday, contains "many unsupported scientific judgments" and raises "an ethical issue which is critical to the regulatory role of the RCVS". He also says that by "antagonising the main people it needs to assist in any disease outbreak, namely the farmers" the Government is "embarking on a course of action" that "could make the recent [foot and mouth] epidemic very small in comparison".
The Bill has already been widely condemned as draconian for giving powers to government officials to apply to court - without farmers or any other interested parties being present - to enter land, buildings or houses in order to slaughter animals. It removes any right of appeal against any order made, and makes it a criminal offence punishable by six months in prison for anyone to refuse to assist an inspector in killing an animal. Demonstrating against any inspector's actions will also be an offence. Mr Green said yesterday that the Bill risked losing the co-operation of farmers, which could hamper attempts to eradicate a future outbreak of disease at its onset.
He writes that council members of the RCVS, the regulatory body for vets, had expressed "an increasing level of concern' that the "haste with which the legislation is being driven through parliament does not allow a full and informed debate."
The Bill was published on Oct 31, more than six weeks after the virus had last been isolated in Britain. The second reading less than two weeks later was justified by the excuse that new legislation was urgently needed to deal with the foot and mouth epidemic. "But no positive blood tests had been found in the country since Sept 30 and no virus isolation since Sept 15; so why the panic?" asks Mr Green.
Mark Richer, a vet and adviser to the RSPCA, supported Mr Green's letter yesterday. He said the Bill would "allow the slaughter of animals not capable of being affected by foot and mouth, or any other disease the minister cares to specify.
"It would allow them to be slaughtered if the minister considered they were in any way capable of spreading the disease - such as a dog wandering across a field." The legislation had no practicable checks and balances and compromised animal welfare.
Dec 11

This beastly Bill
Telegraph

(Filed: 11/12/2001)
ON the letter pages today is a correspondence from Mr Green who is the latest in a series of senior figures to voice his disquiet about the Animal Health Bill, shortly to receive its third reading. Although few people outside the countryside are aware of it, the Bill is one of the most illiberal pieces of legislation to have emanated from this Government.
Under its terms, state inspectors are empowered to enter any property for the purpose of slaughtering animals. The owners have no right to be present, nor any right of appeal. And, in a new departure for English law, officials are authorised to dragoon members of the public into assisting them. Anyone who refuses to help is guilty of a criminal offence punishable, in extremis, by six months in prison.
The proposal is yet another example of the tendency which all Governments have to over-react. Like the current spate of "anti-terrorism" measures, it is based on the premise that legislation ought to be in proportion to the amount of public outrage generated by an event, rather than the need to prevent its re-occurrence. Because foot and mouth devastated parts of the countryside, a suitably Draconian Bill is thought to be in order. It is this false equation that gave us the Dangerous Dogs Act, the War Crimes Act, the Football Supporters Act and the Firearms Act.
Like all these laws, the Animal Health Bill will fail in its primary purpose - that is, it will not help to contain future epidemics. This is because, despite Labour smears, the eradication of foot and mouth was not in fact delayed by recalcitrant farmers.
Those who appealed against the slaughter of their livestock turned out, almost without exception, to have disease-free farms. By contrast, many animals which were entirely healthy were slaughtered as a result of clerical errors. This is, in short, a nasty, autocratic and pointless piece of legislation. We hope the House of Lords will treat it as such.
Dec 11

Letter from Roger Green, president of RCVS
Telegraph

Re: Hasty legislation

Date: 11 December 2001
SIR - An increasing level of serious concern is being expressed about the Animal Health Bill among council members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
It is accepted that the 20-year-old Animal Health Act needs some degree of amendment. However, the haste with which the legislation is being driven through Parliament does not allow a full and informed debate.
No consultative process preceded the publication of this Bill; its second reading on November 12 was accompanied by the excuse that the Bill was urgently needed in the present foot and mouth disease epidemic. But no positive blood tests had been found in the country since September 30 and no virus isolation since September 15; so why the panic?
No rational person would deny that the slaughter of all FMD-affected animals immediately, and all dangerous contacts within 24 hours, is an essential part of disease control.
However the slaughter being extended to all animals on premises designated by a computer, because they are deemed "contiguous", gives considerable problems to veterinary surgeons, as they have been and could be instructed to kill animals without any good scientific or clinical reasons.
This is an ethical issue which is critical to the regulatory role of the RCVS. There is also no scientific definition of "contiguous" in the Bill.
In the section concerned with scrapie in sheep and goats, many unsupported scientific judgments are made.
The Government is therefore urged to look again and consult widely before embarking on a course of action likely to antagonise the main people they need to assist in any disease outbreak: farmers.
Late reporting of disease could make the recent epidemic very small by comparison.
From: Roger Green, President, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London SW1

Dec 11

Country protest blocks bridge
The Times

RURAL protesters brought the Forth Road Bridge to a standstill for a brief time yesterday in their latest effort to make their voices heard. A slow-moving convoy of about 80 vehicles, including tractors and horse-boxes, was organised by a loose coalition of countryside interests under the name of the Rural Rebels.
Many vehicles carried banners with slogans including "Beware, country people are angry". Among their grievances are the Bill to ban hunting with dogs and handling of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. One participant in the protest, on the road link between Edinburgh and Fife, was Derry Burns, who farms 340 acres at Lilliesleaf in the Scottish Borders. Mr Burns, 71, said "I have never known the countryside so depressed. Nobody is prepared to listen to us and that is why we are here."
Dec 11

A Scottish way of life faces extinction as 100s of farmers abandon their steadings because they can no longer afford to live
Hoover online

Source: The Sunday Mail, December 09, 2001
BILLY PATERSON SPECIAL REPORT
SCOTS farmers have had their income slashed by more than 80 per cent, driving more than 800 to the wall. Advertisement: Explore Within This Space A new study has found the average profit on a small Scottish farm has fallen from pounds 23,700 in 1996 to just pounds 3950 this year. In that time, hundreds of farmers have been forced to abandon their steadings because they can't afford to live. Yesterday, one Scots farmer explained how his business was suffering. Alan Thom, 37, of Goosehill Farm at Kirkmichael, near Ayr, said: "What is worrying is that this study was commissioned before the foot and mouth crisis - so the true scale of the dilemma will be even worse now." ..............
Dec 11

Brussels tries to close most agricultural merchantes . . .
Hoovers.com

SPEAKING at a meeting attended by over 100 agricultural merchants in Portadown, Dr Roger Dawson, Secretary General of the UK Animal Health Distributors Association, AHDA, said: "The new EU Commission policy on pharmaceuticals would result in the creation of a prescription only monopoly in the supply of animal medicines to farmers and horse owners. "Despite protests, a draft Directive incorporating this policy was formally presented to member states and the European Parliament on November 28.
"It is a sad irony that the section of the Commission responsible for this policy calls itself 'DG Enterprise' - it can only be a bureaucratic 'enterprise' that has as a central part of its policy the closure of legitimate businesses.
"This is yet another serious blow to the rural economy. In addition to the businesses destroyed, it will result in around 3,500 persons in the UK holding a specific qualification to carry out their jobs, having no jobs to perform, and for their expertise to be made worthless by Brussels. "Just as the general public can visit a pharmacy to buy many medicines over the counter, some under the supervision of a pharmacist; so farmers are able to visit an agricultural merchant, and horse owners are able to visit a saddlers, and buy some medicines for their animals, mainly preventative medicines, from persons with a specific qualification to sell and supply these non-prescription animal medicines. It is now Commission policy to end this right." He went on to say: "In Germany all such medicines can only legally be supplied by a veterinary surgeon - although this over-restriction has resulted in a significant amount of illegal trading in them. For many years Germany has been pressing Brussels to extend their veterinary monopoly across the EU."
He explained that such a change would not improve food safety, that residues of non-prescription medicines were just not found in food, and that prescription was not necessary for effective traceability, as was demonstrated by the universal recording of the use of all categories of animal medicines in Northern Ireland whose LMC had recently bought 10,000 animal medicine record books for distribution to farmers.
He committed AHDA and its allies in the Animal Health Alliance to fight the proposal, and indicated that they already had some support among MEPs for the sort of reasoned amendment devised by AHDA which would protect the current system, and pledged that everything possible would be done to persuade a majority to incorporate this amendment into the Directive during its passage through the European Parliament. He concluded by calling upon British Ministers to condemn this policy and commit themselves to work with others to prevent its adoption......(comment)
Dec 11

BSE testing to create backlog in slaughterhouses
HelsinkiNews

Same disease source suspected in Finland and Denmark
The expansion of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) testing to all cows over 30 months of age will create considerable backlogs in slaughterhouses, beginning on Monday morning. With carcasses waiting in slaughterhouses for longer than usual, no new animals can be admitted.
Farmers will be forced to keep cows that have been chosen for slaughter on farms until slaughterhouses can fit in new animals. One slaughterhouse reports that it normally cuts up meat on the day following the slaughter, but now there will be a delay of three days.
With the current preliminary BSE test, the result takes three days. However, the new Elisa-test, which will soon be introduced in Finland, produces a result in 24 hours. Then again, this test is also less accurate, and will thus lead to some false alarms. With the new requirement to test all cows over 30 months, even smaller slaughterhouses will now be required to perform tests. Previously, only healthy animals were brought to small slaughterhouses.
All the necessary measures that follow a BSE finding were completed on the sick cow's farm in the Oulu Province by Friday. The family that lives on the cattle farm have also received crisis counselling. It has been established that the farm was managed impeccably, and there was nothing that could have been done to avoid the infection. Many concerned farmers have contacted authorities over the past few days, worried how the disease can be avoided under the circumstances. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is due to investigate possible sources of contamination on Monday. Two theories have been presented: either the grease that is added to the mixture fed to calves was tainted, or the animal feed had come into contact with feed intended for other animals. Danish authorities are exploring the same alternatives in their investigations, but have not yet forbidden the use of bovine grease in feed intended for cows.
Dec 11

Even newer Muckspreader
Private Eye

Britain's farmers will be consoled to know just how well those who have been paid to look after their interests manage to look after their own. Lord Haskins, of course, is the expert chosen by the Beloved Leader to advise on the future of British farming as his 'rural recovery co-ordinator'. His chief qualifications for this role were that he was chairman of two large public companies with agricultural links. Northern Foods is the largest supplier of processed foods to our supermarket chains. Express Dairies is our biggest milk marketing company. Sadly Lord H has now had to step down as chairman of Express Dairies, shortly after it was found by a Management Today poll of Britain's businessmen to be among the top five of the country's 'Least Admired Companies'. Its rivals for this coveted title included Railtrack and the now bankrupt Independent insurance company. In tribute to the noble lord's management skills, Express Dairies was singled out for its 'inability to innovate'and its 'prospects as a long-term investment', which certainly equips him to advise on Britain's rural recovery.

The dynamic figure chosen to replace Lord H as Express Dairies' chairman is none other than Sir David Naish, former boss of the National Farmers' Union. In 1994 it may be recalled, Naish led those who supported the breakup of the old Milk Marketing Board, which at least guaranteed Britain's dairy farmers the chance to sell their milk at the kind of prices enjoyed by their French and Irish competitors. If the main losers from the disappearance of the MMB were the very farmers whom Naish was paid to look after, the main beneficiaries were the big corporate buyers of milk, headed by Northern Foods and Express Dairies. Not only were they now free to buy milk at ever-lower prices from British farmers. They were also free to import ever greater quantities of surplus milk from other EU countries which, thanks to the collapsing euro, was more than able to compete in price. Tens of thousands of British dairy farmers have gone out of business as a result. But least Sir David himself has been able to benefit from a disaster which he and the NFU did as much as anyone else to bring about.

If anyone else did as much to preside over the collapse of British agriculture in recent years it was Richard Packer, the Maffia's top civil servant until last January he was asked to 'take early retirement' in return for a payoff of £500,000. Affectionately known to his intimates as 'the barrow boy' or 'the ocean-going s***', Packer showed conspicuously little interest in farming as it lurched from one disaster to the next. But he has now made up for this by producing a learned paper on the industry's future for the Centre for Policy Studies. His chief recommendation is that British farmers would be better off without subsidies, ignoring the fact that all their main competitors are more highly subsidised than they are and that, under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, this would not be allowed anyway. He talks blithely about how the CAP is to be reformed next year, apparently oblivious to the fact that this 'review' has been officially put off until 2006. It seems he knows even less about farming now than when he was in charge of the ministry. But at least his paper might help earn him that knighthood he was so pointedly not given when he was invited to clear his desk.
Dec 11

Rural expert to chair virus inquiry
Farmers Weekly

A FORMER director general of the Countryside Commission will chair Northumberland County Council's public inquiry into foot-and-mouth.
Michael Dower is visiting professor in European Rural Development at the Countryside and Community Research Unit, Gloucestershire University. He was director general of the Countryside Commission  the forerunner of the Countryside Agency  from 1992-1996. Northumberland's five day hearing into the effects and handling of the disease will be held at County Hall, Morpeth, on January 14-18. It will trace the spread of the disease in the county, as well as looking at its impact and the roles taken by key agencies in dealing with the crisis.
Prof. Dower said: "This tragedy has had a massive impact on the farming industry and the whole rural economy of Northumberland." The inquiry will help the County Council and others judge how to speed up the recovery process and how we may avoid a future outbreak, he added. Prof. Dower is the grandson of the late Sir Charles Trevelyan of Wallington, a Northumberland landowner who left his property to the National Trust. Prof. Dower said: "I welcome the chance to help a county which I love and where I spent much of my boyhood."
Northumberland County Council leader Michael Davey said the inquiry would be one of the most important ever undertaken by the authority.
Written submissions must be sent to the Council's democratic services department no later than December 14, he said.
A public inquiry held by Devon County Council has already described the government's fight against foot-and-mouth as "lamentable". (See also)
Dec 11

Use tax breaks to cut food miles'
Farmers Weekly

By Isabel Davies
TAX incentives should be used to encourage more people to buy food from local suppliers, according to a farming and environmental group. Sustain, a group campaigning for better food and farming, says much food travels thousands of miles before it ends up on people's plates. More energy is used transporting food around the world than is got out of it in the form of food calories, says a Sustain report.
For example, every calorie of iceberg lettuce, flown in from Los Angeles, uses 127 calories of fuel to get it to the UK.
The report - Eating Oil - Food in a changing Climate - says the trade in food is increasing faster than the world's population and food production. Between 1968 and 1998, world food production increased by 84%, population by 91% and food trade by 184%. A recent survey by the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy estimated UK imports of food products and animal feed use about 1.6 billion litres of fuel. The report questions the logic of a modern food system which sees food imported and exported all around the world. "Rather than importing what they cannot produce themselves, many countries appear to be simply swapping food," it says. This, it claims, has consequences for climate change, food security and increased incidence and spread of disease. The report claims that the government appears to hold two mutually incompatible positions. It claims to be committed to a sustainable food and farming system, but it is also in favour of globalisation and free trade, so cannot promote the former. Developing a sustainable food system should become a major policy based on setting targets for things like local sourcing of food, the report says. Alternatively, it suggests the farming and food sector could voluntarily opt to steadily increase the proportion of local produce they buy and sell. A labelling system could also be introduced to give shoppers an indication of the environmental impact transporting a food product has had.
Dec 11

Rural campaign groups threaten daily disruption
Scotsman

JEREMY WATSON
RURAL rights campaigners took to the streets of Edinburgh yesterday in a convoy of about 60 tractors and trucks. Protesters made their way through the centre of the city in what they claimed was the first of a series of demonstrations at the "failure" of politicians to listen to country people. The demonstration mirrored the protests last year in which convoys of lorries brought cities and motorways to a halt over high fuel prices and taxes. Those protesters blockaded oil refineries, causing petrol stations to run dry and queues of angry motorists. The blockades only ended after the government promised concessions.
Yesterday's organisers warned protests would take place every day, except Sundays and over Christmas, until their demands were recognised. They claimed they had 1,000 tractors from across Scotland ready to take part. Police, who told the protesters yesterday to limit the number of vehicles to 50, said the convoy had caused minimal disruption. Protesters, dressed in bright orange overalls, went slowly on The Mound past the Scottish Parliament.
An organisation calling itself Rural Rebels said it represented 19 countryside protest groups from across Scotland, each with separate issues. "We have shown today that we mean business. We will disrupt the people running this country in the same way they are disrupting the lives of people in the country," a spokesman said. "No one wants to have to take to the streets, but we have been forced into this action by the politicians who have ridden roughshod over our rights."
Campaigners were angered by the defeat last week of a bid to compensate rural workers who would lose jobs under proposed legislation to outlaw fox-hunting. The bid was defeated at a highly charged meeting of a powerful Scottish Parliament committee, reinforcing concerns that rural issues were not being addressed at the parliament. The countryside group demanded a public inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak..... The protest coincided with a bill by Labour MSP Mike Watson, the new tourism and culture minister, to outlaw hunting with dogs, which was undergoing its final day of scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament's Rural Development Committee, before moving to its third and final parliamentary stage. "A lot of people in the countryside are angry at intrusions in our way of life," the spokesman said. "We feel that the urban block-vote system in our new Scottish Parliament is trying to change the way our countryside looks while eroding the way of life for its people."
Dec 10

Foot-and-mouth farms abandon their sheepdogs
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
SHEEPDOGS and pups, the latest, forgotten victims of foot-and-mouth disease, have been abandoned in their thousands by hard-up farmers and animal shelters are reporting record numbers of border collies in need of a home. One rescue centre, Animal Samaritans, based near Craven Arms, Shropshire, is still taking in up to 35 sheepdogs a week to save them from being shot by farmers. But the centre said that people should not consider such a dog as an ideal family Christmas gift, as they are unsuitable to be around young children. Many are working dogs that have lived their whole lives in sheds or barns. They may not be house-trained and are not used to having a collar or walking with a lead. Above all, they need plenty of exercise and stimulation. A border collie can walk as far as 15 miles each day and still want more. Carol James, a spokeswoman for Animal Samaritans, said that border collies that do not get the attention they need will find their own solutions. She said: "A half-hour walk, two or three times a day, can be enough as long as the dog is given tasks such as 'retrieve' and 'come back'. If they do not get this employment and stimulation they will come home and find their own employment - like tearing down the curtains. The important thing is that collie owners are fit and can give them plenty of exercise. Young children are no good, but a home with active teenagers, especially a few footballers, is ideal."
Homes are currently being sought for Chloe and Ross, puppies of an abandoned collie called Sky, who was picked up four weeks ago and has now settled into a new home. The pups are being cared for in a temporary foster home near Ludlow. The other five pups are already settling into new homes.
Mrs James said that Sky's story illustrated the plight of unwanted sheepdogs. A Welsh farmer had contacted the centre about the dog. "The farmer had been affected by foot-and-mouth and phoned us to say that the dog was surplus to requirements because she was having puppies," Mrs James said. "He had wanted the vet to put her down and take the puppies with her.
"In the end we were issued with a warning that if we did not pick up the dogs by 1.30pm that day they would be shot. When we got to the farm they had been abandoned and tied to a post. The real problem for the farmer is that Sky did not want to work. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I know of dogs being shot and put on bonfires as farmers do not want them any more."
The Border Collie Rescue organisation in Richmond, North Yorkshire, also reports an increase of working dogs that need homes. Mike Cooke, a spokesman, said: "Usually 90 per cent of the dogs we keep are pets on farms but at the moment 100 per cent are working dogs, because of foot-and-mouth." He said that a difficult aspect of his work was dealing with farmers forced to give up their dogs. "We were getting calls from distressed farmers who had lost their livelihood and the final straw was parting with their sheepdog. "What could they do with their dogs when the sheep had been culled? It takes months for the compensation to come through and to restock. They are working dogs, not pets, so they cannot live in a house." Jenny Booth, a volunteer with Border Collie Rescue, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, said that the best-trained dogs were worth up to £1,000 and many farmers were still holding on to them. "Farmers are keeping them until they restock or intend to sell the best to someone else. But otherwise farmers are having a clearout of dogs that won't work or are too old."
Dec 10

Factory farms face threat of legal action
Pioneer Press (USA)

BY DENNIS LIEN Pioneer Press
NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Calling large factory farms an "outlaw industry,'' environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned Friday that some large Minnesota operations could face lawsuits from his organization, Waterkeeper Alliance.
Kennedy, president and founder of the umbrella organization, was at St. Olaf College to speak to anti-corporate farm activists and to publicize the alliance, which he said has assembled a substantial legal team over the past year to go after large hog-factory polluters nationwide.
It already has filed several lawsuits in North Carolina against Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog raiser and producer, alleging state, federal and racketeering violations. "There is a day of reckoning coming,'' said Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy.
All large factory farms, Kennedy said, break clean air and water laws to gain a competitive advantage, but state and federal regulators routinely fail to enforce those laws because of a lack of resources or will. "They can't produce a pork chop more efficiently than family farmers unless they break the law,'' Kennedy said.
He defined factory farms as enterprises that produce more manure than they can spread safely as fertilizer. In the past decade, those operations have proliferated across the nation and Midwest, with environmentally damaging manure spills becoming increasingly common. "Waterways that are owned by the public have been robbed from the public,'' Kennedy said. ....
Dec 9

Hounded out of business
The Scotsman

Stephen McGinty

A hard time for country folk has just become harder. For those whose experience of the rural life remains coloured by Penelope Keith in To The Manor Born, or a few snatched minutes of The Archers on Radio 4, life in the countryside is rarely as idyllic as we imagine. The first year of the new millennium has not been kind to those who work the land, as they tackled the effects of the devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak. For those whose work is involved with fox-hunting, the outlook has grown even bleaker.
Next year the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill is expected to be passed, which will prevent the hunting of foxes by dogs, accompanied by men on horseback. In a strange irony, few foxes will be protected, as extermination by gun will continue, while as many as 800 hounds could be put down, their role no longer permissible. But the effect of the bill will fan out across the countryside with the government estimating between 160-172 job losses and the Scottish Countryside Alliance putting the figure much higher.
This week, however, the Scottish parliament insisted no-one would receive any compensation for the loss of jobs, business or livelihood in the event of the bill becoming law. On Tuesday the rural development committee voted by six votes to five not to pay compensation.....
Dec 9

Scientists develop new test for foot-and-mouth
Ananova

... The Institute of Animal Health has devised a method of screening DNA taken from animal blood. It can provide results within seven hours. The samples are being collected from farms and will be used with a number of other tests to help stamp out foot-and-mouth.
A Defra spokeswoman said: "We welcome this technology and we are constantly looking to develop new technology to help with the diagnosis of disease. "We've been working very closely with the Institute of Animal Health on these tests. "This particular test is being used currently as part of a battery of tests to diagnose foot-and-mouth and it assists in stepping up our diagnosis."
The number of cases of the disease in the UK and Northern Ireland peaked at 2,030 and there have been no new confirmed outbreaks since September 30. The majority of the country has been classified as foot-and-mouth free with only a small number of counties still at risk from the disease.
The new procedure is called a Polymerase Chain Reaction test and has been developed by the Institute based in Compton, Wiltshire.
Dec 8

Re: Cruel proposal
Telegraph (letter)

SIR - My flock of 200 sheep know me and each other. Any shepherd knows sheep are sentient creatures, though no one who saw the cruelties during the foot and mouth slaughter, when ewes were transported heavy in lamb and gave birth as they were killed, would think the authorities realised that.
Now Margaret Beckett is proposing an even greater slaughter, with no effective appeal, on the advice of scientists whose models are based on the untrue assumption that foot and mouth spreads by chance. My sheep never enter the food chain.
Yet the Government is taking powers in the new Animal Health Bill, which has its report stage next week, to kill or castrate them if they are not genetically resistant to scrapie, a disease which never harmed a human being.
It is scientifically proven that if I pin up pictures of the various agriculture and environment ministers at the head of paths leading to empty or full feeding troughs, my sheep will learn which politicians to avoid. Is there hope that the Government could be as clever as my sheep, and learn to distinguish those scientists who are expert, not in modelling, but in animal disease?
From: Ann Young, Great Salkeld, Cumbria
Dec 8

Quicker farm disease tests promised
BBC

Rapid tests may help prevent mass culling A new test that could cut the diagnosis time for foot-and-mouth disease from days to hours has been developed by British scientists. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it could make a significant difference in the handling of any future outbreak. At the height of the outbreak earlier this year, some experts said the delays in providing accurate diagnoses contributed in part to the spread of the disease.
Professor Chris Bostock, the director of the Institute for Animal Research, said the new test relied on testing foot-and-mouth's unique genetic material and copying it many millions of times. He said the test combined the sensitivity and reliability of the current tests.
If in future mobile laboratories are used the time taken to get results could be dramatically reduced, he said. Currently two tests exist. One is quick but relies on knowing which strain of the disease is being dealt with. The other works on all strains of the virus but can take up to four days to produce positive results. A spokesman for Defra said the new test had the potential to deliver fast and reliable diagnosis but further work needed to be done to validate it.
Dec 8

Thousands back call for virus inquiry
Farmers Weekly

By Mike Stones
MORE than 112,000 people have pledged support to our joint campaign for a full public inquiry into the causes and handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. In response to requests from our readers, FARMERS WEEKLY launched its campaign in mid-July. Later that month, we joined forces with Horse & Hound magazine to lobby our combined readership. In August, both magazines teamed up with leading regional newspapers Western Morning News in Plymouth, The Western Mail in Cardiff and The Journal in Newcastle.
Together we attracted massive support for a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth from rural and urban readers alike. FARMERS WEEKLY alone attracted nearly 25,000 signatures.
"Never before in our 67-year history has the magazine commanded such keen support from so many readers," said FARMERS WEEKLY editor Stephen Howe. Campaign support grew after the government announced in August its three independent inquiries and a policy commission.
The editors of FARMERS WEEKLY, Horse & Hound and the three regional newspapers will deliver your signatures to Downing Street as soon as a date can be agreed with Number Ten.
"We are looking forward to letting the Prime Minister know precisely how the country feels about his decision to hold foot-and-mouth inquiries behind closed doors. "Only the international crisis has prevented us from delivering them early this autumn," said Mr Howe.
Dec 7

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comment from David

Yet another example of how farmers are overburdened by costs.

It is useless talking to MP's about such matters because the UK has lost control of its own destiny in so many respects. Farmers have long been asking for relaxation on where to buy medicines because of the huge cost. In other countries, such as Ireland, you can buy antibiotics over the counter, so many farmers have been buying them illegally from Ireland. A lady in Holland says she can mail me veterinary supplies but as yet I have not taken up her offer. Vets in the UK say they don't charge the full amount for their time, so they make it up on drugs and supplies.

I recently wanted a box of 10 blocks for sticking on to the good claw of cows where one claw has become infected. The vet's price was £20 higher than my agricultural merchant (£80 instead of £60), which is a hell of a mark up. I think vets work on a mark up of 30% which is not a cost Uk farmers can take when they have to sell at world prices where drugs can be bought over the counter.

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Inquiry - Chances of winning are high'
Farmers Weekly

CHANCES of winning legal action to force a public inquriy into the foot-and-mouth crisis are more than 60%, says legal expert.
"We believe we can show the government was wrong not to respond to requests to hold a public inquiry into its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis," said Tim Russ, head of the agricultural law team at west-country firm Clarke Willmott Clarke. A chance to persuade a judge to order the government to hold a public inquiry will come next February during a judicial review of the government's decision at London's High Court.
Two other legal teams, Gabb and Co of Wales and Bristol-based Burges Salmon, are gathering evidence with Clarke Willmott Clarke on behalf of claimants who suffered hardship due to the crisis. After hearing evidence supporting pleas for a public inquiry and the opposing view from a Defra law team, the judge will decide whether to order ministers to open a public inquiry.
A Defra spokeswoman said the department would defend the government's decision to hold two independent inquiries and a policy commission in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth. FARMERS WEEKLY has pledged to support part of the costs of the legal action in association with Western Morning News and The Western Mail.
To support the campaign, with pledges of money or evidence, contact Tim Russ at Clarke Willmott Clarke, Blackbrook Gate, Park Avenue, Taunton, TA1 2PG (phone 01823 445218; fax 01823-445816)
Dec 7

Retiring farmer gives last pig to animal rights group
ananova

... Hans Versteden says he wants the pig to live his life enjoying himself in the mud. Animal rights group Gaia plans to give the pig to a children's farm where he can live out his days. Mr Versteden, 48, has been farming at Tielt, breeding more than 1,000 pigs a year, since 1972. But he says the cost of keeping them in a "friendly environment" was so high that he had to quit.
He was left with just one pig which he decided should be allowed to live out his days in peace. "It's a reaction against those awful pictures during the foot and mouth period of herds being killed and treated as dangerous waste," he told Het Niieuwsblad.
Gaia chairman Michel Van den Bossche accepted the pig and promised it to donate him to a children's farm where he will live until he dies of old age.
Dec 7

DRIVEN OUT BY FOOT & MOUTH
Cumbria online

A WHITEHAVEN couple say they are being forced to quit their pub because foot and mouth has killed their business. Jeanette and Rod Kimber claim they are the forgotten victims of the epidemic, which has virtually wiped out all their trade at The Lowther Arms in Sandwith. The couple have ploughed hundreds of pounds into marketing the pub as the first on Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast walk, which starts at nearby St Bees.
Now they say they have nothing left and have received no support to keep them going. Mrs Kimber, 39, told the News & Star they were left with no choice but to hand their notice into the Robinsons brewery.
She fears that unless it can find new licensees in the next six months, the pub, which is one of only two in the village, could close forever. "When we moved here in April 2000, things looked very promising and judging by the bookings we had at the beginning of the year, we should have been full throughout the season. That would have carried us through the winter. "But when foot and mouth struck, all the bookings were cancelled and now there are no prospects."
Mrs Kimber said they were outraged when their bid for a Business Link grant was turned down because there was no money, yet £28,000 from the Spirit of Recovery foot and mouth fund was spent on the recent coastal beacon display. "There is no compensation for us for loss of trade. We feel very hard done by.
Dec 7

Questions and answers on Classical Swine Fever DN: MEMO/01/422 Date: 05/12/2001
European Commission Press Room

Brussels, 5 December 2001
EXTRACT

Is there any revision of existing CSF policy foreseen?

The Council of Agriculture Ministers has on 23 October 2001 adopted a new Directive on the control of Classical Swine Fever, following a proposal put forward by the European Commission in September 2000 (COM(462)final). The new Directive consolidates existing rules and adapts them to new scientific insights and progress, and to experience gained in recent years with CSF outbreaks in areas of high density pig farming.
The new rules continue the non-vaccination policy based on the culling of all pigs in farms infected with CSF, but foresee a possible wider use in future of vaccination in emergencies through the use of marker vaccines. Marker vaccines will, once appropriate test methods have been developed and approved, allow distinguishing vaccinated pigs from pigs that are actually infected. Their use will need to be authorised by the Commission on a case-by-case basis and be subject to strict evaluation and control. Specific decisions on trade restrictions to apply to farms that have used the marker vaccines will also need to be taken on a case by case basis

Case for inquiry into disease taken to Brussels
icWales

Sheila Coleman
A FULL public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic may be launched by the European Parliament this week.
The move by Conservative Wales Euro-MP Jonathan Evans was in danger of collapse last week , despite having obtained the necessary 200 signatures to demand a 12-month special committee of inquiry by the Parliament. "The European presidency in Brussels told me that they were unsure whether the legal grounds existed for such an inquiry to be held," Mr Evans told Saturday's Conservative Political Forum for Wales conference in Cardiff. Mr Evans is a solicitor by profession. "Within three-and-a-half hours, I had delivered them a list of fourteen legal reasons," he said. During preparation of his petition and case, Mr Evans discovered that the UK contingency plan covered 24 pages. He described the document as "astonishing."
Mr Evans said, "It contained all sort of details about whether workers should switch to wearing wellingtons and about the size of posters that should be put up. But it said nothing at all about the crucial issues of whether stock should be buried or burned." Mr Evans said that the European inquiry will be able to summons British and Welsh ministers and officials to give evidence.
He pointed out that the UK Government has refused to hold a public inquiry, while the inquiry that will be held by the National Assembly's agriculture committee will be strictly restricted in the subjects it can deal with.
Meanwhile the Welsh Liberal Democrats will use today's Royal Welsh Winter Fair to "fully assess" the impact of foot and mouth. The party will use the Winter Fair in Builth Wells to step up their calls for a full England and Wales public inquiry.
Mick Bates, the party's rural affairs spokesperson, is appealing to those in rural communities affected by foot-and-mouth, to help his party complete a survey of the damage inflicted on local businesses by the outbreak in Wales, which will be used to push for better government support.
"Currently there are no figures available of the impact of foot-and-mouth disease on businesses in Wales," said Mr Bates. "It's important that someone takes action and collects the necessary facts and figures, now that the threat of foot-and-mouth has subsided. Welsh Liberal Democrats can do this and use our influence in Welsh government to feed into the decision-making process."
posted Dec 6

Taxpayers 'need convincing over farming's funding'
Ananova

..... Ewen Cameron says too much public money is being spent subsidising over-production by farmers. He says little is being spent on the contribution farmers make to saving the culture and environment of the countryside.
Mr Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency was speaking at the Royal Agricultural Society's Agrivision conference in Warwickshire. He is now calling for a shake-up of England's rural policy to safeguard the future.
He said: "We need a complete move from subsidising over-production to investment in the environment and rural development. Farmers need to become the rural entrepreneurs of the future. "But if the taxpaying public is to be convinced that the countryside is still worth funding, it must see what it is getting for its money." He said taxpayers paid a heavy price for unwanted products, while farmers got insufficient support for delivering social or environmental benefits.
Every year, more than £3 billion went into production subsidies that most people, from farmers to consumers, now agreed were damaging and ineffective. The countryside was worth this investment, but its grants needed to be redirected to buy public benefits that people would truly value and on which farmers would get a fair return
Dec 6

Newspapers and politicians are calling for a Public Inquiry into government's (mis)handling of FMD.
Dairy Farmer

...the 'practice run' Government have had "controlling" our FMD virus, will have given the UK population confidence in their ability to handle anything a terrorist might throw at us - won't it? After what could be described not as "control" but carnage by computer, the officially quoted figure on November 4th is 2030 FMD infected farms. But 9,585 have been slaughtered out and in answer to a parliamentary question, Elliot Morley said that 13,058 farmers had received compensation.
On October 30th, while Mr. Blair was busy trying to save the world, an extension to the Animal Health Act was sneaked in to cover that carnage - and much more besides.
In it, powers of entry are extended and slaughter undertaken "for disease control", rather than infection or contact. This is an awesome power, which government seeks to rush through while the UK is (officially) flagging up no new cases, although (unofficially), lorry drivers say they are still clearing carcasses from farms.
Is this proposal compatible with the European FMD legislation or the Human Rights Act? The mass slaughter provision will apply to other diseases and their vaccinates "as the Minister decides" and compensation reduced to 75% of market value, with payment of the other 25% depending on the level of farm biosecurity and "co-operation". That's also at the Minister's discretion and is non negotiable. The proposal also includes provision to enter and slaughter in the owner's absence - provided they leave his premises 'bio-secure and in the condition they found them'. That's OK then.
posted Dec 5

Tourists offered cashback deals
Telegraph

HOLIDAYMAKERS are being offered cashback deals to help the Scottish tourism industry. They will receive £50 for every £250 they spend and £100 for every £500 by VisitScotland, formerly the Scottish Tourist Board. The payments will go to the first 5,000 visitors to Scotland between now and the end of next month. Tourists spend £2.5 billion a year in Scotland, but the industry has been badly affected by the foot-and-mouth epidemic and September 11 and lost £500 million this year. Visitors wanting to claim will be asked for receipts from hotels, restaurants and shops. The offer is restricted to Edinburgh and Glasgow but might be extended to rural areas if successful.
Dec 5

Ministers 'sabotaged' war on sleaze
The Times

BY TOM BALDWIN, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR
THE woman appointed to root out political sleaze took her leave of Parliament last night, bitterly accusing Cabinet ministers, civil servants and the Commons establishment of undermining her. Elizabeth Filkin, the Commissioner for Standards, brought down the curtain on three turbulent years by announcing that she would not reapply for the post which becomes vacant in February. The last chapter of her tussle with Britain's political elite, who had come to revile her, was released in the form of an explosive letter to Michael Martin, the Commons Speaker.
In a damning indictment of the way Parliament had treated her she said that she was no longer interested in a job whose "independence is unprotected and resources are not supplied to ensure justice".
Mrs Filkin complained that she suffered "quite remarkable" pressure during her three years from MPs - "some holding high office" - as well as "unchecked whispering campaigns and hostile press briefings . . . executed by named civil servants".
Dec 5 SEE ALSO

House of ill-repute
The Times

Filkin is the victim of a shameful cross-party campaign
The House of Commons is never more in danger of error than when it speaks with one voice. When it is unanimous, and that unanimity can find expression only sotto voce, the danger is almost certain. An erroneous consensus arose across the House of Commons that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin, was a vexatious busybody who was exceeding her brief. That consensus, as entrenched across the partisan divide as it is wrong, has resulted in the House deciding not only to dispense with Ms Filkin's services but to cripple any successor's capacity to perform her job. No justification, save whispered asides and unsubstantiated attacks, has been offered. The initial decision to appoint a Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Gordon Downey, as an independent watchdog to provide better scrutiny of parliamentarians was an imperfect response to an unhappy situation. Self-regulation had been a cherishable tradition of the Commons. MPs were answerable for their actions to the people at elections, not to the external authority of the Court or any other jealous body. Valuable as that principle has been, the actions of parliamentarians in the decaying period of Tory rule made it progressively less supportable. The inadequacy of the House's policing mechanisms, and the flagrancy with which MPs abused the absence of proper scrutiny for personal gain, necessitated reform if Parliament was to retain public confidence.
That reform, however, was still relatively minor. The Parliamentary Commissioner is a Commons officer not an overseer. She is an adviser and investigator, who leaves final decisions on questions of culpability and punishment to the Commons and its members on the Standards and Privileges Committee. The effective operation of even this limited reform has, however, been frustrated by the partisan actions of the Committee's Labour majority, the abuse of power by ministers under investigation and the instincts of the House as a whole. .....
Dec 5

1.5m animals killed over foot-and-mouth movement curbs
Ananova

More than 1,500,000 animals have been slaughtered as a result of foot-and-mouth movement restrictions. Defra figures show 1,625,652 animals have been killed under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme set up in March.
The numbers, given by junior rural minister Elliot Morley, show 945,554 came from England, 108,748 from Scotland and 571,350 from Wales. The full breakdown is: East England 49,871, East Midlands 54,002, North East 61,542, North West 107,176, South East 58,854, South West 252,921, West Midlands 229,672, Yorkshire and the Humber 131,434, Greater London 82.
Dec 5

HOUSE OF COMMONS MEETING OPPOSES "ANIMAL HEALTH BILL"
Sovereignty

On Thursday 29 November 2001 at 1.30pm, over 100 people attended a meeting in committee room 8 of the House of Commons, to condemn the Government's plans for the Animal Health Bill. The meeting was organised and chaired by Mary Critchley of www.warmwell.com It took place as alarm about the Bill mounts in the countryside. Fears revolve around the erosion of civil liberties by the forced entry onto private premises by DEFRA officials seeking to slaughter stock, including rare breeds and pets; the lack of a real scientific basis for the legislation; the position in which it places veterinarians; and the potential loss of income to farmers. The plans have been condemned as both illiberal and unscientific. Sovereignty.org.uk was there, and our reporter, Astrid Goddard, transcribed the speeches. Please click on the names below to be taken to their comments. Each page opens in a new window. ........
Dec 4

Renewed opposition to animal Bill
Farmers' Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
THE government's proposed Animal Health Bill has attracted heated opposition on the letters page of The Daily Telegraph. Alan Richardson of Penrith, Cumbria, condemns plans to introduce powers of slaughter in the event of another foot-and-mouth outbreak. It would "give mandarins carte blanche to kill any animal, anywhere, anytime and for any reason, without consulting a veterinary surgeon. "It is as if the government recognises its past wrongdoing and seeks to legalise it retrospectively." Mr Richardson says the handling of the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak was "a debasement of the veterinary art by the paymaster."
He adds that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) received its charter to look after the public interest. He says that the proposed Bill will not serve the public interest and adds that "another mess is predictable." Instead, he argues for vets to be given more control, if a future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease were to occur.
"Slaughter of infected flocks [should occur], with contiguous culling only where veterinary surgeons on the spot recommend it," says the writer. He says that this alternative is the only policy that will command the respect and co-operation of farmers.
Foot-and-mouth is best handled by vets who direct volunteer colleagues from practice, while working to principles of veterinary medicine, he writes.
Dec 4

Let vets decide
Telegraph

Date: 4 December 2001
SIR - It is tragic that the foot and mouth disease (FMD) debate is stuck on whether henceforth we should vaccinate or maintain a slaughter policy that has proved a shambles. These two options do not admit of the third: the tried and tested one - slaughter of infected flocks, with contiguous culling only where veterinary surgeons on the spot recommend it. This is the only policy that will command the respect, and hence the co-operation, of farmers.
The recent outbreak was the worst ever simply because it was allowed to become so. We were unprepared, and the response of the bureaucrats was inadequate. The hard fact is that FMD is best handled by trained vets who direct their volunteer colleagues from practice, while working to sound principles of veterinary medicine.
Both main political parties seem to jib at this simple proposition. In the 1990s, the responsible cadre of veterinary officers was reduced to impotence with a few retained as a fig leaf. To cope with the resulting failure, Defra resorted to actions that may have been illegal; expert opinions on this differ.
Where the diagnosis was uncertain, officials stopped vets resolving the issue by laboratory tests and close observation, as was done in the past. Instead they insisted on the vet making a guess - to declare the animals disease-free or to slaughter on suspicion. Because of the risk of getting it wrong, the vet, often foreign, young, inexperienced and without any local leadership or second opinion, opted to slaughter. This was a debasement of the veterinary art by the paymaster; something on which the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) normally takes a stern line.
And the Government's response to the debacle is to introduce a Bill to give mandarins carte blanche to kill any animal, anywhere, anytime and for any reason, without consulting a veterinary surgeon. Clerks and technicians will do it all, with policemen and soldiers to help when things turn nasty. It is as if the Government recognises its past wrongdoing and seeks to legalise it retrospectively. The RCVS received its charter to look after the public interest, its duty being to police the standards of veterinary surgeons.
This Bill will effectively remove from its jurisdiction the people who in future will handle notifiable animal disease. This will not serve the public interest: another mess is predictable.
Alan Richardson, Penrith, Cumbria
Dec 4

Environment 'should not be put before farming'
Financial Times

By JOHN MASON
The government should not become too "green" by putting the environment ahead of farming, a former top civil servant warns today. Sir Richard Packer, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1993 and 2000 and a leading figure in Britain's farming negotiations in the European Union, says environmental schemes should be limited to those of clear economic value. These include programmes in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Lake District.
In a pamphlet published by the Centre for Policy Studies, which argues strongly for free trade principles to be applied to farming, Sir Richard backs the government's efforts to lead reform of the common agricultural policy and reduce production subsidies. He says: "Government intervention to affect profit levels is not desirable or helpful. In other sectors, competition and the market determine the level of profits. Why should farming be different?" But he adds: "What cannot be recommended, at any rate for the foreseeable future, is a policy which seeks to replace agricultural policy with one that is essentially environmental." This would delay CAP reform and waste money, he says. "Over the majority of UK farmland, even spending quite large sums would not in general achieve significant environmental gains." ......... An official said the department could not comment on Sir Richard's warning about environmental policy until the pamphlet had been studied. The official added it was fundamental to the work of the department to enhance environmental policy nationally and across all Defra's activities. Sir Richard criticises the government for introducing one-off support payments for farmers, saying they contradicted the liberalisation policy. "As low farm incomes would be an inevitable result of the policies the government advocates in Brussels, at least in the short run, the government claims to support farmers seem at best incoherent."
Dec 3

Farm inquiry 'will repeat past mistakes'
Telegraph

By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
.... ..... Sir Richard's pamphlet, A Policy for Agriculture: ending state intervention, published by the Centre for Policy Studies, argues that if the cost of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is reduced, consumer prices will fall, public expenditure on agriculture will increase and farm incomes will rise.
He says the only hope is the recent agreement on a round of subsidy-cutting negotiations at world trade talks that began in Doha, Qatar, last month.
Sir Richard is remembered for his free-market views while, ironically, presiding over the Ministry of Agriculture during the time farmers enjoyed the highest level of subsidies they have ever received, in the early and middle 1990s. He also opposed shifting spending towards rectifying the environmental damage that subsidised farming had caused since 1945, which was part of the current thinking in government and among farming and environmental groups.
Sir Richard was rebuked yesterday by Margaret Beckett, Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who said CAP reform was "very much one of the top points on my agenda". She said: "The recent progress in Doha shows very much how serious my department is in its resolve to phase out market-distorting subsidies."
Meanwhile, in a submission to the inquiry, landowners have sought to entrench the present system of subsidies by suggesting that farmers should have environmental conditions applied to subsidies, binding them to keep hedges and manage them for wildlife or forfeit their cash.
Both the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) have previously resisted such conditions on subsidies, a measure allowed for in last year's Common Agricultural Policy Reforms.
But landowners have now broken ranks and said that applying environmental conditions to support payments and further help for rural development - for example the setting up of co-operatives - is the way ahead for farming.
Sir Edward Greenwell, 53, a Suffolk landowner and the new president of the CLA, said ministers were wrong to say that farming should play a smaller part in the rural economy. Though it has had to deal with severe problems in the past few years with BSE, foot and mouth, swine fever, low prices and imbalances between the pound and the euro, the industry remains one of the most competitive in the world.
The CLA's backing for environmental conditions on subsidies will be welcomed by environmental groups, but it may not be greeted with universal enthusiasm in Government.
Dec 3

Alarm at mixed pesticides in food
Farmers' Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
FOOD containing residues of more than one pesticide can be 10 times more toxic than individual chemicals, found researchers at Liverpool University. The findings have prompted calls for the government's Pesticide Safety Directorate to review pesticide residue safety levels in food. Dr Vyvyan Howard said the research suggested unborn children were vulnerable to brain damage from pesticides absorbed by their mothers. The research will help renew calls for a revision of the official safety standards for food, according to the BBC programme Countryfile. The European Commission is about to introduce a new law for baby food, which will set "blanket limits" on all pesticides, for the first time. David Coggan, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, told the BBC on Sunday (2 December) that more research was needed. "The margins between the doses that people receive from eating foods and the levels of exposure that would cause health effects are so large. "We would not expect, even where people are exposed to combinations of pesticides or other chemicals in their foods, that it would cause problems." Government monitoring shows that more then 40% of food contains pesticide residues, according to the BBC.
Dec 4

BSE-proof sheep breeds 'essential'
Farmers' Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
IT is vital to breed sheep resistant to BSE-type conditions to counter concerns that some flocks may have the disease, warns The Daily Telegraph. Beneath a dramatic picture of burning beef carcasses, science editor, Roger Highfield warns that BSE could be present in scores of animals. This follows research by scientists at Oxford University and the Institute of Animal Health.
Dr Rowland Kao from the project suggests that up to 1500 sheep could have been infected during the epidemic's peak in 1990. Mr Highfield writes that if the disease were spread through maternal transmission, today the figure would be fewer than 20. But Dr Kao believes that, unlike in cattle, BSE may spread from sheep to sheep, which he says happens with scrapie, a similar disease. If BSE were to take hold, it could infect a greater number of animals, he claims. "There would be few cases of BSE now, but many more later," warned Dr Kao. "We would be in the early stages of a slow moving epidemic." Sheep were fed the same meat and bonemeal believed to have caused BSE in cattle and there are fears the disease has been masked by scrapie. Mr Highfield says the study shows the importance of a project to breed sheep with genetic resistance to scrapie. Moves to accelerate the programme are being considered, as the original project would take 10 years to have an effect. Laboratory experiments have shown that BSE could theoretically exist in sheep, but the disease has never been found in the national flock. (Comment)
posted Dec 3

Re: Threat to freedoms
Telegraph (Letter)

SIR - The liberties established in Britain over the centuries - from Magna Carta to the Human Rights Act - are the backbone of the freedoms that we enjoy today. This Government's new Animal Health Bill threatens the very essence of those freedoms.
The Bill, which has passed its second reading in the Commons, grants draconian powers to government officials and creates categories of criminal offences that are normally found in countries where democracy is not the system of government.
The Bill grants the right for government inspectors to apply to the court - without any interested parties being present and without the right of appeal against any order made - to enter land, buildings or houses and to slaughter animals.
We are all aware of the many errors made by ministry officials in the recent foot and mouth outbreak, including entering the wrong land and the mistaken and unnecessary killing of animals. The combination of the proposed powers and the human propensity for mistakes does not bode well. Furthermore, for the first time in this country, a criminal offence will be created for anyone refusing to assist an inspector in killing an animal. This will be punishable by up to six months in prison. This could include any member of the public who happened to be passing the scene of the proposed destruction of an animal.
There is no defence available justifying refusal to assist, and the inspector has the power, backed up by the police, to order the public to help. Anyone who seeks to exercise their right of freedom of speech, or in any way demonstrates against any of the actions of the inspector, is also guilty of an offence.
In my opinion, the Bill infringes the following rights granted by the Human Rights Act 1998: the right to a fair hearing (Article 6), freedom of expression (Article 10) and freedom of assembly (Article 11).
I appeal to the members of the House of Lords to reject the Bill when it comes before them. If, however, the Government forces it through, I have instructions from the UK Rural Business Campaign to challenge the Act through the courts, which seem to be the last line of defence in upholding our rights against an ever-increasing erosion of freedom by this Government.
From: Stephen Alexander, London W1

'High risk' foot-and-mouth restrictions to be eased
Ananova

Movement restrictions are set to ease from tonight in the last three foot-and-mouth hit areas of the country still classified as high risk. Cumbria, North Yorkshire, and County Durham will be downgraded to at risk from midnight, to join Northumberland. The change, confirmed by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will take place barring any last-minute complications.
Rob Simpson, National Farmers' Union north-east spokesman, said: "This is one step closer to foot-and-mouth free status which we hope to get in a matter of weeks." A Defra spokeswoman said: "As of midnight tonight the remaining high risk areas will move to at risk. In the space of a week we no longer have any infected areas or high risk areas in the country.
"The move to at risk means more freedom to move livestock and day-to-day activity, but all animal movements are subject to movement licences and in some cases blood-testing." Defra hopes County Durham and North Yorkshire can be downgraded to "foot-and-mouth free" by the middle to end of December with the Northumberland and Cumbria at the end of the year or in the new year.
Dec 3

UPDATE on KIRSTIN McBRIDE and the "MISTY" CASE
Sovereignty

Kirstin McBride tells Alistair McConnachie: "The authorities had no legal right to kill Misty in the first place because a Form A was never served, they received no written or verbal permission from us, whatsoever, and they broke and entered our locked shed. Therefore, it's not me who should be on trial." Alistair McConnachie writes: The Foot and Mouth scandal has been marked by widespread hurt, horror, and heartache. Of the hundreds of stories of personal loss and tragedy, only a few, however, have been able to break into national view. One of the more widely publicised cases was the killing of Kirstin McBride's pet goat "Misty" on the 5th of April. In many ways, this incident seemed to sum up much of the senselessness and sheer cruelty inherent in the slaughter policy. People were shocked to hear that MAFF, and the police, had deliberately used deception to kill a family's healthy pet goat by breaking into a locked shed, without any written or verbal permission whatsoever, while police kept Elizabeth Walls, Kirstin's mother, speaking in the kitchen. ....
Dec 3

Ministry is given a £20,000 makeover
Independent

By Marie Woolf
Professional image consultants have been hired to give a makeover to the embattled successor to the Ministry of Agriculture in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, is to pay £20,000 to a rebranding company to invent a fresh look and logo for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
A London-based design consultancy, Bamber Forsyth, has won the contract, understood to include instructions for a new logo and corporate look. Mrs Beckett's department has already spent thousands of pounds creating new signs and notepaper after its name was changed from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food after the last election. The designers are expected to advise the department about how it can overcome its predecessor's reputation for overspending and incompetence. But countryside organisations accused the government of an error of judgement. "An image consultant can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse," said Janet George of the Countryside Action Network. "The reason DEFRA has such a lousy image is it has messed up everything it has touched."
Adrian Yalland of the Countryside Alliance said: "The best way to resolve [its image problem] is not by hiring an image consultant but by getting out and talking to rural people." The cost of rebranding of DEFRA and other government departments after the election is set to exceed £450,000.
Dec 3

Government seeks cut in jury trials by two-thirds
Sunday Times

TWO-thirds of all jury trials - more than 30,000 a year - will disappear under government plans to restrict the centuries-old right to trial by one's peers, writes David Leppard. The proposal to limit jury trial to only the most serious cases was suggested in a report by Sir Robin Auld, the Appeal Court judge, published two months ago. In a move backed by David Blunkett, the home secretary, Auld proposed to streamline the court system by abolishing the automatic right to trial by jury in cases where the maximum penalty is less than two years in prison. Leaked Home Office documents, left in a London pub by a civil servant, reveal that a draft bill is likely to contain the reforms Auld suggested. A civil servant has scribbled in the margin: "Two-thirds of jury trials disappear." Bruce Houlder QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said that if government sentencing reforms were taken into account, three-quarters of the 50,000 jury trials which take place each year could disappear. "We are fundamentally opposed to the government's plans to remove the role of ordinary people in the criminal justice system," he said. Roy Amlot, chairman of the Bar Council, which represents 9,000 independent barristers, said he backed the use of "mini-juries" of six or nine jurors as a compromise plan designed to save the jury system while cutting costs and streamlining the courts. Both organisations are planning to lobby fiercely against the proposal. ....
Dec 2

Devastation in the wake of foot and mouth Farmers count epidemic's cost as last 'infected status' areas are downgraded.
Guardian

Angelique Chrisafis
..... Yesterday south Cumbria woke up free of the foot and mouth "infected" tag. There are now no more foot and mouth infected areas in England, only a selection of "high risk" counties. After nine months of a disease that has led to the destruction of 5.7m animals at a cost of £2.7bn, the government would like to suggest the nightmare is nearly over. But the stinking manure piled in heaps all over Mr Dunning's farm, as he is prohibited from spreading it, is a metaphor the whole community likes to use for their collective situation: "We are still in the shit." Mr Dunning is an example of a section of financially crippled farmers: those who survived the foot and mouth outbreak, with animals alive. His success at keeping the disease off his farm means that he saved the government around £1m. But he has received no financial support for any measures he has taken. He has not sold a cow since February last year, and has lost almost all his income from livestock, while paying an extra £1,100 a month to feed cattle inside. While farms that went down with the disease got paid by Defra at a rate of £15 an hour to clean up their farms, Mr Dunning has lost £20,000 paying his own workers to help inspect animals during at least 42 Defra vet visits.
At one stage Mr Dunning worked for Defra himself, guiding vets to hefted sheep on the fells. The department promised to at least pay him expenses. The money never arrived. "I'm sick of asking for it," he said. Mr Dunning has 380 cattle, including dairy cows, 600 breeding sheep and 800 lambs that would have been long-sold. Instead the sheep have been stranded in fields with no grass or crops because he has been restricted from moving them 10 yards across a road. He has to buy food for them. The sheep can now be moved, but they have contracted foot rot from the mud in the fields and will not fatten. "I do feel a bit pissed off at the way I've been treated," said Mr Dunning, spraying down the milking tubes. His only income has been milk cheques, but the price of milk is set to fall in the new year. Lambs, when sales restart, will fetch £18 each when they once sold for £45. Farmers complain that when they go into supermarkets they see the meat priced at £10 a kilo.
There are reputed to be 46 "foot and mouth millionaires", after farmers received pay-outs when their animals were culled. Many more dairy farmers - including Mr Dunning - could be millionaires on paper, but this is relative to the size of their businesses. Dairy farming is an expensive way to make money and farmers are finding themselves in debt through restocking.
"What has been termed compensation was actually the compulsory purchase of animals," said Brian Donald, a farmer in Lamonby whose entire infected stock was culled. "Farmers are finding animals that they were paid £10 to cull at the beginning of the outbreak are now worth £20, and they cannot afford to fully restock. ..........
posted Dec 3

MP slams anti-cull protest
Gloucestershire Citizen

Anti-cull campaigners have been accused of a politically-motivated campaign of scaremongering and misinformation by Forest of Dean MP Diana Organ.
Mrs Organ says she has received 14 letters in less than a week, many of which express fears that household pets like cats and dogs will be slaughtered in any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Judy Robinson, a spokeswoman for the MP, says the district's Foot and Mouth Action Group was "spreading misinformation and causing unnecessary fear" about the Government's controversial new Animal Health Bill. She said speakers at the group's public meeting, which was held earlier this month at Coleford, suggested the bill was "more draconian than it actually is" and claimed some members of the group were politically motivated.
The row erupted as a group of six farmers from the Forest of Dean and dozens from all over Britain travelled to London today to meet MPs. Ms Robinson said: "At the moment, it seems we are encountering a deliberate policy of misinformation. "The letters we have received suggest speakers at that meeting indicated cats and dogs could be slaughtered because of the Animal Health Bill. "Under no circumstances has it been suggested that cats and dogs or any type of household pets living on a farm could be slaughtered. It's not in the bill and it simply won't happen. She said Mrs Organ, who is part of the standing committee scrutinising the bill, had serious reservations about it and had abstained from voting on it. Carole Youngs, organiser of the meeting, said speakers had highlighted a clause in the bill that "all animals" could be affected. "I think the cats and dogs issue isn't the most important point here, although the bill does refer to all animals," she said. "I think it's unlikely slaughtermen are about to go into private homes and slaughter pets. "The real threat from this bill is to the farming community. It gives the Government the opportunity to move into any farm and cull any animal it likes.
(comment)
posted Dec 3

Peer calls for foot and mouth probe
Yahoo/Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - An aristocrat says she has gathered a quarter of a million signatures to back demands for an independent public inquiry into what she sees as government bungling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Lady Apsley, a 36-year-old peer, hopes to present the petition before parliament next month demanding the probe. "For some reason Margaret Beckett, secretary for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, believes the English are so incredibly stupid that they are going to ignore the government's bungle over the epidemic, but they are not," she told Reuters.
The livestock disease tore through farms for eight months this year..... Officials have said that they are cautiously optimistic the battle against the disease was being won. The last case was confirmed on September 30. Lady Apsley criticised the Labour government for allowing the movement of livestock 10 days after the disease began and said the army should have been involved more quickly. "It's indicative of the supreme arrogance of the government that they didn't act sooner," she said. Britain launched three inquiries in August to learn lessons from the epidemic and to consider the future of farming and the countryside, but Lady Apsley said this was not enough. "The three inquiries are not independent or open, they are hand-picked individuals who had nothing to do with the disease on a grassroots level," she added. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it noted Lady Apsley's views and were pursuing the inquiries begun in August.
Dec 2

Farm workers leave rock-bottom industry
The Journal

Thousands of workers are quitting the farming industry which has hit "rock bottom", it was claimed yesterday. Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday show that in England, 7,800 farmers and farm workers lost their jobs in the year to June 2001. Meanwhile, Government forecasts show farm incomes at 71pc below 1995 levels.
Defra's first estimate of the UK Total Income From Farming for 2001 is £1.8bn, compared with more than £5bn in 1996.
The National Farmers Union said it must also be taken into account that Defra had revised the original TIFF figure of £1.88bn given for 2000 down to £1.57bn. This means the situation over the last few years has been worse than official figures showed. Northumberland NFU chairman Stoker Frater, of Alnwick, who took up his post yesterday, said: "I've kept a diary of our farm prices since 1963 and I can't find a worse price then the ones we received for our lambs this year.....
Dec 2

Anthrax Inquiry Looks at U.S. Labs
New York Times

By WILLIAM J. BROAD and JUDITH MILLER
The F.B.I. has expanded its investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks to include the laboratories of the government and its contractors as a possible source of the anthrax itself or the knowledge to make it, scientists and law enforcement officials say. ..... Separately, a private expert in biological weapons, Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, has recently published a paper contending that a government insider, or someone in contact with an insider, is behind the attacks. Though not an expert on criminal profiling, Dr. Rosenberg, a molecular biologist at the State University of New York, has testified on biological weapons before Congress, advised Bill Clinton when he was president and made addresses to international arms control meetings, including one a few days ago in Geneva. Law enforcement officials said Dr. Rosenberg's assertion might turn out to be well founded, though they emphasized that the investigation was still broadly based. One official close to the federal investigation called the Rosenberg theory "the most likely hypothesis." ...... Dr. Rosenberg, who is chairwoman of an arms control panel at the Federation of American Scientists, a private group in Washington, has argued repeatedly that states, not individuals, tend to have the wherewithal to make advanced biological weapons. International treaties that prohibit that work, she believes, are thus critical. Dr. Rosenberg contends that the Ames strain probably did not originate in 1980 or 1981, as is often asserted, but arose decades earlier and was used in the secret American program to make biological weapons. She agrees with a conclusion, reached by some experts knowledgeable about the investigation, that the anthrax powder distributed in the attacks by letter was treated in a sophisticated manner so it floated easily, as was done in the old American offensive weapons program, unlike Colonel Friedlander's defensive program, which uses the wet anthrax. "All the available information," she said, "is consistent with a U.S. government lab as the source, either of the anthrax itself or of the recipe for the U.S. weaponization process." ....... Richard H. Ebright, a microbiologist at Rutgers University who has followed the anthrax case and has read the Rosenberg paper, said he found it provocative but unconvincing. "This is one extreme in the theorizing," Dr. Ebright said. "There are elements that are reasonable, but elements that are not. I'm confident that she started with the insider conclusion and then selected the facts." Even so, he said, American foes seem likely to seize on the paper and amplify the provocative thesis. "Every state that's hostile to the United States is going to pick up on this," Dr. Ebright said. "They'll say it was an orchestrated government attack, which I don't believe for a second. But you can see people believing it." Dr. Rosenberg's theory is getting attention in Europe, where the environmental group Greenpeace Germany is citing it as credible......
Dec 2

South Korean farmers riot in anti-WTO demo
Ananova

South Korean farmers have clashed with riot police, making fires and throwing rocks and excrement at them. Around 20,000 farmers gathered in Gwacheon and Seoul to protest at the Government's farm policies. The demonstrations were also organised to mark the start of new World Trade Organisation talks. The farmers oppose the WTO's move to liberalise agricultural markets.
The protesters, including members of the Korean Advanced Farmers Federation (KAFF) arrived on about 500 buses and held a rally in front of the Government complex in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, and at the HQ of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in central Seoul. They want the Government to pay higher prices for their rice, and reform the nation's agricultural policies, the Korea Herald reports. "Rice has been a lifeline of our nation for 5,000 years, but the Government is giving up on rice farming and driving farmers to death," says Choi Yoo-seop, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial office of the KAFF.
Dec 2

CJD victim dies despite pioneering drug treatment
Ananova

A woman who became the world's first human guinea pig in pioneering drug trials to find a cure for variant CJD died today. Former soldier Rachel Forber was diagnosed as suffering vCJD six months after she began showing signs of depression last Christmas. Within two months the 21-year-old was transformed from an active young woman to being bed-ridden and requiring constant care.... (See also and this BBC report from August )
Dec 2

Even newer Muckraker
Private Eye

The latest brilliant wheeze from the Department for the Elimination of Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to propose that farmers will only be allowed to continue farming under an official licence from the ministry.
This means that, if a farmer offends the ministry, its officials can put him out of business. Even to get the licence in the first place, the farmer will have to pass a test proving that he is 'competent' to run a farm. Not surprisingly many farmers have suggested that a similar test should be introduced for the ministers and officials proposing this scheme. It is after all being put forward by a government department which is now tacitly admitting that it has itself been breaking the criminal law on an unprecedented scale.
Last March, on the advice of Professor Roy Anderson's Imperial College computer, the Maffia introduced its "contiguous cull", under which millions of healthy animals were destroyed just because they were on farms within '3 kilometres' of premises infected with foot-and-mouth. As is explained in detail in Private Eye's Not The Foot And Mouth Report, the officials had no legal power to order such a scheme. They claimed as their authorisation the Animal Health Act 1981. But this only gives the minister power to destroy animals which are infected or which have been exposed to infection. As lawyers soon pointed out, this in no way justified the blanket slaughter of animals under the cull; and in over 200 cases where owners legally challenged the cull, the Maffia lawyers backed off. The last thing they wanted was to see their scheme put to the test of a court case.
But the final admission that they were acting illegally is contained in the Animal Health Bill currently being rushed through Parliament.
The Bill's chief purpose is retrospectively to make amends for this mass-criminality, by giving the Defra officials precisely the powers they claimed already to have last March when the cull was launched. It gives the officials the right to enter any premises, to kill any animal they wish, including dogs, cats and other pets, while denying the owner any right to challenge them. Not only will it become a criminal offence for the owner to question what the officials are up to. It will even become an offence not to give the officials any assistance they request in pursuing their duty.....
posted Dec 1

Boycott the Bill
Telegraph

Date: 1 December 2001
SIR - At the beginning of this year, the veterinary profession was unique among professions in Britain in that it was universally respected, and indeed held in affection by many people.
The outbreak of foot and mouth disease dented that reputation, as we were seen to side with the Ministry of Agriculture in the unprecedented slaughter of farm animals.
What we should have done was refuse co-operation when the Government took control of the outbreak out of the hands of veterinary surgeons and handed it to a Crazy Gang of scientists and computer modellers who were not specialists in animal disease. With a glance at their computer screens, they condemned to death millions of animals.
The new Animal Health Bill amendment will make matters worse. It will give the incompetent Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the opportunity to hide its mistakes in a sea of blood.
This Bill removes from farmers the right to resist the slaughter of their healthy animals; makes criminals of people whose only fault is their love of their animals; and allows officials to decide that genetic make-up is sufficient reason to condemn normal healthy animals to death.
This Bill will result in a withdrawal of co-operation by the farming community and make the control of animal disease impossible. Here is one vet who will have nothing to do with it. If it is passed, I will do everything in my power to stop the veterinary profession from taking any part in its implementation.
From: Roger Windsor, Collin, Dumfries
Dec 1

Re: Unlimited powers of slaughter
Telegraph

Date: 1 December 2001
SIR - The decision to control foot and mouth disease by culling rather than vaccination has resulted in the needless slaughter of millions of animals.
Particular and serious damage has been inflicted on endangered breeds. Some, such as the Herdwick in the Lake District and Rough Fell on the Howgill Fells, have lost more than one third of their population.
Among breeds of high performance, the British Milksheep has lost half of its population, while numerically scarce breeds, such as Hill Radnor sheep and Belted Galloway cattle, have had losses of 25 to 30 per cent. All these are recognised by Rare Breeds International as of special genetic importance, and a vital part of the biodiversity of Britain.
The Animal Health Bill now presents a threat to the livestock industry that could exceed even the mass slaughter policy applied to control foot and mouth. It gives the Government almost unlimited powers of slaughter in the event of another outbreak of foot and mouth, and is also likely to be directed at sheep susceptible to scrapie, a condition that has existed for hundreds of years with no adverse effects on human health.
Application of the powers in the Bill could result in the extinction of some breeds. Some, including the very distinctive and important Northern Short-Tailed group of breeds, have genotypes that would condemn them to total slaughter. The inclusion in the Bill of references to "exceptional circumstances", which might be applied to save some breeds, is not an adequate safeguard.
The threat posed by the Bill is in direct conflict with the Convention of Biological Diversity, to which the British Government was a signatory. The Bill is based on unsafe science: the genetics of scrapie resistance are not properly understood, and selection against scrapie is likely to eliminate other valuable characteristics.
We are faced with a Bill that threatens important native breeds and the genetic diversity of our national livestock by the political application of bad science. It must be resisted.
From: Lawrence Alderson, Rare Breeds International, Shrewsbury
Dec 1

Vets join farmers against animal Bill
Farmers' Weekly

By Isabel Davies
VETS have joined farmers opposing government plans to introduce powers of slaughter in the event of another foot-and-mouth outbreak. Roger Windsor, council member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said he would have nothing to do with the Animal Health Bill.
The proposed legislation is designed to give minister more power to order the slaughter of livestock in the event of an outbreak. The government will also gain powers to slaughter, castrate or sterilise sheep which do not have scrapie-resistant genes. Mr Windsor said he was not opposed to a slaughter policy to control the disease, but it had to be a controlled slaughter policy.
"I think [the government] is looking for a new law to hide further mistakes in a sea of blood," he said. "If this Bill is passed I will do everything in my power to stop the veterinary profession co-operating with it." Mr Windsor's addressed a meeting in the House of Commons organised by the website warmwell.com on Thursday (29 November). He was backed by Roger Green, RCVS president, who it would give vets ethical problems because they could be asked to slaughter healthy animals. Claims from ministers that the Bill only applied to animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth were not enough in his view, he added. "The scope of slaughter powers are unclear and any species could be involved for any disease, I believe." Opening the meeting shadow Defra secretary of state Peter Ainsworth described the Bill as unjust and disproportionate. "It confers more powers on the very people who have been found wanting." ..... Organiser Mary Critchley said the event showed that even ordinary members of the public were aware of the dangers of the Bill. "It's based on bad science, bad law and is taking away the rights everyone has fought for. It is an absolute disgrace." Farmer Lawrence Wright, who had travelled from Devon with his wife Karen for the occasion, said the Bill threatened his very livelihood. "The basis of our farm is sheep and this Bill gives the minister the power to kill all of our sheep," he said.
Nov 30

Farmers in move to oust union president
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT
FARMERS have taken the first steps in a move to oust Ben Gill as president of their national union. The Derbyshire branch of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has unanimously voted to back an asparagus grower from Lincolnshire as their next leader. Michael Paske, the NFU vice-president, admitted yesterday that he was considering whether to stand for the post. Farmers in Carmarthenshire also believe Mr Gill should make way, and have put forward Tim Bennett, the present deputy, to replace him. Mr Bennett said that he was "too busy working for the industry to get involved in electioneering". Mr Paske, 54, said he was "flattered" that his name had been put forward. He would be the first vegetable grower to lead the union if elected. Sources on the NFU council confirmed that momentum was growing for a change of leadership. Mr Gill was not available for comment, but NFU insiders said that they expected him to seek re-election. NFU county branches have until January 8 to put in nominations for the union's president, deputy and vice-president, but most counties are to meet in the next two weeks to decide their preferences. Voting, however, does not take place until the union's AGM in February and is then restricted to the members of the 90-strong ruling council. Kevin White, Derbyshire NFU chairman, said he believed that Mr Gill should now make way for "fresh blood."
The Times has learnt that many farmers believe that the union would benefit from more visible action instead of Mr Gill's quiet diplomacy with the Government. Some are trying to win support for a two-week disruption to the food chain in the spring. One farming activist confirmed that talks were taking place to organise a 14-day withdrawal of meat, milk and vegetables from the food chain.
Nov 30

Businesses campaign for legal action on foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Representatives of rural businesses have joined a campaign to take legal action against the Government for losses during the foot-and-mouth crisis. The UK Rural Business Campaign has set up meetings for people in the areas worst affected. They claim they have lost an estimated £5.1 billion since the epidemic began in February. The UKRBC's aim is to recover that money by taking the Government to court in what its solicitors believe could be a landmark case. ......... Stephen Alexander, partner of the law firm, said they would be fighting the Government for compensation but the legal action would also grant the country a public inquiry. He said: "The first by-product of a compensation claim is that there will be a public inquiry. "There is nothing more public than Nick Brown and other ministers being cross examined as to their conduct during the crisis." He and Ian Mitchell, the man behind the campaign, called on all those whose livelihoods have been devastated to join together to ensure the legal action goes ahead. Mr Alexander said they will be invoking Human Rights legislation as well as collating evidence to prove that the Government acted negligently and breached its statutory duty. He said: "Defra and the Government gave out continuous negligent mis-statements to the public as to what was going on in the countryside. The UKRBC is also launching a battle against proposed laws allowing the culling of any animal without right of appeal, currently going through Parliament. Mr Alexander said the proposed Animal Welfare Bill ( Animal Health amendment bill) is "one of the most odious and disgraceful pieces of legislation that has come before Parliament" and vowed to challenge it on behalf of the UKRBC if it becomes law. Traders from around England and Wales met in Birmingham earlier this month to found the UKRBC. The group is now rallying members and collecting statements from rural business people, of which about 10 will be put forward as test cases early next year. Each member needs to contribute a small sum to join the campaign to fund the court action. "It can only happen if there's the support of the people who have been affected," said Mr Alexander. "If the support's not there we will go away and the Government has won." ......
The inspiration for the group came from a campaign in Powys, where 400 business people began a group action eight months ago. Chairman of both the UK and Powys campaigns, Ian Mitchell, a chartered accountant from Brecon, who led today's meetings said: "The meetings will introduce local business people, who have incurred severe losses, to the national UK campaign and their legal advisors. "They have endured contradictory Government advice and countless bungled decisions from it and its agencies. "Discussions with ministers have produced nothing. Legal action is now the only way to get justice for thousands of rural businesses." The UKRBC and Class Law will also be presenting their case to MPs at Parliament on Monday.
Today's meeting was being followed by another meeting at the Langston Court Hotel, Dawlish Warren in Devon. The group will then repeat the exercise in Cumbria, where more than 700 people are expected, and Scotland on December 12. ....
Nov 30

Reports due on BSE testing blunder
Ananova

Two independent reports on a BSE mix-up that saw scientists mistakenly testing the brains of cows instead of sheep are to be published.
Ministers ordered the external audits after the collapse of a four-year study into whether the disease had entered the UK sheep flock. The research by the Government-funded Institute of Animal Health was abandoned after concerns about "cross-contamination". Animal health minister Elliot Morley is releasing the reports into the debacle at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He is being joined by representatives from the companies that carried out the reports, Risk Solutions and the UK Accreditation Service, and the IAH's parent body, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The reports are expected to unravel the confusion over how the "sheep brains" being analysed by the IAH came to contain only bovine material. The Government had braced itself for a new food scare after the institute's tests appeared to show that BSE had spread to sheep. But the results were withdrawn just before they were due to be made public, after last minute checks by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist revealed the blunder. Defra admitted the samples had come from the wrong animals but said there was no need to stop eating British sheep meat. (warmwell note: "but"?) Since then, the Government announced that new tests for BSE and scrapie, a related disease, were to be carried out on 23,000 sheep brains. The Government's Veterinary Laboratory Agency will carry out the research next year, in line with European Union legislation.
Nov 30

Foot and mouth controls eased
Guardian

Rebecca Allison
The last remaining foot and mouth "infected area" in Britain was downgraded last night in a symbolic move which signalled that the world's worst epidemic of the virus is finally being beaten. The area south of Penrith, in Cumbria, was re-classed as "high risk" by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at midnight, theoretically allowing the limited movement of some animals.
The government's decision affects almost 1,500 farms in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and County Durham. It will be possible for their animals to be moved to other "high risk" areas, as long as it does not mean crossing foot and mouth free districts of the country. Sheep are still restricted from being moved outside the county boundary. The decision brings the area into line with the rest of Cumbria which had 843 confirmed cases of foot and mouth. The move followed blood testing of sheep and examination of cattle in the Brough and Kirkby Stephen areas of Cumbria. A few areas in Britain remain either "high risk" or "at risk".
The chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced on Tuesday that the crisis would cost the government a total of £2.7bn. But Defra minister Lord Whitty said: "We are not out of the woods yet. Strict biosecurity is as essential now as it has ever been. With the continued cooperation of everyone, we can ensure that this disease is finally eradicated."
Nov 29

DNA find prompts GM crop ban calls
The Times

BY PA NEWS
Campaigners today demanded an international ban on growing GM crops outdoors, after scientists found DNA from bio-engineered corn in wild maize on remote mountains in Mexico.
Experts fear the accidental spread of laboratory-inserted genes could threaten native varieties, reducing the world's biological diversity. Four of six samples of native criollo corn taken last year from fields in the country's mountainous Oaxaca region were found to contain a genetic "switch" commonly used in genetically-engineered plants.
The study, published in the journal Nature, also said that two of the samples were found to have another DNA segment commonly inserted by genetic engineers.
One sample contained a commonly-inserted gene that prompts the plant to produce a poison effective against the European corn borer, a pest that can harm crops. It was unclear exactly where the foreign DNA came from. Mexico has had a moratorium on new plantings of GM maize since 1998 but allows the import of GM crops for consumption.
Diversity is prized by scientists as a way to ensure plants continue to grow in the face of diseases, pests and climate change. While some plant strains may be vulnerable to one disease, others may have natural immunity that enables them to survive.
Charlie Kronick, a Greenpeace official, said the study showed that it was "inevitable" that native maze would be contaminated by GM crops. He said: "This is proof that it is going to happen and it is already happening, even in countries which do not grow GM crops."
Nov 29

Petition challenges 'foot and mouth cover-up'
Telegraph

By Richard Savill
LADY APSLEY has a message for Tony Blair.
Along with other campaigners for an independent public inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic, she has no intention of disappearing quietly. A petition she has organised, calling for a public investigation into the "gross mishandling of the crisis" by the Government is to be presented to Parliament before Christmas.
Lady Apsley said at her home, Cirencester Park, in Gloucestershire, that she was determined that the Government should not get away with the "massive cover-up we all know has taken place".
"We simply must not roll over and give up," she said. "We need to learn from the terrible mistakes and a public inquiry is the only way. "The Government is expecting people to give up this campaign, but I am not going to." Lady Apsley, 36, and her husband have a herd of 35 rare Gloucester cattle and a dairy herd of 150 Friesians. Their stock escaped foot and mouth but many of the herds in the county were wiped out.
Lady Apsley has been happy with the response to her petition but she believed it would have been considerably better but for the attack on the World Trade Centre. "The attack, as ghastly as it has been, was a gift from heaven for the Government, as it has taken all attention away from the plight of the countryside."
The petition has more than 250,000 signatures from "townies as well as rurals, who know full well what has been going on and are furious about it". She said the Government had stubbornly refused to accept mistakes had been made. "Ireland, France and Holland stamped on foot and mouth. Why didn't we?"
She condemned the Government's three separate inquiries into the crisis, none of which will be public, as a "whitewash". "It's so insulting....
Nov 29

Cost of foot and mouth tops £2.7bn
Telegraph

By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
THE foot and mouth epidemic has so far cost £2.7 billion, the Chancellor said yesterday. A total of £1.25 billion was provided to compensate farmers for the slaughter of animals, £701 million went on disinfecting farms and £471 million was paid under the livestock welfare scheme. About £156 million went on agri-monetary compensation - paying farmers for differences in exchange rates on support payments which are made in euros - £15 million went on advice and marketing support for farmers and £54 million on grants under the business recovery fund. Some £20 million went on rate relief for farmers, £13 million on matched funding for charitable donations, £18 million on tourism promotion and £4 million on reopening rights of way. Further costs, such as deferring farmers' tax payments, have not been included.
Nov 28

Corn 'contaminated' with GM genes
Ananova

Corn grown in Mexico may have been contaminated with genetically engineered DNA.
Scientists say they are surprised and dismayed at the finding.
Opponents of GM crops say it was only a matter of time and warn traditional crops now face an uncertain future.
Those who support the plantings say engineered crops can produce better foods, medicines and yields.
But Ignacio Chapela, from the University of California at Berkeley said: "This is very serious because the region where our samples were taken are known for their diverse varieties of native corn, which is something that absolutely needs to be protected." In his study, four out six of the modern Mexican batch tested had clear evidence of a common transgenic crop gene. The country's ministry of the environment now estimates up to 10% of its Sierra Norte de Oaxaca species of maize is contaminated. Mr Chapela believes genes from genetically modified crops which spread unintentionally can threaten plant diversity by crowding out native crops.
(warmwell note: The wild maize in question was growing around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the nearest GM crops. T Blair, please note.)
Nov 28

Government given deadline to reinstate carcass burial site
Ananova

The Government has been ordered to restore a foot-and-mouth carcass burial site which was never used.
Devon's £7.5 million Ash Moor site was constructed at the height of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Three out of 16 burial 'cells' were excavated and lined while a fourth was excavated. Now, Devon County Council has ordered the a scheme to restore the site should be in place by December 31. The site at Petrockstow costs around £20,000 per week to maintain and was designed to hold 400,000 animal carcasses. It did not need planning permission but local planning conditions included one of reinstatement. The council says that should be completed by March 31 next year. The planning conditions said the site should be used solely for the current foot-and-mouth outbreak. Devon was declared a foot-and-mouth disease free area on Monday following a four-month period, ending in June, when 173 cases were confirmed in the county.
The Government has told the council that it would not be responsible to entirely close off the possibility of the Ash Moor disposal outlet because it might be needed in the future. (warmwell note: such pronouncements have a very ominous ring. The passing of the animal "health" bill may well usher in a new wave of animal deaths - with no recourse to law at all for their hapless owners.)

Crops Conf: 'Defra is anti-farming'
Farmers' Weekly

By Tom Allen-Stevens
A LEADING policy analyst has accused the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of "hanging the farming industry out to dry." Speaking at the Crops Conference near Cambridge, Robert Gooch said Defra's proposals for radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy are "laughable". "Phasing out support payments will not happen in the next reform, contrary to what Defra ministers are reported to have said," he told delegates. "If the Department had more influence over national farm policy, it would be very bad news indeed for UK agriculture." For 500 years, successive UK governments have embraced free market conditions and encouraged cheap imports, he said.
This is a marked contrast to continental Europe and other economies worldwide where governments have traditionally supported and developed their farm sectors.
It is only through membership of the European Union that UK farmers are now protected from further cuts in farming support, Mr Gooch maintained. "In a breath-taking display of spin, the government has persuaded most people that the current downturn in farming's fortunes is somehow the fault of farmers or the CAP," he said. "There needs to be a reform of Defra's administration and policies if the current circumstances are to be used as the reason for change."
Next year's mid-term review of the CAP is likely to involve compulsory modulation or cross-compliance, he said. This would be good news for UK farmers, he argued, since they are currently discriminated against through modulation, compared to continental competitors.
Nov 28

Relief as virus rules ease
Farmers' Weekly

FARMERS have expressed their relief at the relaxation of foot-and-mouth restrictions in counties which were at the heart of the epidemic. Lancashire, Devon and Herefordshire were granted declared disease-free by government officials on Tuesday (27 November). The re-designation of Devon to disease-free status has lifted "a long, dark shadow", said National Farmers' Union south west director Anthony Gibson. South Devon pig farmers Colin and Vanessa Mills said the change would enable them to continue supplying regular buyers in Wiltshire. A backlog of 600 weaners has built up since restrictions were introduced in February. Farmers will be able to send cull sows out of the county again. David Norman, who has farmland in Devon and Somerset, said he has had hundreds of ewes and lambs "stranded" on rented land in Devon. Freeing up Devon means they can taken home to the farm in Somerset. David Maunder of Devon abattoir Lloyd Maunder warned that the impact of potential exports on lamb prices might not be seen immediately. He said the "clear" status for Devon still has to be ratified by the European Union's standing veterinary committee in early December. ...................... Lancashire NFU said the lifting of the county's disease free status will allow much-needed animal trade with the rest of the country.
County chairman Ken Baxter said the move was a "great relief" and predicted that the north-west had seen the last of the virus. Cumbria is still classified as high risk and will not be declared disease until the end of December at the earliest. ........ Farmers in Cumbria can now bring cattle and sheep into the county from disease free and at risk counties.
Nov 28

Hunting may be caught in foot and mouth trap
Telegraph (Sport)

By Charlie Brooks
IT'S not long until the point-to-point horses and hunter chasers are in action. I am certain the majority of fixtures will go ahead and yet I suspect that Government policy will make the preparation of these horses completely dysfunctional. You can be sure the Government would love to strangle fox hunting (hunting with dogs is a derogatory term they like to use) with foot and mouth disease. I've had the misfortune to meet Government minister Eliot Morley and realised very quickly what his mission is. He hasn't forgotten that the Tories shafted the miners and he won't rest until he's stuck the knife into fox hunting's belly and twisted it. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Mr Morley has waited a long time to wage his class warfare, and then foot and mouth disease came along. The farmers and fox hunting with just one barrel.
We are told that hunting may resume under licence on Dec 17 if it can meet the Government's requirements. Why, I ask the DEFRA (Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs) vet, there's no need for licences in the South of England? Either there is foot and mouth disease around to be spread or there isn't. Why can a man and his dog wander about unmolested yet 10 men and 20 dogs, that is a pack of beagles, can't?
Simple answer to that, she told me. The latter might stress a flock of sheep, thus inducing latent foot and mouth to break out. Wouldn't that be a good thing, I suggested? If it's lying around dormant wouldn't we be better off exposing it? "Eh, as time goes on that argument carries more weight," she agreed.
The DEFRA website doesn't. It maintains that there is no such dormant infection. When the same side starts singing from different hymn sheets, you can generally reckon they are up to something for sure. The campaign for hunting will meet Government officials tomorrow to thrash out the details of these licences. Hunt followers, be they on horse or foot, will all have to fill in loads of forms, enabling Big Brother to keep an eye on them.
............. The Government's veterinary risk assessment experts say there is still a perceptible risk of hunting spreading foot and mouth. A useful device to drive a wedge between huntsman and farmer.
There have been no outbreaks since Sept 30. For how long do we have to accept the wisdom of these experts? Are experts ever politically driven? Even our lightweight, posturing, nomadic Prime Minister has had time to work this out. At the moment, the organisers of the campaign for hunting do not share my opinions, considering them to be irresponsible and not constructive.
They are confident they have an ongoing dialogue with Alun Michael, the Minister of State. They will sit down tomorrow and get hunting going again as soon as they can. As far as I'm concerned, negotiating with people like Mr Morley is about as productive as negotiating with a rapist who has a knife at your throat.....
(warmwell note: this is not the place to debate the hunting issue, but the illogicality of so much government policy is certainly highlighted here.)
Nov 25 posted Nov 27

WorldTrak: EU May Take Tougher Stance Against GMO Opposition
FarmProgress.com

Evidence is growing that the European Commission is determined to take a tougher stance against member states' hostility to GMOs in agriculture. ....... However, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose standing is high with many European leaders, has now been urged to encourage a more positive stance towards GMOs. On a visit to Britain the commissioner responsible for the internal market, which covers trade between member states, said it was a "sad spectacle" that just 0.03% of the acreage of GM crops in the world was produced in the EU - despite Europe regarding itself as a major producer of agricultural commodities.
"We want to lead in new technology - and this is a new technology of prime importance," said commissioner Frits Bolkestein. He added that the Commission's particular concern was that the EU was failing to use even the products already approved for cultivation in Europe.
Blair has defended GM crops in the past, ridiculing sections of the British media which branded them Frankenstein foods. However, many members of his own government do not share his views, and in the aftermath of foot and mouth disease and BSE he is aware that an overtly pro GM stance would be out of step with public opinion.
Ironically the Commission's appeal to Blair for help coincided with a decision by a British court to clear of charges of criminal damage two environmental campaigners who had destroyed a GM trial site. The court ruled that they had a "lawful excuse" because they had been unsuccessful in highlighting their fears by using other means. Special to FarmProgress.com by Richard Wright, United Kingdom
Nov 27

Gill may face leadership challenge
Farmers' Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
BEN GILL may be challenged for the leadership of the National Farmers' Union next February, it emerged on Monday (26 November). NFU vice-president Michael Paske has confirmed that he is deciding whether to stand against Mr Gill in a leadership contest for president. Mr Paske, a speciality vegetable grower from Lincolnshire, was asked to stand against Mr Gill by the Derbyshire branch of the union. "I'm very flattered that they should nominate me; it was very kind of them," he told FWi."I will just have to consider my position carefully." Mr Paske, who has until 8 January to decide whether to stand, said it was "very early days" and he would wait until making a declaration.
Derbyshire NFU chairman Kevin White said many younger union members preferred Mr Paske. But he declined to predict the outcome of any election. Mr Gill has been NFU president for almost four years. But Philip Brandon, a member of Derbyshire NFU, said it was time for a change in leadership.
"Ben's done a great job in a very difficult time, but he's been a bit too cosy with the government," he said. "We need a more proactive approach, as we have been pussyfooting around for so long now and the supermarkets are only getting worse.
"But Michael Paske is an ambitious politician and a diplomat, capable of conversing with [Prime Minister] Tony Blair."
Clive Langford Mycock, of Staffordshire NFU branch, predicted his county would support Ben Gill. It will select candidates on 6 December. Alan Roberts, NFU company secretary, must receive written submissions for the next AGM election by the 8 January, 2001.
Nov 26

Princess Anne accuses supermarkets of hypocrisy
Ananova

Princess Anne says hypocritical supermarkets are sabotaging British agriculture. She claims supermarkets accept lower hygiene and welfare standards from foreign producers. She warns that food should not come so cheap as she spoke to students at the University of Plymouth's agriculture faculty. Princess Anne said: "Hypocrisy is not too strong a word to apply. We need to say to the supermarkets and consumers that they are not always right and if they want standards in this country they must apply those standards to food from other countries.
"If the same standards were applied everywhere, with no import or export grants, would it create enough of a level playing field to reinvigorate the UK market, or have the standards applied gone too far?" However, the major supermarkets are claiming they work hard to support the British farming industry.
.......... The Daily Telegraph reports that Princess Anne also criticised fast food, casting doubt on whether it was good for producers or consumers.
(warmwell note: we are very grateful to Princess Anne. She shows far greater courage than anyone in the government in pointing out the catastrophic effect on British farming of the supermarket stranglehold )
Nov 26

Country 'army' to march on The Mound
Telegraph

By Auslan Cramb
(Filed: 26/11/2001) COUNTRYSIDE campaigners are planning the biggest protest march north of the border since the poll tax demonstrations to highlight the crisis facing rural communities.
The organisers expect tens of thousands of people from rural communities throughout Scotland, and the rest of the UK, to join the "March on The Mound" in Edinburgh next month. The event is based on the Countryside March of 1998 in which 250,000 people walked through London.
Allan Murray, director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, said it would demonstrate the widespread anger felt by people who feel politicians are treating them as "second-class citizens". He added: "They feel they are having to fight for liberties that have been a way of life for generations. We are staging this protest march to highlight the whole range of grievances in the countryside.
"The most common complaint we hear about the Scottish Parliament is that most of the people in it do not understand the issues that are troubling people in the countryside.
"Rural communities are going through desperately difficult times at the moment. We've had foot and mouth, BSE, fuel prices and the most dire economic circumstances in rural communities for more than 20 years.
Nov 26

From Jonathan Miller's Mean Fields column
Sunday Times

A reader passes on an astonishingly patronising and arrogant letter from the rural death minister Elliot Morley, friend of foxes currently demanding greater powers to slaughter dogs, cats and horses. Morley, it will be recalled, has still to reply to my challenge that he provide the name of a single cull resistor who can be shown to have spread foot and mouth. It is an extraordinary, disingenuous, bizarre letter. I will copy it to anyone who is interested.
"Rant away as you see fit," writes Morley to Nick Green, of Cumbria, who has been impudent enough to query Defra's lies. But Green is on to something. The contiguous killing programme of healthy animals was legally dubious and unlawfully executed.
I get a letter of my own from Defra. Lindsey Clothier, a death ministry apparatchik, says I have been "selected" to participate in a survey of agriculture. Inspired by Morley's bare-knuckled style of correspondence, I reply: "Dear Lindsey: My contempt for Defra disinclines me to co-operate with your organisation in any way. I advise you to seek more reputable employment."
Nov 25

Ministry risks 'farm lie' fines
Sunday Telegraph - Booker's Notebook

IT was with mixed feelings that on Friday I saw two of my stories on the front pages of other newspapers. I first reported on October 7 that Britain would face a bizarre crisis on January 1 when, thanks to a hopelessly ill-conceived EU regulation, it would no longer be legally possible to dispose of millions of unwanted fridges.
The European Commission, through its man in London, Geoffrey Martin, did everything to deny the story. Our Government, however, acknowledged the truth of the matter since, as I subsequently reported, it issued a confidential circular to local authorities admitting that they had a massive problem on their hands.
Last week Margaret Beckett's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs took the grotesque step of advising the public not to buy new fridges until the mess has been sorted out, which could take over a year.
I was less pleased to see Friday's Times reporting a yet more startling letter from Defra. This asked farmers to concoct records of the foot and mouth epidemic of the effects on their herds to give a misleading impression to the European Commission, which is already carrying out a fraud inquiry into compensation payments for the disease.
This extraordinary document was passed from me via a colleague to my old ally the Countess of Mar, for her to raise with the Government. I was somewhat taken aback when she revealed its contents to The Times, which ran the story on page one.
However since neither The Times nor the Countess seem to have grasped the full implications of the letter, it should be set in its proper context.
In August the European Commission suspended its compensation payments to the British Government, after an investigation by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office.
This found significant "irregularities" in our Government's handling of the crisis, not least in paying farmers up to four times the market value of their stock to buy their acquiescence in allowing destruction of healthy animals under the legally-dubious "contiguous cull" scheme. The Commission not only set up an audit of these payments but launched an investigation by Olaf, its anti-fraud unit. Defra sent this remarkable letter to farmers last week asking them to concoct "farm diaries" to convey to Commission auditors that the paperwork matched what the investigators were looking for.
The letter included a sample of the type of entry that farmers should reconstruct describing events during the crucial stages of the epidemic
. When the Commission learns that history has been rewritten in this way, it may well refuse any further payments.
Although Defra and The Times claim that the Commission is due to pay 60 per cent of the compensation received by farmers, this is based on a misunderstanding of the system. It is true that Britain applies for 60 per cent of its compensation bill, currently estimated at more than£2 billion. However 71 per cent of that is then subtracted from the UK's EU budget rebate, which means that UK taxpayers are ultimately liable for 83 per cent of the total. Even though, of the £480 million which Defra has claimed as a first tranche of its bill to the Commission, the UK could at best hope to receive only £139 million, we could now, in view of this latest "irregularity", receive nothing.
This would land UK taxpayers with a large additional bill, plus the possibility of a hefty fine for what looks like our officials' attempt to get round the system.
Nov 25

MPs set to get four-day week with shorter hours
Sunday Times

EBEN BLACK, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
MPs are to move to a four-day week and work from 10am to 5pm under controversial plans to modernise sittings in the Commons. Robin Cook, the leader of the Commons and chairman of its modernisation committee, is to abolish late-night votes and all-night debates, which have been a feature of Britain's political life for two centuries. The move to shorter hours, to be set out in a report by the committee before Christmas, will be seen as a victory for modernisers, who claim that long and antisocial hours damage MPs' family lives and deter many women from standing for parliament.
However, it will anger some veteran parliamentarians and opposition MPs, who fear it could marginalise and stifle discussion in the main Commons chamber, where debates on controversial bills can extend into the early hours. Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow and the father of the House, said: "These proposals have the effect of the castration of the Commons as a serious political force. All this business of making it more efficient is a charade. What it is about is neutralising it and making it a rubber stamp. Late nights have a political purpose."
(warmwell note: we feel that anyone who does not share Tam Dalyell's alarm is naive in the extreme. Such a move is entirely logical in the gradual but accelerating demise of democracy. )
Nov 25

(From yesterday's Times) Farmers urged to 'fake' diaries
The Times

BY MELISSA KITE, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
HUNDREDS of farmers have been asked to create post-dated diaries to back up the Government's billion-pound claim for foot-and-mouth compensation from the European Union. The move, which was branded a fraud last night, could lead to Europe rejecting part of the Government's claim on the grounds of malpractice.
In a letter dated November 18, a copy of which has been seen by The Times, an official at the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre asks farmers for help in compiling a record of the costs of the clean-up operation to present to the EU auditing team. The letter bears the stamp of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
It reads: "One of the documents they will require is the farmers log/diary, which is a required part of the C&D (cleansing and disinfection) work that was carried out at these farms. "Due to the emergency and workload placed on the C&D Officer at the time, it was not possible to collate all the information that was required. "I am now writing to all of the early culled farmers to ask for their assistance in writing out the log/diary . . . and I would be grateful if you could help me in this matter." The letter is signed by Hazel Harris, a member of the auditing team. Farmers are told that the log diary "does not have to be exact", just a general guide. They are given a sample diary "for guidance" in which two months of cleaning work at a farm infected with foot-and-mouth is minutely detailed. The letter offers farmers a visit by a field officer should they need assistance in compiling the diary.
Last night the National Farmers' Union said it was astounded by the letter. Jonathan Birnie, its policy advisor, said: "It beggars belief that Defra haven't got these records already." The bill for foot-and-mouth is estimated at £2 billion, of which the Government is entitled to claim back from the EU 60 per cent, or £1.2 billion Ministers have already been advised by the auditors that they may not receive compensation because they did not put sufficient checks in place. Most seriously, the Government failed to appoint regional livestock assessors to oversee the valuations of slaughtered livestock. A spokesman for Defra said the compensation referred to in the letter was in relation to the clean-up costs only. The letter was referred to in the Lords yesterday by the Worcestershire farmer and crossbench peer the Countess of Mar, who said it asked farmers to "fraudulently produce a log" so that the Government could claim EU compensation. (warmwell note: since DEFRA really believes that 'cooking the books' is perfectly in order one wonders why it puts so much reliance on the exhaustive form-filling and record keeping imposed on farmers. When this much EU money is at stake, that makes it all acceptable to the bureaucrats, does it? .... We despair.)
posted Nov 24

Twenty sheep may have BSE, study says
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
SCIENTISTS have claimed that a small number of sheep in Britain might be infected with BSE. Research published in Science suggests for the first time that up to 1,500 sheep may have been infected with the disease at the height of the BSE epidemic in cattle in 1990. The scientific model, however, suggests that just 20 sheep out of a national flock of about 36 million are likely to have the disease this year. (warmwell note: computer modelling is not the same as hard evidence and is only as accurate as the data fed into the programme. One might have hoped that journalists would have made this plain by now after the months of misery over FMDpolicy with its flawed models) The forecast is made by a team from Oxford University and the Institute of Animal Health; the latter is at the centre of an inquiry into bungled brains tests to establish if BSE exists in the national flock. The Government discovered last month that for four years scientists had been studying the brains of cattle instead of sheep. Two independent audits have been ordered. Chris Bostock, director of the institute, was unavailable to comment on his research with the Oxford team, led by Rowland Kao. But the research states: "All indications are that current prevalence is low." A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that the research matched previous laboratory tests that showed there was a "theoretical risk" of BSE in sheep. (warmwell note: But this is just theory put about by SEAC. Where is the real evidence? Are we wrong to question all this?)
Nov 24

Minister rejects epidemic inquiry
This is Lancashire

by Bill Jacobs,
EAST Lancashire MP Nigel Evans is to keep up the pressure for a full scale public inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic which has devastated the area.
He made the pledge after Farming Minister Alun Michael refused his call for an independent probe in a Commons debate.
The Ribble Valley Tory said a public inquiry was the only way to find out what happened, how the epidemic was mishandled by the government and to stop it happening again. He condemned Mr Michael's refusal to hold an open investigation as "irresponsible" during a special 90-minute debate he called at Westminster on the issue. But the Minister said the government was holding three separate investigations into how the outbreak occurred, how it spread and how any repeat could be prevented. Mr Evans' call for a lengthy and expensive public inquiry was "totally irresponsible" he claimed. But the Shadow Welsh Secretary was very disappointed and said: "I am appalled and disheartened by the response from the government to this debate. Alun Michael degraded the whole debate with his inadequate response. "He clearly has no sympathy for the farming industry which is still reeling from the impact of foot and mouth. "We will await any action that now follows this debate. The government is scared of the embarrassing revelations that might come from this inquiry -- but they should be afraid of another outbreak of foot and mouth. "They were late to prevent the wide spread of this outbreak and their inaction to institute a full inquiry means that recommendations to help stem any further outbreak and lessons to be learnt from the current one will go unheard." More than 50 farmers in East Lancashire were affected by the outbreak and Mr Evans highlighted many local farmers and related industries that had suffered from the epidemic. Local farmers have claimed they have not received enough help and called for a level playing field with Europe over the price of produce. East Lancashire National Farmers Union representative Steve Fawcett has told Mr Evans of low morale in the industry.
Nov 24

Craven foot and mouth restrictions eased
Craven Herald

CRAVEN took another step on the road to becoming foot and mouth disease free this week, when the area around Skipton and Settle was removed from "infected area status". It remains a "high risk" area, the next stage down being "at risk" and finally once all the cleaning has been completed satisfactorily on the infected premises, "disease free".

But, while it is heartening news for farmers who can at last enjoy slightly less bureaucracy - they will find it moderately easier to move animals (under licence) for sale or breeding purposes - for walkers and businesses dependant on tourism, it is just one less restriction.
The decision by DEFRA followed extensive blood testing of farm animals in the Settle to Malham and Skipton areas, all of which proved negative. The move released 2,931 farms from infected area restrictions, although around 300 premises that were culled-out as infected premises or dangerous contacts will remain under tighter restrictions until they have completed secondary cleansing and disinfecting procedures. (warmwell note:even though only 101 of them "had disease"? Why should the other 199 remain under tighter restrictions?) In total around 520 farms were culled-out in Craven, 101 of which had the disease on the premises. Once farms have been cleansed they can wait just three weeks and then arrange for sentinel animals to be brought onto the land. These are then blood tested after a brief length of time to see if they have the disease. Farmers, however, can opt not to have sentinels, but instead wait four months and then restock with permanent animals. Dr Nafees Meah, DEFRA's director of operations said of the latest lifting decision: "This is excellent news for North Yorkshire and is an important step towards farming and tourism industries getting back to business as usual. "The lifting of Infected Area status will go a long way to reassuring people that all the effort expended to beat foot and mouth and the hardship they have endured has been worthwhile." (warmwell note: worthwhile....429 farms had their animals killed unnecessarily but DEFRA's Dr Meah thinks we should be reassured that all the hardship was all "worthwhile". Continuing hardship with bureaucracy, daft restrictions and exhaustion is also worthwhile, no doubt.)
postedNov 24

Farmers get a break as restrictions are eased
Ilkley Gazette

FARMERS in Ilkley breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after foot and mouth restrictions in the area were officially lifted on Tuesday night. Government officials announced that 2,931 farms were being released from restrictions in the Skipton Infected Area, which includes Ilkley and Addingham. Farms which were infected with foot and mouth or were culled as dangerous contacts - including some in Middleton and Addingham - will remain under restriction until secondary cleansing and disinfection have been completed. But the lifting of the restrictions will make it far easier for many farmers to move and sell their livestock.
Stanley Flesher, of Ghyll House Farm, Addingham Moorside, said it was good news but criticised DEFRA for the way it had informed farmers.
"We have just got something through this morning from DEFRA," he said yesterday. "It says we will still need licences to move cattle. There is very little other information on the piece of paper. "You would think an important lifting like that they would give you a nice letter telling you what you can and can't do. It just doesn't explain anything".......
Nov 24

End of road for BSE research?
Farmers Weekly

By Donald MacPhail
A SCIENTIST whose controversial research could lead to an on-farm live test for BSE fears his work could be scuppered by demands from government advisors. Alan Ebringer, professor of immunology at King's College, London, voiced his concerns after MPs discussed his funding which runs out at the end of the year. Prof Ebringer believes BSE is caused by bacteria, placing him at odds with most scientists who blame rogue prions. Last week, DEFRA secretary Margaret Beckett told the House of Commons that BSE advisory committee SEAC had no vested interests in seeing the work end. While insisting that she supports the research, Mrs Beckett said that she had no current plans to renew funding. Prof Erbinger told FWi that he believes Mrs Beckett is awaiting the outcome of an SEAC meeting in February at which he will make a presentation.
But he is concerned the panel may ask for more data, which his team have no funding to provide. "They may say that our data is interesting but requires further material, which would essentially sink our work," said Prof Ebringer.
"If we have no more money, we can't do more research."
After submitting further results to Mrs Beckett at the end of the year, the team will cease to work on BSE. Parallel research into multiple sclerosis funded by a US company will continue.
(warmwell note: we consider this both significant and very serious. See today.)
Nov 22

EU farm ministers agree animal feed ingredients restrictions
AFXpress.com

BRUSSELS (AFX) - EU agriculture ministers agreed measures to restrict permitted animal feed ingredients and ensure diseased animals are destroyed, the European Commission said. The measures will ensure that the 16 mln tonnes of animal by-products produced each year in the EU, which are unsuitable for human consumption, are processed in a safe manner, it said. "This legislation is a major step towards preventing feed-borne food crises such as BSE and dioxin contamination. It makes the requirements on animal feed as stringent as those on food, and sets out clear rules on the animal materials that are excluded from the feed chain," said EU consumer protection commissioner David Byrne. ..... It bans "cannibalism", by which parts of a dead animal or bird are fed to animals of the same species. It ensures that animal by-products -- the parts of a slaughtered animal that are not consumed by humans -- can only be used in feed for farmed animals if they come from animals declared fit for human consumption. It provides that animal by-products contaminated with BSE or scrapie, or with residues of prohibited substances, such as illegal growth-promoting hormones, or with environmental contaminants like dioxins, must be completely disposed of as waste, by incineration or landfill after heat treatment, the Commission said.
(warmwell note: "scrapie"?)
Nov 22

FoE calls for new supermarket code
Farmers Weekly

.... In a new report the group calling for a legally enforceable code of conduct to govern the relationship between supermarkets and supplier. FoE says the major supermarkets which dominate the food retail sector can exert severe pressure on farmers to keep prices artificially low. Food scares and the impact of cheap imports have sent farming to "rock bottom", claims FoE campaign director Liana Stupples. "We must face up to the price we are paying for a policy of cheap food," she said.
"Supermarkets have UK farmers in an arm-lock - we must look at the role of food production in the wider economy, and the impact on our countryside and food quality." The report, entitled Get real about food and farming, also calls for a commitment to scrap the Common Agricultural Policy by 2006. It should be replaced with a sustainable development policy rewarding producers for good stewardship, high animal welfare standards and biodiversity. More support for local food production and distribution would strengthen local economies and provide valuable employment, claims the group. The report calls for food and agriculture should be removed from the control of the World Trade Organisation, the report says. Instead, a new international agreement on food and agriculture should promote and protect human rights to safe, healthy and nutritious food, it argues. "People have a right to decent food at a price they can afford," said Ms Stupples. "The government must act to support this right." A copy of the report can be downloaded from the FoE website.
Nov 22

'Winter floods are here to stay'
Farmers Weekly

By FWi staff
WINTER floods are likely to become an increasingly frequent problem for farmers in coming years, a researcher has warned. Tim Osborn, of the University of East Anglia's climatic research unit, will present his research to the Royal Society on Wednesday (21 November). He found that heavy rainfall for three or four consecutive days has increased by 60% in the past 40 years, reports The Daily Telegraph. "The floods in autumn 2000 were the worst on record in some places," said Dr Osborn. "This corresponds to a very high number of heavy rainfall days." He said that these patterns were likely to have been influenced by climate change.
Nov 22

POLAND: Poland says reassured about EU farm aid
Justfood.com

Source: Reuters
By Marcin Grajewski
Poland said on Tuesday it was confident the European Union will grant its large farm sector generous aid after the east European country joins the bloc, possibly as soon as 2004. Poland's often outmoded and inefficient farm sector is seen as an obstacle to the ex-communist country's quick EU entry, as some of the bloc's current member states fear it would be too costly to absorb under the current subsidy system. Any delays in Warsaw's farm talks with the EU, due to start next year, could also harm membership bids of smaller applicant countries, such as Hungary and Slovenia. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder reaffirmed on Tuesday that eastern enlargement without Poland was unthinkable. But Polish officials said after talks in Brussels that Warsaw would be granted farm aid, at least partially at the begining, which was crucial for winning a referendum on EU accession among highly euro-sceptic Polish farmers. .............
Nov 21

Attack on GM maize 'lawful'
Western Daily Press

The Government was last night under renewed pressure to review its policy on field trials of genetically-modified crops after two protesters were cleared of causing criminal damage to a field of GM maize.
Barbara Charvet, 59, and Jim Ridout, 26, cut down about two acres of both GM and non-GM plants at Rosemaund Farm, Preston Wynne, Herefordshire, in August last year. A jury at Worcester Crown Court yesterday acquitted them of criminal damage charges, accepting their defence that they had a lawful excuse for their actions. Mrs Charvet, a retired English teacher of Michaelchurch Escley, and Mr Ridout, of Orcop, both in Herefordshire, claimed after the case that the verdict supported their view that GM crops were harmful to the environment.
.......... Peter James, real food campaigner with FoE in Worcester, reiterated his organisation's call for further tests to be carried out on the possible impact of GM crops on the environment, other crops and the food chain. He said: "The Government has to start addressing this issue, otherwise people will see it as 'carte blanche' to destroy these types of crops." Mrs Charvet and Mr Ridout claimed they were compelled to act after their complaints about GM trials in Herefordshire to the Government, supermarkets and MPs "fell on deaf ears". The maize, contained in a 15-acre field, was being tested for its effects on bio-diversity by ADAS Consulting, which carries out work for different organisations, including bio-tech giant Aventis.
Written testimony to support the pair's concerns was provided for the court by genetic and human health scientists, plus specialists in agriculture, bees, pollen, science policy, pesticides and the environment.
But a spokesman for the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs said: "We deplore people interfering with the lawful activities of farmers growing GM crops for farm-scale evaluations. "The whole point of these trials is to test the environmental consequences. "They have already gone through all the laboratory and greenhouse tests and all the advice we have received from independent experts is that there can be no harm from GM crops to human health or the environment." (warmwell note: more "independent experts". As with FMD, the government chooses its independent experts very carefully, and chooses equally carefully which independent experts to ignore. For the present our courts ay least can choose not to ignore "genetic and human health scientists, plus specialists in agriculture, bees, pollen, science policy, pesticides and the environment". )
Nov 21

Farm vigil continues
The Scotsman

ANTI-GM protesters were yesterday given permission to continue their vigil at a crop trial site for another eight months, despite efforts from the Scottish executive to have them removed. A protest camp was set up near Munlochy in the Black Isle in August, after Ross Finnie, the rural development minister, announced a second GM crop trial on farmer Jamie Grant's land. Campaigners have since kept a presence there on land owned by Highland Council. In October, Mr Finnie asked the council to remove the camp, claiming that campaigners were harassing the farmer, but yesterday the council's planning committee backed the protesters, saying they were representing local public opinion.
Nov 21

India's WTO failures slammed
At Times

India/Pakistan India's WTO 'failures' slammed By Ranjit Devraj
NEW DELHI - India's lead delegate to the recent Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Qatar, Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran, earned praise from other developing countries for his firm stance at the session. But he is getting a rough ride at home. Central to the criticism is that Maran went to the meeting vowing to block a new round of global trade talks until pending issues from the Uruguay Round of talks - including rich countries' opening of their markets to textiles and agricultural goods - were settled, but he appeared to back down in fear of seeing his country isolated at the Doha conference.
"The simple fact is that a new round has been launched, which means new negotiations in a situation where consensus is missing," said Vandana Shiva, a campaigner just back from the Qatari capital. "India has been helpless to prevent the introduction of environmental issues in negotiations and let through the commodification of water unchallenged," said Shiva. Maran, Shiva said, failed to question effectively the removal of quantitative restrictions (QR) on imports of food grains and thus "reclaim" its right to food security and also to bring up the issue of biodiversity meaningfully. She conceded, however, that Maran was doing well at Doha until the developed countries used "blackmail and deceit" to swing things the way they wanted. Shiva alleged that British Prime Minister Tony Blair worked Maran's "capitulation" by contacting India Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and offering India more Western aid in return for not holding up the Doha agenda. Shiva also alleged that the West had very cunningly and effectively used the Afghan war and terrorism to push its agenda down the throats of other nations. "The poor Muslim countries which attended the meet had to go by the West because they were afraid that if they questioned the Americans they would be branded pro-terrorist," she argued. (warmwell note: Vandana Shiva is a highly respected and tireless campaigner, and one who is prepared not only to cut through all the spin to expose the dire consequences for the poorer countries of such measures as the commodification of water and QR, but also to speak out fearlessly against these measures.) ......
Nov 21

Second suspected mad cow case in Japan found: reports
News Asia

A 67-month-old Holstein cow from Hokkaido had tested positive for the brain-wasting disease at a meat inspection centre there, according to the Western Blot test, the Health Ministry said. Further tests at the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine were also positive. A committee of animal health experts will review the test results later Wednesday, an official said. The cow was slaughtered on November 19 and tested positive on Tuesday.
"We have to investigate the cause of the disease and the government will do its utmost to ease the public's concern," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said at a regular news conference. "We will hold a meeting later in the day. If the case is confirmed, we will incinerate it (the animal) and do our utmost to ensure safety." The government has been conducting tests on all slaughtered beef since October 18, following the discovery of Japan's first case of mad cow disease in September. In September, the government announced that brain tissue from a Holstein dairy cow raised at a farm east of Tokyo had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), causing beef consumption to plunge across the nation. (warmwell note: the economic effect of the first case was catastrophic for Japan's beef and feed industries. )
Nov 21

Total farm regulation scheme proposed
The Scotsman

Fordyce Maxwell Rural Affairs Editor
A SINGLE, all-embracing farm inspection and certification system is being considered by the UK government to improve farming methods. Farming minister Lord Whitty said that the option was being considered to raise standards and also simplify what can be a complex range of regulatory arrangements for some farmers. During a Radio 4 debate on the foot-and-mouth epidemic he said: "It is fairly well established that the standard of farming, and of issues like biosecurity and environmental protection, are variable up and down the country. "At the same time farmers, understandably, complain about the number of different regulators they face... health and safety, environment, the agricultural inspectors, the people who are inspecting subsidy claims and so on. "So there is an idea that we should have a total certification process that would be an inspection of the whole farm, meeting all of these criteria." Whitty added: "There are a lot of options as to how this could be pursued, and indeed whether it will be pursued." ......... Of Lord Whitty's suggestion, Gill said: "If we are not very careful we are in danger of bureaucratically handcuffing our industry to such an extent we will be totally uncompetitive in any market place at all."
EUROPEAN Union farm ministers meet in Brussels today with the sheep annual premium scheme on the agenda and the knowledge that the European parliament's suggestion of a 30 euro per ewe payment, about #18, has been dismissed by the European Commission which is understood to be considering about 21 euros, less than £13. This year's annual ewe premium, with payments related to lamb prices on the Continent, is only about £7. A system for voluntary buy-back of sheep quota is also likely to be discussed. Lifting the export ban on sheep from Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders will be discussed at next week's European Union standing veterinary committee.
Nov 21

Foot-and-mouth culling
The Times - letter

FROM MR ALAN BEAT

Sir, The novel concept of contiguous culling to protect against foot-and-mouth disease (letter, November 13) was first promoted by a computer modelling team from Imperial College with no backgound in veterinary science and lacking any specialist knowledge of FMD. The resulting model has been roundly criticised by those with practical expertise in these areas, such as Paul Kitching, the former deputy head at the Pirbright laboratory of the Institute for Animal Health (Comment, April 26).

The "three teams of independent epidemiologists" to which Elliot Morley refers in his letter have close academic links and are all using the same inadequate data and assumptions as their starting point, so it is hardly surprising that their resulting models are similarly flawed.

Yours faithfully, ALAN BEAT, The Bridge Mill, Bridgerule, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7EL. alan.rosie@lineone.net November 14.

A new way of life, with a pet cow for company
The Times

Carol Midgley
Phoenix the calf survived the foot-and-mouth cull. But the farm she came from hasn't
...... In a small field next to the Boards' family bungalow one survivor of the massive cull is trotting about with her constant companion, a black horse named Teddy. ....... At the time some Ministry sources made no secret of the fact that they doubted the circumstances of her miraculous survival and a trading standards official said that he thought she had simply been hidden from the cull. The Boards believe Phoenix was given an insufficient dose of the lethal injection and came round after lying doped for several days.
But the public didn't care. Not only was Phoenix a cute white calf, she represented the triumph of sentimentality over government brutality. She was universally loved and got her own website, fan mail, PR agent and requests for public appearances. Phoenix had gained world recognition - a symbol for British farming rising from the ashes.
Ironically, it hasn't quite worked out that way for the calf's owners. Clarence Farm has been in the Board family for 60 years but they can no longer see a way forward. .... "We can't go back to farming now," he says matter-of-factly. "It's sad, but basically it's a lot of work for nothing. I've had animals around me all my life. I couldn't go through this again. There used to be 60 or 70 sheep and cows running around here. Now we have just one horse and a little cow." .......... What depresses the Boards more than the prospect of starting over again is the colossal amount of bureaucracy now involved in farming. "All the red tape really does get you down," says Philip. "For instance, if you want to move some cows from one place to another you have to fill out 'movement forms'. Then you have to disinfect the van, seal it with the cows on board and disinfect it again when you unload them. That costs you £50 before you even start." ...... "Yes, it has changed things, says Michaela. "I don't see (animals) as meat at the end of it as much as I did. I suppose I see them more as individuals, like Phoenix, with a personality. I don't eat very much meat, but I never have done." Phoenix, I say, would normally have ended up on a dinner plate. "She won't now though," says Philip. "No chance of that." ......... "It is amazing, we know," says Philip. "Normally a calf would start blaring after a few hours without food, but we heard nothing. That's why we think she must have been doped. There was a red mark underneath her neck where we think she was injected."
On the day of the cull, a Wednesday afternoon in April, Philip and Michaela herded all the animals into the barn and then went out for a two-hour walk because they couldn't bear to be around the farm. When they returned the slaughtermen told them the deed had been done. The following Monday a MAFF man came to spray the corpses. "He walked into the barn and shouted to us:'Did you know there's a little white calf running round in here?' We couldn't believe it."
A donation has been made to the Green Wellie fund. Donation line: 0247 669 0587
Nov 20

Farmers face test for certificate to stay in business
Telegraph

By Robert Uhlig
FARMERS could have to pass a certification process to continue in business, the farming minister Lord Whitty said yesterday.
The certificate forms part of plans on the future of livestock and arable farming being considered by the Government and would replace current health and safety, environment and agricultural inspections with a single all-encompassing examination.
The National Farmers' Union said the proposals, being examined following the foot and mouth outbreak, would end up "bureaucratically handcuffing" the industry, making it totally uncompetitive.
Lord Whitty said: "It is fairly well established that the standard of farming, and of issues like biosecurity and environmental protection, are variable up and down the country. "At the same time farmers, understandably, complain about the number of different regulators they face. So there is an idea that we should have a total certification process that would be an inspection of the whole farm, meeting all of these criteria, and that you would therefore have a whole farm certification."
Ben Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union, said the proposals did not address the main issues thrown up by the foot and mouth and classical swine fever outbreaks. He said it was not "a necessary step forward" because farmers are already subjected to several levels of bureaucratic control and this information did not aid the handling of the crisis. Officials dealing with the outbreak were often frustrated by inadequate access to information on the location and layout of farms, on trade between farms, on veterinary information and on details of the number of livestock held by each farm. He also disputed the suggestion that farmers had an unsatisfactory record on the animal welfare and environmental fronts.
Nov 20

Professor Fred Brown OBE FRS Undergoes Triple Bypass Surgery
FMD Forum

Professor Fred Brown collapsed with a heart attack on Plum Island, USA on Tuesday 13th November. It is with great relief that we learn that he is now making a good recovery in a New York hospital, having undergone triple by-pass surgery.

Those who have had the privilege of meeting Professor Brown and the audiences he has addressed, will vouch for the passion and integrity with which he imparts his incomparable lifelong knowledge of the scientific study of Foot and Mouth disease.
Throughout this disastrous epidemic, Professor Brown, whose razor sharp mind underlies a diplomatic, mild mannered approach, has been only too aware of the mistaken or ill conceived policies being followed. Sad to say, the frustration that this has caused him, and other learned scientists in the field whose ideas and offers of help have been consistently disregarded, misrepresented or sidelined, has undoubtedly been a contributory factor to his sudden illness.
His ability to contribute has finally been acknowledged - albeit after the event - and he has been chosen as a member of the Royal Society's Inquiry. This has given great comfort and hope to us in the FMD Forum, as indeed to many others, because he is, in fact, the only panel member out of all three sub-divisions who has a profound knowledge of the disease. Therefore, it would be extremely unfortunate should ill health force Professor Brown to resign. Let us hope this does not happen, but if does, it is vital that he has a say in the appointment of a like-minded successor.
See also the e-mail message received from the FMD Forum
Nov 19

Farming union boss calls for vaccination research
Ananova

The leader of the country's biggest farming union is calling for urgent Government investment to develop a new vaccine to combat foot-and-mouth disease. Earlier this year National Farmers' Union president Ben Gill opposed plans to vaccinate animals during the crisis. But today has told a BBC Radio programme that there is a need for worldwide research to develop a vaccine. Mr Gill, who has been criticised by many farmers for his opposition to vaccination, blames the treasury for not properly funding basic research.
"It's the treasury who put the pressures on MAFF (the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) over the years that have cut back the basic research in this country that we should have had to fulfil the people's expectation. "When I've been and talked to other world authorities, they are more than willing, very keen, to ensure that the research to deliver the vaccines and proper control methods are co-ordinated on a world basis." Elliot Morley, the Government minister who served at MAFF and is now at its successor, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), says he never wanted to see a repeat of the mass culling of animals that had happened this year. "Of course there might be things we want to do differently in the future. We are having a big conference in Belgium on things like vaccination for instance. "We are investing in new science and new tests and that might be very helpful in the future," he said. "My opinion is that I don't want to see culling on this scale again."
(warmwell note: we are interested to note that these two arch architects of the carnage are busy blaming the Treasury, deploring the slaughter and backing vaccination, now that they see which way the wind is blowing.
Reminder BBC Radio 4 You and Yours at midday today)
Nov 19

Stores blamed for organic woes
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver
FARMERS are missing out on the UK organic boom because supermarkets increasingly dominate the sector, the Soil Association claims. A report published by the organic body on Monday (19 November), says the UK is the fastest-growing organic market in Europe. But supermarkets - which saw their market share increase from 74% to 80% in the past year - import three-quarters of their organic food. And where they do use domestic suppliers, they are not paying them enough, claims the Organic Food and Farming Report 2001. Many small organic businesses are questioning whether they can continue, says Soil Association director Patrick Holden. "On top of the burden of foot-and-mouth, many producers have been affected by growing price pressure from the supermarkets," said Mr Holden. The report says that insufficient government support is adding to the problems, and calls for "urgent action" from ministers, retailers and consumers. UK organic sales grew by a third to #802 million in the past year, with three-quarters of households making at least one organic purchase, claims the report. The area of fully organic land more than doubled to 240,000ha, while the number of companies licensed to produce organics have risen by 50% to 1675. Despite this boom, UK farmgate sales were worth just #100m in the past year - about 12.5% of the value of the retail market. Mr Holden calls for retailers to show greater loyalty to domestic suppliers and pay them prices that reflect the true cost of production. He urges the government to "back up its warm words with concrete action" to move the UK market away from being import dependent. Mr Holden says UK farmers have struggled to compete with producers enjoying more generous subsidies elsewhere in the EU. He calls for environmental stewardship payments and for ministers to encourage organic food consumption in hospitals, schools and other institutions.
Nov 19

Farming Today and You and Yours stage a public inquiry into the key issues.
BBC Radio 4 page

The Inquiry
The Radio 4 Foot and Mouth Inquiry will ask: How did an outbreak of a disease in farm animals escalate into a national crisis costing the taxpayer £billions? An expert panel will take evidence from key players in the foot and mouth story including Animal Health Minister, Elliot Morley and Ben Gill, President of the NFU. Members of the studio audience - all of them with first hand experience of the issues - will contribute to the discussion.
The Experts The panel of experts will be Professor Hugh Pennington, Professor Ian Mercer and Brigadier Alex Birtwhistle.
Professor Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University chaired the Pennington Group inquiry into the 1996 outbreak of E.Coli 0157 infection in central Scotland. He is an adviser to the Food Standards Agency in Scotland.
Professor Ian Mercer CBE is Secretary General of the Association of National Park Authorities. He lives in Devon and recently chaired that county' s inquiry into Foot and Mouth Disease. Brigadier Alex Birtwhistle commanded the troops who were charged with implementing the Government' s foot and mouth slaughter and disposal strategy in Cumbria earlier this year. Now retired from the Army he works as a consultant and lives near Lancaster.
The Programme You can hear The Radio 4 Foot and Mouth Inquiry at 12.00pm on Monday 19 November. On Tuesday 20 November at 12.30pm Call You and Yours will be devoted to your responses to the programme. You can call 0870 010 0444 - Lines will be open from 10.00am.
Nov 19

Farmers angry at new French lamb demand
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT,
FARMERS trying to resume the lamb export trade to France, which was worth up to £15 million a month, have been dealt a new blow by the French.
The French Food Standards Agency is demanding the removal of spinal column from exports of British lamb more than six months old from January 1. The measure is seen as an extra protection for consumers against BSE-linked brain diseases, but farmers in Britain are angry about the added cost. They say French sheep farmers gained from the absence of British lamb during the foot-and-mouth epidemic and are trying to hold on to the market.
Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, will attend a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council in Brussels tomorrow and is anxious to hear the views of David Byrne, the EU' s Food Safety Commissioner. The current EU ruling is for the spinal column to be removed from one-year-old lamb and only the French are demanding this extra protection for consumers under the precautionary principle. British farmers say that to absorb the cost of the cutting process at abattoirs they will be forced to accept lower prices for the meat, although the National Farmers' Union has not yet estimated the total cost. More crucially, this is an extra hurdle at a time when export trade, stalled by foot-and-mouth, is about to resume.
The Food Standards Agency in London said that there was no new scientific evidence available to warrant such a change of rules. Marie Agnhs Vibert, the agriculture attachi at the French Embassy in London, said:"Britain introduced its own rules on BSE before anyone else and now we are doing the same. This is not an action to defend markets, for the move has caused equal concern to our farmers and lamb industry."
There has been no proof that BSE exists in sheep and tests that the Government ordered on sheep brains from the 1990s ended in a debacle last month when scientists discovered they were working on cattle brains instead of material from sheep.
(warmwell note: we are rather baffled by the messages that seem to be coming from the FSA and SEAC. In Britain there is apparent anxiety that research into BSE in sheep is urgently required, that scrapie in sheep must, for some reason, be eradicated, yet when France shows concern there is "no new scientific evidence available". One can only assume the FSA and SEAC are implying, "Yet")
Nov 19

Farmers may need licence to farm
Guardian

James Meikle
Britain's farmers might need a "licence to farm", and risk being struck off a new national register if they fail to prove their competence to raise livestock or grow crops, under proposals being considered by government officials and advisers.
Those wanting to sell animals for food would also have to buy minimum levels of insurance against loss from disease before they were allowed to trade.
And a new "Domesday Book" of farmland, which still occupies three-quarters of the UK land mass, seems certain to be compiled. This may include maps of fields and livestock units as well as detailing numbers of animals and humans working with them. Officials trying to stem the foot and mouth outbreak felt overwhelmed by the lack of information on numbers of animals, trade between farmers, and veterinary health, as well as the exact location and layout of farms. They were also surprised by the number of farmers who had not protected their businesses through insurance, nor invited vets on to their farms for years.
.......... Failure to obey pollution controls or other environmental rules might also bring bigger penalties. Officials are considering how bans could be imposed on businesses rather than individuals, and whether partial bans, with only parts of farms barred from particular uses, would be possible.
No one knows exactly how many farms there are. There are thought to be about 146,350 "main holdings" in England and Wales and around 353,000 farmers, partners, directors and spouses associated with farming in the UK as a whole. There are another 200,000 farm workers. Getting details of "hobby farms" or smallholdings could be an administrative nightmare.
Some registers already exist, including for those who get EU subsidies on livestock and cereals, but they are not well coordinated. There are thousands of pig and poultry farms that are not registered. Ian Gardiner, deputy director of the National Farmers' Union, said: "On the animal disease side, we need to know far better where animals are at any time." But he added that farmers would be anxious to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
The government's farm animal welfare council has suggested farmers should prove themselves competent to keep livestock and that those who fail to comply with welfare codes should lose their right to subsidies. Julia Wrathall, deputy head of farm animals at the RSPCA, said: "If you are a dog breeder and you have two or three breeding bitches, you need a licence. If you have 300 breeding sows or ewes, you do not."
Nov 19

Chaos blamed on bureaucracy
The Scotsman

Carol McLaren
BUREAUCRATIC over-load is creating "absolute chaos" in the administration of the autumn livestock movement licensing system in Cumbria, generating huge frustration among farmers anxious to re-stock their farms. Producers in the county - the region hardest hit by the foot-and-mouth epidemic- this week voiced their exasperation at the myriad problems affecting them, from problems with lost and duplicate licenses to lengthy delays in issuing documentation. At an NFU meeting in Penrith, one farmer described the experience of foot-and- mouth as a trip "to hell and back", with difficulties far from over. In fact, said NFU group secretary Nick Utting, farmers ' problems are worsening: "We are still suffering from civil servants who can't agree among themselves what is right and what is wrong for the county. We feel we are not getting anywhere. "There are so many issues to be solved and the frustration is that it is people in London who are making the decisions for us." ........
Nov 18

'A disgrace of huge magnitude'
Yorkshire Post (letters)

From: John Roberts, St Johns Court, St Johns, Wakefield.
Sir, - I doubt if the letter from Elliot Morley (November 8) defending the new Animal Health Bill will convince many, least of all the farmers. The patronising tone of: "It's time to be grown-up about animal disease" is an insulting attempt by this Government to shirk its responsibilities. I'm sure he has a point regarding the illegal movement of animals, but this does not exonerate the Government, who coined the overall strategy.
Yes, you did indeed put a great deal of energy into the crisis, but it was largely misplaced energy. What was so clever about a wasteful scorched-earth policy of slaughter? We must be a very affluent country to allow this.
It is what he does not speak about in his letter which is most telling; notably the monstrous cull of healthy animals. Was it really necessary, Elliot Morley? There's an old saying: "If you find that you are digging yourself into a hole, then stop digging."
This new Bill is an attempt to cast the blame elsewhere and give the Government a watertight let-out in the future. It will crush any opposition; having said that, they didn't do a bad job stifling opposition in any case, did they?
The foot-and-mouth crisis has been a lethal cocktail of folly, self-interest, Government ineptitude and spinelessness, waste and wanton cruelty, both to human beings and animals.
In short, a disgrace of huge magnitude.
From: John Piper, West Burton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
Sir, - I refer to the disgraceful letter from Elliot Morley (November 8) in which he blames farmers for the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. He accepts no responsibility for the Government or MAAF.
They have some very uncomfortable questions to answer. After the outbreak in 1967 certain procedures were to be followed on the next occasion an outbreak occurred. The initial delay, as highlighted by Prof Mark Woolhouse, was the most crucial factor.
The time lag thereafter between notification and slaughter was often three to four days during which it was estimated two to three more farms were infected.
There are other questions which should be addressed, which is why a full public inquiry is so necessary.
From: JW Buckley, Aketon, Pontefract.
Sir, - What an illustrative letter from Elliot Morley (November 8) on the Animal Health (prevention of farmers asking questions) Bill.
Elliot Morley speaks of working together to eradicate disease, but is only prepared to do so on his own terms.
The Animal Health Bill is there for one reason - to stop people questioning Government. All this, remember, against the background of the Government's actions on foot-and-mouth being highly questionable, and Government ducking and weaving and throwing red herrings about to avoid the issue.
From: Diana Wallis, MEP, Land of Green Ginger, Hull.
Sir, - The emerging story of Government mismanagement of the foot-and-mouth crisis confirms my view that agricultural matters such as these are better dealt with at a much more local level.
In Wales, for example, the decisive action of the Welsh Assembly limited the foot-and-mouth outbreak there. The quick response to the outbreak in Wales contrasts with that in England, where it took nearly three weeks before a co-ordinated and concerted approach was taken.
If Yorkshire, too, had a regional assembly, I believe we would have been much quicker out of the blocks than the Whitehall-based mandarins in supporting rural communities.
With the issue of flooding also on the agenda, wouldn't it be so much better to have a devolved regional body able to co-ordinate all the agencies and deal coherently with these sorts of problems in times of crisis and alleviating much of the frustration felt by people in Yorkshire?
From: Roger Wilson, Park Close, Melbourne, York.
Sir, - So Elliot Morley (Letters, November 8) perceives that the major cause of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease is everybody else's fault except the Government's and MAFF (DEFRA).
The huge drain on resources and costs was primarily caused because the powers-that-be did not, and still do not, have a national disaster or contingency plan for virulent diseases such as this.
No, Elliot Morley. What the public require is not some obscure independent inquiries. Put your money where your mouth is, stop these accusations, and let's have a full public inquiry. Perhaps then, and only then, will the full truth be known.
From: Ken Holmes, South Duffield Road, Cliffe Common, Selby.
Sir, - A spokesman for DEFRA says that their licensing system is very complex. No doubt about it, it is. But who created the complexity? It certainly wasn't the ones suffering from it - farmers.
posted Nov 18

Welsh farmers reject animal health bill
icWales

The Farmers' Union of Wales has rejected the Government's new Animal Health Bill - because the union doesn't believe that DEFRA should be given any more powers at present. The new Animal Health Bill proposes to give the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs powers to force farmers to comply with livestock culls in the event of another disease outbreak, such as foot and mouth. The FUW believes that arbitrary powers coupled to the lack of an appeals procedure could breach EU law and the Human Rights Act. "Giving DEFRA even more powers over the lives of farmers before establishing why the disease spread out of control so quickly is like putting a five year old behind the wheel of a Ferrari," said Alan Gardner, who chaired a joint meeting of the union's livestock and hill farming committees. "The only way to resolve this difficult issue is for the Government to order a full public inquiry into this year's foot and mouth epidemic so that errors can be pinpointed and lessons learned," he said. "Until such an inquiry is held it would be foolish to grant DEFRA any more powers."
posted Nov 18

A fishy problem solved
Booker's Notebook Sunday Telegraph

...to make way for the Spanish fleet, the European Commission, abetted by the UK government, has been relentlessly tightening the screw on Britain's own fishermen, trying by every regulatory means to force as many as possible out of business. So draconian have fishing restrictions become that the owners of 215 Scottish whitefish vessels, a third of the Scottish fleet, have now applied to have their boats to be destroyed. The £25 million allocated will only be enough to pay off a fraction of the fishermen. Hundreds will simply have to look for other jobs without compensation. In the south-west of England, Margaret Beckett's fisheries department has adopted a less costly tactic. Next month it is to bring 200 technical charges concerning alleged illegal fish landings against 25 people connected with eight vessels in Brixham and Plymouth. Since fines on each charge can be unlimited, Mrs Beckett's officials must be hoping that eight more British boats will no longer be on the register by 2002. No doubt Sir Edward Heath, who in 1973 handed over the richest fishing waters in the world as a "common European resource", will be equally pleased it is all working out so well. (warmwell note: it is impossible not to see parallels between this heartless piece of Defra chicanery and the foot and mouth policies)
Nov 18

Mass testing to trace BSE
BBC

Around a quarter of a million cattle are to be tested for BSE to discover the extent of the disease in the national herd, according to a government adviser. The new programme, in line with a European Union directive, will cost the government £50m. The scheme follows criticism from leading scientists that the scale of the existing sample programme is not big enough. One million animals are tested in France and Germany each year
The government has also announced that more than 20,000 sheep brains will be tested for signs of BSE and scrapie.
This follows revelations last month that a four-year study by the Institute of Animal Health into whether sheep could contract BSE was abandoned, after it emerged scientists had been testing material from cows' brains. Professor Roy Anderson, who has also advised ministers on foot-and-mouth disease, believes the true extent of BSE may not be known in the UK, because so few animals are tested compared with other European countries. The latest laboratory results showed less than 1% of cattle tested were showing BSE. But only 10,000 cattle have been tested for BSE this year in Britain compared to almost one million animals tested by both France and Germany every year.
Most UK samples are from animals that have died as a result of accidents or disease, or those that are more than 30 months old. Experts say these animals might be more susceptible to the disease and that could distort the figures. Professor Peter Smith, chairman of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (Seac) which advises the government on BSE, told BBC Radio Four's Farming Today programme the scale of testing is to be dramatically increased to 250,000 cattle over the next year. Junior environment minister Elliot Morley, in a Commons written reply on Friday, said the sheep tests would also take place next year. The government's Veterinary Laboratory Agency will carry out tests on 23,000 sheep brains for signs of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) - the disease family which includes BSE and scrapie. Like scrapie in sheep and CJD in humans, BSE attacks the brain, leaving it riddled with holes like a sponge.
Scientists will test 20,000 brains from animals culled at abattoirs and 3,000 from animals who have died on farms. An Environment Food and Rural Affairs Department spokesman said: "This is something that is happening European Union-wide. There is still a lot that we need to discover about TSEs."
(warmwell note: Alan Ebringer, professor of immunology at King's College, London believes that BSE is caused by the acinetobactor calcoaceticus bacterium . SEAC maintains that the cause is rogue prions and has suppressed findings byanother researcher, the independent Mark Purdey that suggests otherwise. Now, Professor Ebringer's funding runs out on 31 December and SEAC has postponed the consultation they were due to have with him until next February. " There is still a lot we need to discover about TSEs provided it fits in with our own way of looking at this" would have been a more accurate statement from DEFRA and SEAC Prof Ebringer believes that if BSE is an auto-immune disease it would mean that British beef is safe, and that the mass slaughter of cattle over 30 months of age and other measures costing the taxpayer several billion pounds, were unnecessary.)
Nov 17

Flying school farmer faces eviction
Farmers Weekly

A NORFOLK farmer who also runs a flying school and livery stables claims she is being threatened with eviction because she earns some money outside agriculture.
Kay Mason farms 34ha (85 acres) near Norwich and planning permission for her farmhouse granted on the condition that the occupier was wholly engaged in agriculture. In addition to the farm, Mrs Mason owns a flying school at the city's airport and a livery stable. Her land has an airstrip that has been used for 30 years by a local flying club.
But Broadland District Council has said Mrs Mason was not complying with a planning regulation restricting occupancy to someone wholly engaged in agriculture. It is considering whether to take legal action to force compliance with the agricultural restriction on the farmhouse. Eviction is one option lawyers are investigating. A Broadland council spokesman said: "There is no dispute that there is a planning contravention. We have to decide what action is taken in response." But Mrs Mason said: "If this goes ahead it would put a questionmark over the future of many farms with similar restrictions where the farmers are trying to diversify. "In the present climate it would be impossible for any farmer to earn a living entirely from running this holding." Although Mrs Mason owns her farm, tenant farmers face similar problems.
The Tenant Farmers' Association has called on the government to change its definition of agriculture so more farmers can diversify.
posted Nov 17

Beckett denies stifling BSE research

By Donald MacPhail
RURAL affairs secretary Margaret Beckett has denied that there are moves to suppress controversial BSE research - despite having no plans to renew its funding. She was responding to a question in the House of Commons concerning funding for work by Alan Ebringer, professor of immunology at King's College, London. Prof Ebringer believes that BSE is caused by the acinetobactor calcoaceticus bacterium - placing him at odds with most scientists who blame rogue prions. His funding runs out on 31 December, and a presentation Prof Ebringer was to make to government BSE advisors SEAC has been put back until next February. Labour MP Tam Dalyell asked Mrs Beckett if SEAC had "vested interests" in seeing Prof Ebringer's work come to an end. But speaking on Thursday (15 November), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary said she was "not aware of any such interest". Mrs Beckett said Defra supported Prof Ebringer's work, but admitted that there were no plans to renew funding. "Although I have no current plans to extend that funding, there is no question of the research being in any way suppressed; it is supported," insisted Mrs Beckett. "We shall keep the funding issue under review," she added. Conservative rural affairs spokesman Peter Ainsworth said Prof Ebringer's work deserves support and that "his findings deserve to be taken very seriously indeed". He asked if Prof Ebringer's research only emphasises the need for Mrs Beckett to take account of scientific opinion beyond her own advisers at SEAC. "Scientists show a natural reluctance to alter their opinions once they have reached a decision and published it," he claimed. Mrs Beckett insisted that Defra tried to keep an open mind "as SEAC itself does", and "tries not to stifle an interesting new theory, wherever it may come from". ( warmwell note: the notion that either Defra or SEAC has an open mind appears full of holes - a transparent spongiform hyperbole) Prof Ebringer says his work could lead to a BSE test for live cattle.
Nov 16

Survey reveals net-savvy farmers
Farmers weekly

ALMOST two-thirds of British farmers recently surveyed by the National Farmers Union are online - a far cry from the image of producers as country-bumpkin technophobes, claims the survey. The poll, sent to 1000 farmers and posted on the membership website NFUnet, also found that over 70% of online farmers surf the Internet at least once a day. NFU president Ben Gill said: "We live in a world where speed in obtaining the latest information is the key to success. "As the Internet grows in value, more and more farmers are seeing real business benefits from becoming Internet-savvy." Internet use among regular surfers increased by 69% during foot-and-mouth, when many farmers relied on it for information, the survey found. "The Internet was particularly crucial during the height of the foot-and-mouth crisis, when many farmers were isolated," said Mr Gill. "It also provided a virtual platform for advice and for members to come together and support each other." More businesses are exploiting the Net to trade goods, with a wide variety of businesses online, from farm holiday accommodation to essential oils. Almost all online farmers said they used the Internet for information with 60% accessing it for news and 32% for buying goods. But farmers do have some concerns about using the Internet, with 42% saying they did not have enough time, the survey found.
Nov 16

Blunkett's in a Right state
Mirror

DAVID Blunkett is under great stress, according to his close advisers.
I should hope so, too. The Home Secretary is single-handedly closing down centuries of freedom in this country by taking powers of detention without trial. Naturally, he says his version of internment will affect only a few foreigners whom the security services suspect of having terrorist links. And they will have a right of appeal to a special tribunal. That isn't the point. Blunkett is breaching a basic right of everyone in this country, native or alien, not to be locked up without a fair trial at which evidence of guilt is produced - and challenged. Even before he takes these powers, the Home Secretary has declared a state of public emergency, so that he can abrogate the European Convention on Human Rights. This is not just any old state of emergency, like the short-lived numbers we had during the pit strikes of the 70s. It is a permanent, open-ended arrangement which will allow the government to take all sorts of powers over us, the people. It stinks. So does the rest of this mammoth 125-clause Bill the thickness of a telephone directory. Hard hats in the Home Office are using the events of September 11 as a smokescreen to smuggle in all kinds of interfering, repressive measures. For instance, the police will have authority to order people to remove gloves, balaclavas and face paint. Hang on a minute. Face paint? Gloves? These powers are not being introduced to deal with international terrorists. They are aimed at British protesters over animal rights, global capitalism and other contentious issues such as nuclear power stations. Now, I have no truck with some of these people, but mostly they are just kids who feel strongly about aspects of life. They are certainly not terrorists. And another thing. The Bill will give all public authorities - councils, the NHS and loads of others - the power to give the police confidential information about anyone being investigated for a crime - or even a suspected crime. This is George Orwell's 1984, running 17 years late. It is the makings of a police state. Even the judges are appalled. David Blunkett says he is taking these powers "reluctantly". Sphericals. .......
Nov 16

NFU insists scrapie slaughtering unnecessary
Ananova

The National Farmers' Union says Britain need not adopt tough measures to control scrapie in sheep being proposed by France. Scientists across the Channel are proposing that whole flocks should be slaughtered if just some of the animals are found to have the brain disease. Scrapie is feared to be linked to BSE in cattle and vCJD in humans.
(warmwell note: by whom? what nonsense this is. There is no independent research funded by our government, only the research that persists in assuming such a link. For journalists, and the NFU apparently, this "link" has now become the received wisdom. There is a great deal more to be said on this issue. See the BSE/CJD page ) But there is no evidence that the Draconian measures are needed here, Mr Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union, says. "We have done far more research then the French. There is a lot of detailed research gone into the random selections of sheep brains," he said. A major research project in which cow rather than sheep brains were apparently accidentally used had been a "cock-up", but that was irrelevant because even if they had been from sheep they were a decade old, he says.

"What is more important is the sheep brains that have been taken contemporaneously and every one has proved negative for BSE," he added. Even the French are only slaughtering flocks that are heavily infected and geno-typing will eradicate the disease in Britain, he says. Story filed: 08:46 Friday 16th November 2001
Nov 16

Farm export subsidies to be cut
Farmer's Weekly

By Philip Clarke, Europe editor
EXPORT subsidies on agricultural goods are to be reduced - though not necessarily eliminated - under a new round of world trade talks. Known as the Doha Development Round, the multi-national negotiations are scheduled to last three years. Trade ministers from 142 countries launched the new trade on Wednesday (14 November), following six days of talks in Doha, capital of Qatar. As expected, agricultural export subsidies proved one of the main sticking points as delegates tried to find an acceptable form of words.
Most countries want a commitment to "reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies". France and Ireland in particular said the words implied that eliminating export subsidies is the pre-determined outcome of the negotiations. The European Union will need export subsidies to bridge the gap between EU prices and world prices, even after the Agenda 2000 reforms. As a compromise, a final text from the World Trade Organisation's meeting included the words "without prejudging the outcome of the negotiations".
This effectively means the main protagonists - the EU, USA and the Cairns Group of south Pacific countries - can continue haggling for years to come.
In return for a "concession" on export subsidies, the EU is pressing its demand for "non-trade" issues to be considered in future trade talks. This will make it easier to reward farmers for environmental services, bolster food safety and protect specialist products from cheap imitations. The agreement also calls for "substantial improvements in market access" and "substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic supports". EU farm commissioner Franz Fischler described the launch of the new trade round as "a slap in the face for isolationism". The free world prefers trade to terrorism, he said. Depending on the extent to which export subsidies have to be cut, the EU may have to reduce support prices further and increase direct payments. This won't start to bite for at least three years, although the EU must adjust to take in low-cost producers from central and eastern European countries. As well as agriculture, the Doha round will also focus on liberalising trade in the service sector and reducing industrial tariffs. US president George Bush said the deal had "the potential to revitalise the global economy".
posted Nov 16

Northumberland not infected - official
Farmers' Weekly

NORTHUMBERLAND has its foot-and-mouth infected-area status removed, freeing up 828 farms which were under restrictions. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs lifted the North Pennines infected area around Hexham on Thursday (15 November). This move followed extensive blood sampling in the Whitley Chapel area of Northumberland - all of which proved negative. Two smaller infected areas remain in Skipton and Cumbria, as well as the Penrith restricted infected area.
posted Nov 16

ECHR halts paedophile ring trail
The Scotsman

Michelle Nichols and John McEachran
A FATHER of two accused of being a member of the world 's biggest internet paedophile ring walked free from a Scottish court yesterday after a sheriff ruled his human rights were infringed because the man who had unplugged his computer during a police search was not named on the warrant. Comment IT is becoming increasingly clear that Scottish judges, especially in the lower courts, are being trapped beyond their competence because of the precise way ECHR has been re-inserted into Scottish law with the Scotland Act of 1999. Sheriff Peter Gillam said the police raid on Andrew Aspinall 's home in Livingston, West Lothian, was illegal and a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. As a result, he refused to allow the computer or discs to be entered in evidence before the jury at Linlithgow Sheriff Court. The computer will now be handed back to Mr Aspinall, although detectives believe it may contain thousands of images of child pornography. A senior police officer last night said the public would be baffled by the latest controversial ECHR ruling. (warmwell note: Rather than being baffled it is possible that they will feel reassured by another instance of a judge upholding the law in order to protect ordinary people even at th expense of losing one conviction. A man who may be a criminal is allowed to walk free, but police carried out anonymous raids on private property - as they will have legal right to do under the new rules of the Animal Health amendment bill if it is passed. The fault here was surely not with the judge (sheriff) nor with the European Convention on Human Rights but with the reluctance of officials to be named. This case will, no doubt, be pointed at to help justify New Labour's and Mr Blunkett's wish to undermine both the judiciary and the principles behind the ECHR .)

Internment a 'threat to pillar of freedom'
Telegraph

By Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor, and Sarah Womack
(Filed: 16/11/2001) DAVID BLUNKETT'S plans to detain suspected terrorists without trial have been denounced as potentially dangerous by the Conservatives and "a threat to a pillar of our freedoms" by one of the country's most venerable judicial figures. Lord Donaldson, a former Master of the Rolls, said such detentions were an attack on the 14th century concept of habeas corpus. "This has no precedent," he said on BBC radio. "Habeas corpus goes back centuries. This is not an airy-fairy issue, this is a fundamental right without which we are entirely at the mercy of ministers." Lord Donaldson was referring to the Home Secretary's dismissal of "airy-fairy" liberals who are opposed to his anti-terrorism package. Writing in The Telegraph today, Oliver Letwin, shadow home secretary, says the proposed internment of foreign nationals who pose a risk to national security could make Britain a target for reprisals or hostage-taking. ...............Mr Letwin also signals that the Tories will challenge the proposed law on incitement to religious hatred when the new anti-terrorism Bill goes to the Commons next week. Lord Donaldson's attack indicates that Mr Blunkett's legislation may face its toughest challenge from peers. He said Mr Blunkett wanted there to be no referee other than the Home Office. "There can be an appeal to a special tribunal, but the tribunal has no power to order the Home Secretary to take any particular action, and if it does do so it has no power to enforce it," he said.
Nov 16

Cash threat to BSE test research
Farmers' Weekly

By Donald MacPhail
RESEARCH which could lead to a BSE test for live cattle is in jeopardy unless the government provides more funding by the end of the year.
Alan Ebringer, professor of immunology at King's College, London, has developed a test for BSE which has identified infected samples with 100% accuracy. In the pilot study, material from infected cattle was found to have higher levels of antibodies to the bacterium acinetobactor calcoaceticus. If wider trials support this, an on-farm BSE test could be developed. "By testing 1cc of blood, we could determine whether or not an animal has BSE before it goes to slaughter, " said Prof Ebringer. Such a test could prevent cattle with BSE entering the food chain, although further research is required to discover whether it could detect sub-clinical cases.
But the project could come to an abrupt halt on 31 December when funding provided in the 1990s by the then Ministry of Agriculture runs out. And a presentation Prof Ebringer was due to make to influential government BSE advisors SEAC in November has been put back until February. Supporters of Prof Ebringer's believe scientists are trying to halt his work because it is at odds with the mainstream theory that BSE is caused by rogue prions. Prof Ebringer believes that BSE, vCJD and other diseases, including multiple sclerosis, are caused by an immune reaction. This is set off by exposure to acinetobactor, which "mimics" brain cells. Antibodies which attack the bacteria also attack brain tissue, he believes. Prof Ebringer says prions are consequence of the autoimmune conditions triggered by acinetobactor, rather than the cause of BSE. In the House of Commons on Thursday (15 November), Labour MP Tam Dalyell will ask Defra secretary Margaret Beckett if she plans to renew funding. "This should be given a proper hearing," Mr Dalyell told FWi. "My instinct is that Prof Ebringer may be right and that SEAC could be wrong." SEAC chairman Peter Smith stressed that Defra made all funding decisions and denied that there were any moves to sideline Prof Ebringer. "The fact that SEAC has invited Prof Ebringer to present his research indicates that we give credence to his work," he said. A Defra spokesman said if proposals were approved by peer review, the department could consider funding in the New Year.
Nov 15

David Blunkett holds liberty and the judges in contempt
Guardian

The home secretary will soon decide who is to be detained without trial
Hugo Young
In Britain, David Blunkett says, politicians not judges are the true defenders of liberty. This is a profound philosophical position. "It was not the lawyers and judges who secured democracy and freedom for our people," Blunkett told the Labour party conference. As home secretary and a non-lawyer, he plainly believes he has a mission to reiterate the doctrine of ministerial supremacy. Last week, his message became more absolutist. "The law," he insisted, "will be made by those who are held to account for both making it and changing it." On Sunday, his obvious contempt for the legal profession reached towards the law itself with an unscripted attack, straight from the heart, on "airy-fairy civil liberties" and the people who defend them.
Nov 15

Now Haskins leaves Northern Foods
Farmers Weekly

LORD HASKINS, the government's rural recovery coordinator, has announced that he is retiring as chairman of Northern Foods. This announcement follows news that the Labour peer was stepping down as chairman of Express Dairies. Lord Haskins said that it had long been his intention to step down from his two public company chairmanships before he reached his 65th birthday. He told the Daily Mail that after a 40-year career he had "nothing lined up" for the future. The Times reports that Lord Haskins, a close friend of Tony Blair, had been criticised by Northern shareholders for spending too much time away. The new chairman at Northern Foods will be former Nestli UK boss Peter Blackburn. Express Dairies has named Sir David Naish, who was president of the National Farmers' Union from 1991-98, as Lord Haskins' replacement. Northern Foods shares fell 6p to 149p after Lord Haskins unveiled a drop in pretax profits from £52.2 million to £38.4m in the six months to September.
posted Nov 15

French threat to world trade talks
Farmers Weekly

FRANCE has threatened to walk out of World Trade Organisation talks unless the EU wins a deal on agricultural subsidies. French delegates are resisting calls from the rest of the world for the EU to phase out its farm subsidy system, reports The Guardian. "It's a sort of deal-breaker point," said French trade minister Francois Huwart. The USA, the Cairns Group and poor countries have left the EU isolated with demands for an end to subsidies. A WTO spokesman told the newspaper that the talks in Doha, Qatar, could end without agreement.
posted Nov 15

Ministers face fines over MAFF dispute
Farmers Weekly

By John Burns, south-west of England correspondent
STUBBORN ministers may pay multi-million pound fines to the EU, rather than pledge less to settle a dispute with ex-Ministry of Agriculture staff, say union leaders. Brussels could impose penalties on the UK because the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has failed to meet support payment deadlines. Delays have occurred because of industrial action - including strikes and working to contract - organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS). Ex-MAFF staff began action in the summer after discovering that Department for the Environment staff transferred to Defra enjoyed better pay and conditions.
At a recent meeting in Exeter, Devon, PCS official Sheila Pickman told staff that only in recent days had Defra gone to the Treasury for more money. PCS Exeter branch secretary David Climie said the action might delay support payments to farmers, but that these would not be affected by fines.
Even with massive overtime, it was unlikely that some deadlines could now be met, warned Mr Climie. Mr Climie said that the EU might impose penalties of millions of pounds if deadlines were missed - and the longer the delay the bigger the fine. Ironically, these fines could exceed the total sum required bring ex-MAFF staff salaries up to the same levels as their colleagues in Defra. PCS is also mounting a legal challenge on Defra 's failure to pay equal rates for equal work. As part of a regional rota of industrial action, Exeter staff are due to strike on Thursday and Friday (15-16 November) if the dispute is not resolved.
posted Nov 15

Bayer's profits hurt by drug withdrawal
BBC

Lipobay is mainly responsible for Bayer's troubles. Lipobay was withdrawn in August over fears that it may have caused the deaths of more than 50 people. ...... The fall in profits is largely because of the company's withdrawal of anti-cholesterol drug Baycol/Lipobay. ......... Bayer, Europe's second-largest chemicals group, put the cost of the Lipobay withdrawal and problems in producing the haemophilia treatment Kogenate at 1.4bn euros ($1.2bn). This was more than previously announced. ........
It has been a difficult year so far for Bayer, after the Lipobay problem resulted in falling profits, takeover rumours, the filing of 160 lawsuits, a suspension of a listing on the New York Stock Exchange and the sacking of over 4000 workers.
In the fourth quarter, Bayer is expected to receive a short-term boost from sales of Ciprobay, which is used to treat anthrax. The drug has been in hot demand in the US, following the anthrax attacks.
The company refused to comment on reports that it was close to signing a marketing deal in the US with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for its new erectile dysfunction drug Vardenafil. ..... Bayer needs a strong US partner to market and sell Vardenafil in competition with better-known rivals such as Viagra. It hopes the new treatment will fill part of the gap left by the withdrawal of Lipobay. British drug giant GSK has been tipped as the ideal partner since it has been looking to make use of its huge US sales operation after failing to bring several products in development to market. GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) also refused to comment on a possible deal with Bayer, which was reported by the UK's Financial Times without citing sources. The two companies have already worked together in marketing Lipobay.
Nov 15

Government in denial' of its foot and mouth errors
Western Morning News

.... Tony Banks, the former Sport Minister, underlined backbench unease about the sweeping new powers when he abstained from the vote on the Bill's second reading on Monday. He also added his voice to calls for a full public inquiry into the foot and mouth (FMD) crisis. Mr Banks, a well-known animal rights campaigner, said it was not right to give extended culling powers to DEFRA officials and other "so-called experts". He added: "The idea that Ministers can order slaughter whether or not animals have been exposed to foot and mouth disease is one that I find wholly unacceptable." Despite the Bill passing its second reading with a large majority, significant concerns were raised about it on all sides of the House of Commons and it is expected to face a tougher time both in committee and in the House of Lords.
Peter Ainsworth, the Tory spokesman on environment, food and rural affairs, said it was "inappropriate" to bring in such measures before a full inquiry into the FMD outbreak had been held. Mr Ainsworth said: "There are important lessons to be learned, but the Bill contains no evidence to show that the Government have learned from their mistakes. Indeed, it suggests they are strongly in denial of their role in the whole sad affair. "Whenever anything goes wrong it is the Government's natural and cowardly instinct to look for someone else to blame. However I have rarely witnessed anything as low or contemptible as their attempt to blame foot and mouth on the farming community." (warmwell note: he was actually more interesting than that. read more here) Colin Breed, the Lib-Dem's agriculture spokesman, condemned the Government's failure to consult any of the main farming groups, or to await the outcome of its own inquiries into the handling of the epidemic. He described the Government's attitude towards farmers as "insulting", adding: "This bill fails on all accounts. This kind of shoddy legislation again highlights the need for a public inquiry into the FMD crisis and the need for a Government to take rural affairs seriously." The Animal Health Minister, Elliot Morley, defended the powers in the Bill, which he said were essential contingency options for tackling any future outbreak. Mr Morley said: "Ideally, nobody wants animals ever again to be culled here on the scale that has been necessary in this outbreak. That is all the more reason why, if we are to have culling, it must be done speedily and effectively. "The measures in the Bill mean that, by taking quicker and more effective action, fewer animals will be effective." (sic - but probably not Mr Morley's fault, this time) Angela Browning, Tory MP for Tiverton and Honiton, said that Government bureaucracy and inadequate resources were the main culprit for many of the delays during the crisis. She said three farms in her constituency were identified for the contiguous cull 19 days after neighbouring outbreaks, by which time it was clear they were not infected.
Nov 14

Scientists start testing cattle for BSE
ananova

BSE testing of thousands of cattle begins today as part of a major Government programme. Tthe newly independent LGC, formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, won a competitive tendering exercise to test all cattle born between August 1, 1996, and July 31, 1997, which are slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS). A proportion of these animals are already being tested in government laboratories, but this contract means all cattle in this category will be tested. LGC will test a sample of 50,000 OTMS animals in line with European Union requirements.
Government laboratories are also testing cattle which die on farms or in transit, or cattle which are subject to emergency slaughter through injury or sickness, casualty animals.
Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley said: "These tests will give us a more accurate picture of the level of BSE infectivity in the UK herd and will add to results from our existing already much expanded testing programme. "Cattle born in the year after August 1, 1996, are particularly significant as this is the date when our strengthened feed controls were considered to be fully effective." BSE testing in the UK has been delayed as a result of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.
(warmwell note:"won a competitive tendering exercise", "contract", "newly independent"..not for the first time, we notice how much money and influence is involved in "Animal Health" and research into TSEs, not to mention the wealth pouring into the pockets of vets, slaughter teams, hauliers and others as a result of the animal death policies of the past eight months)
Nov 14

Politicians should leave justice to judges and juries
The Times

BY ROY AMLOT QC
David Blunkett's recent speech to Civitas, the Institute for the Study of Civil Society, was not the biggest story of the week but it has, according to reports in this newspaper, triggered a row at the top of Government. In his address, the Home Secretary was critical of the way in which judicial review had been progressively extended in scope as a means of challenging the will of ministers. And, not for the first time since September 11, Mr Blunkett made vocal his desire to see judges more willing to toe the line on key areas of Government home and security policy. Politicians must be as vocal as they like when it comes to issues of public policy. The ability to direct and set the tone for debates on issues of widespread interest is at the heart of political leadership. But the fact that the Home Secretary now wants to curb judges' power is disturbing. The strongest argument in favour of judicial review as a check on the unfettered power of the political executive is the sound of politicians complaining about it. To coin a phrase, if it ain't hurting, it ain't working. Judicial review promotes good governance at all levels. This is especially important when we remember how heav-ily governed we are: parish and town councils; district and borough councils; county and unitary authorities; regional government in its many forms; central government and a staggering panoply of all-powerful quangos and statutory bodies. .............
The Home Secretary also challenged lawyers to decide whether we were a profession or a trade, seeming to imply that the vigorous pursuit of a client's cause may be an abasement of professional standards. To this I say that we are very clearly a profession, independent but regulated in the public interest, with a higher and primary duty to justice and the courts. We are not the lapdogs of the executive, happy to back off when the political going gets tough.
But in the long run, such ministerial sounding-off must not be allowed to become a smokescreen for the real issue that lies at the heart of the recent recommendations of the Auld report - thought to be favoured by ministers- namely, the abolition of the right to trial by jury in the majority of criminal cases. For the health of our demo-cracy, it is essential that juries should be retained for criminal trials, the majority of which bring consequences that are likely to be serious for the defendant and the alleged victim alike. In dangerous times, our basic freedoms need protection more than ever before. I am not sure that the public would agree that it is politicians, not independent judges or lay jurors, who should have the whip hand in our justice system. Judges protect us all against the might of the State. What's more, people trust juries. It is time for ministers to trust them both.
posted Nov 14

Millions 'lost' in EU Budget, say auditors
Asia.com

Sources say that 5% of spending is not accounted for; auditors also warn of poor control over farm, structural funds BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) is unable to account for millions of euros it spent last year and still has insufficient control over its huge farm and structural funds, the European Court of Auditors said on Monday. In its 600-page annual report on the 90 billion euro (S$146 billion) Budget, the court did not give a specific figure of money lost but EU sources reckon some 5 per cent of the Budget could not be accounted for fully.
Financial control is a key goal for the European Commission (EC) under Mr Romano Prodi. He has sought to rebuild its image after the former administration resigned in 1999 amid a fraud and mismanagement scandal.
The report noted some improvements but in agriculture, which accounts for half of EU spending, the court said: 'The audits did not reveal any improvement in the situation noted by the Court concerning substantive errors.'
There were no specific allegations of 'phantom' olive trees or cows, as there had been in the past, but it highlighted weak controls at the national level over livestock numbers and a huge overpayment in Spanish subsidies for flax-growing. Spain's flax scandal has been rumbling on for years and concerns allegations that money was paid to farmers for crops that were often burned, a practice known as 'premium hunting'. Senior officials at the agriculture ministry in Madrid resigned in 1999 after they were linked to companies filing false claims for aid and the row became highly political. .......... Last week, another report alleged that EU governments could be using financial products called swaps to make their Budget deficits seem lower than they are.--Reuters
Nov 14

Lamb export decision 'a milestone'
icWales

By Catrin Williams, The Western Mail
EUROPE'S decision to allow lamb exports from counties that have never had foot-and-mouth disease has been hailed industry-wide as a huge milestone for Wales. The European Commission confirmed the European Standing Veterinary Committee's recommendation last week. Sheep exports from most of North Wales, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire were expected to re-start by Thursday after eight months' disruption. But it has now emerged Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire were missed off the list, an oversight which could stall the movement for farmers in these three counties until at least the end of this month. Two weeks ago, the EC announced the partial lifting of the export ban on beef and pork. Welsh beef exports are worth £10m but lamb exports from Wales are worth 10 times that figure.......
Nov 13

Yesterday in Parliament :
Bungling on foot and mouth was the worst, says Hague
Telegraph

Michael Kallenbach
THE Government's handling of the foot and mouth crisis was the worst case of bureaucratic bungling that William Hague had come across, he told MPs last night. The former Conservative leader, making his first speech as a backbencher for nearly nine years, was speaking during the second reading debate of the Animal Health Bill.
He asked: "Is it any wonder that the agricultural community are hostile to greater powers for Government departments of which their daily experience is so deeply disappointing?" Mr Hague, the MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, repeated his call for a public inquiry into the crisis and for real "bio-security" measures to combat importation of infected meat.
......... But the stoicism of local farmers had been tested to the limit by bungling by Government officials. ...... He told of movement licences, delayed for weeks, "often lost, often duplicated . . . frequently full of errors".
The debate was opened by Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, who said she was convinced that it was important to introduce tough new powers to tackle any further cases of foot and mouth. "We are trying to get ahead of circumstances in which we might find ourselves," she said. The Bill provides powers to enter farms for culling, vaccination or testing on a precautionary basis to prevent the spread of foot and mouth. It allows for a possible vaccination programme and, controversially, reduces the automatic compensation for farmers to three quarters of a slaughtered animal's market value, with the other 25 per cent dependent on farmers' compliance with disease control measures. (warmwell note: this, alas, is not all that it allows for as anyone who looks at the small print will see. Mrs Beckett cannot, surely, be unaware of this.) The Government also wants to speed the eradication of scrapie from the national sheep flock. Mrs Beckett said the new measure would give ministers powers to speed the process of developing a disease-resistant flock by excluding susceptible breeds from breeding programmes and culling or castrating others. Peter Ainsworth, the Tory rural affairs spokesman, criticised the Bill as "badly targeted, badly drafted and badly motivated". He welcomed the proposals on scrapie but said they would require close scrutiny to ensure protection of certain rare breeds. (warmwell note: since we have seen that "scrapie resistant" is not the same as "BSE resistant" we would urgently like to see more opposition questions about the basis for these proposals) He said the Bill was evidence that the Government had not learnt any lessons from its handling of the foot and mouth crisis. "The natural and cowardly instinct of this Government, whenever anything goes wrong, is to look around to blame somebody else, but I have rarely seen anything as low or contemptible as the Government's attempt to blame foot and mouth on the farming community." Like Mr Hague, Mr Ainsworth criticised the Government for refusing to hold a public inquiry into foot and mouth. Mark Todd (Lab, Derbyshire South) said MPs would need evidence of improvements in the way Maff, the predecessor to Defra, handled outbreaks, before providing tough new powers.
Malcolm Bruce, the Lib Dem agriculture spokesman, said the new legislation risked the possibility of further alienating farmers.
"It beggars belief that we cannot manage the way through the rest of this outbreak without taking draconian powers. We believe that these are very substantial powers, taken in a hurry, which really behoves ministers to justify." David Borrow (Lab, Ribble Valley) said that rushing legislation through without much consultation risked "fanning the flames of opposition within the rural community".
Nov 13

Angry MPs demand Blunkett answers
Telegraph: Yesterday in Parliament

Is David Blunkett the biggest threat to our legal system?
THE Government came under fire in the Commons yesterday for announcing details of its emergency powers on terrorism to the media rather than MPs.
Labour and Tory MPs urged Michael Martin, the Speaker, to intervene and get David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, to come to the Commons to answer questions.
The Government laid its order to ignore Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights before Parliament yesterday, and it comes into force today. However, it must be approved by MPs within 40 days.
The order clears the way for the introduction of a new power to detain suspects. But after several interventions and requests, Mr Martin refused to get involved and told MPs: "I have to say, there are no rules.........." (warmwell note: that is rather what we fear..)

Control of foot and mouth Letter in the Times

From Mr John Capstick
Sir, The fundamental reason for the reluctance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to embrace vaccination as a method of controlling foot-and-mouth disease comes near the end of Magnus Linklater's article (Times 2, November 6). The argument about the effect of vaccination on livestock exports betrays the dead hand of the National Farmers' Union.
Such exports are a small part of UK agricultural production. Their significance is likely to decline further in favour of meat exports if increased controls on livestock movements are a result of the present outbreak. Meat exports have already restarted from non-infected parts of the UK.
Moreover, the value of livestock exports pales into insignificance before the billions of pounds of damage caused to tourism by the current methods of FMD control.
Yours faithfully, JOHN CAPSTICK, Townhead, Johnby, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0UU. November 6.
(warmwell note: there is also a letter from Mr Elliot MORLEY on the same page. Since it merely repeats the misinformation of past weeks - such as "A negative laboratory result does not necessarily mean that contiguous premises did not have animals which were incubating the disease." we do not consider it worth quoting here.)
Nov 13

DALE'S BLUE BOX IS LIFTED
Hexham Courant

THE BLUE BOX animal movement restrictions imposed in the Allendale area in August were due to be lifted last night. After nearly seven weeks with no new cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the district, Defra was expected to announced yesterday afternoon the restrictions were being lifted at midnight. This will mean the 31 disinfectant spray stations across the district will be stood down immediately, and will be removed over the next couple of days. The scrapping of the blue box follows the lifting of restrictions on farms in the Allendale, Haydon Bridge and Hunstansworth areas earlier this week. However, a 10km radius D-zone will remain around Whitley Chapel in Hexhamshire, where formal clinical results from blood samples are still awaited. The news will be welcomed across the district, but the clamour for a full public inquiry into the epidemic is gaining further impetus.
Nov 13

Hague and Banks savage ministers over foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Sweeping new powers for ministers to combat foot-and-mouth disease were given a mauling on all sides of the Commons.
Former sports minister Tony Banks led Labour backbench unrest over the Animal Health Bill, warning he would abstain on its second reading. Calling for an independent inquiry into causes of the outbreak, Mr Banks said: "We are being asked to support a Bill that gives far greater powers to ministers before we fully understand the causes of the outbreak itself. "It gives so extensive a range of powers to DEFRA officials that it terrifies me." Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett admitted herself to, at first, being "unenthusiastic" about the need to take such strong powers, but said she had become convinced they were necessary. "We are trying to get ahead of circumstances in which we might find ourselves," Mrs Beckett insisted. The Bill provides wider powers to enter farms for culling, vaccination or testing on a precautionary basis to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth. It also allows for a possible vaccination programme and cuts the automatic compensation to 75% of a slaughtered animal's market value - with the other 25% dependent on farmers' compliance with disease control measures.
Tory former leader William Hague also attacked the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis, in his first backbench Commons contribution for almost nine years.
Mr Hague, accused ministers of "bureaucratic bungling" and said that the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs had treated the mouth outbreak like an "inconvenient news story" and called for a public inquiry. Story filed: 20:47 Monday 12th November 2001
Nov 12

Go-ahead granted for OP dip claims
Farmers' Weekly

By Isabel Davies
FARMERS who believe they were poisoned by organophosphate sheep dips have been given the go-ahead to continue with claims for damages. At a hearing in the High Court on Friday (9 November) a judge refused to "strike out" claims despite an application by agrochemical companies. Mr Justice Morland issued his judgement in a preliminary hearing in the multi-party action brought by farmers and farm workers poisoned by OPs. Most claims brought against the agrochemical firms survived a review after a significant challenge to the validity of the cases by the defendants. Lis Charles of solicitors Gabb & Co, lead solicitor for the claimants, said she was, on balance, pleased with the judgement. "Despite everything the defendants had to say to Mr Justice Morland we are pleased that the majority of the cases have survived," she said. "We are now applying ourselves to dealing with those observations that the Judge has made with a view to bringing the cases to full trial as is possible." The hearing was a result of applications made by the agrochemical companies in a process which has taken over a year and a half. Ms Charles said defendants should think hard about the suffering and anxiety to which they have subjected claimants, many of whom are unwell. "These cases will go forward as individual cases but with co-operation among the claimants on issues of common interest," she added. See also 8th December 2000 'Further OP action will fail' , 17 October 2000 Farmers told to abandon OP claim and the BSE/CJD page on warmwell

Buy local, Charles tells stores
Farmers' Weekly

By Isabel Davies
THE Prince of Wales has called on supermarkets to buy more local food, and urged the UK to retain its food security during difficult times. Prince Charles said: "To sacrifice long-term security through short-term convenience would be utter madness and can hardly be sustainable." The prince's comments came at the launch of a local food guide produced by the Institute of Grocery Distribution and Business in the Community. The report - Local Sourcing- Growing Rural Business - aims to show how local suppliers can work in partnership with others in the food chain. Launched in London on Monday (12 November), it includes case studies and contains useful advice and contacts for both suppliers and retailers. Prince Charles said as the food chain had extended over the past 50 years, farmers had had the raw end of the deal. Producers in countries such as France received a bigger percentage of the end retail price because they were better organised, he said. "There must be some lessons here for our farmers, " he said. "If we can encourage more local sourcing, I am sure we can improve the viability of our farmers." Business in the Community chairman Peter Davis said the guide was an important and timely contribution to the debate about the rural economy. Sir Peter, who is also chief executive of Sainsbury's, said it was in everyone's interests to help revive the UK's rural areas. More than 10,000 copies of the report, sponsored by Sainsbury's, HSBC Bank and the National Farmers' union, will be distributed.
(warmwell note: Prince Charles shows more understanding of and sympathy for rural issues than anyone in the government and we are, once again, extremely grateful to him.)
Nov 12

Japanese stage 'mad cow' memorial service
Ananova

A memorial service for cows has been held in Japan. Forty-seven cows were slaughtered in Chiba province as a precautionary measure against the spread of BSE. A memorial stone has been erected and a remembrance service has taken place. The event, organised by the local government, was attended by government officials, city councilors and farmers. Prayers were offered to the departed animals and 47 chrysanthemums were laid in their honour. So far BSE in Japan has been limited to a few isolated cases and the first outbreaks in the country's history have been taken very seriously. Story filed: 12:38 Monday 12th November 2001
(warmwell note: Prayers too will be said at the start of the day's business in the Commons when the bill to extend government powers to kill animals gets its 2nd reading. Unlike the show of reverence there, this respect for the slaughtered cows has raised the Japanese in our estimation. They understand, as our nation does not, that it is the animals who have had to make the ultimate sacrifice to our - very fallible - notions of human safety. Here, under the disgracefully termed "welfare" scheme, calves are every day collected from farms like rubbish, killed and disposed of and only the cows are heard to bellow in protest. Even to think about this is thought ludicrously sentimental while to care - vociferously - about the farmers whose lives have been destroyed by the government's arrogant policies is, apparently, "troublemaking".)
Nov 12

How foot and mouth is fuelled by computers and cluelessness
Telegraph

By Adam Nicolson
......... It turns out that the ministry that deals with farming - ex-Maff, now Defra (but if you ring them up, it's the same people, same telephone numbers, same mindset, even one of the same ministers) - has just about the same grasp of the geography of Great Britain as that poor Dutchman had of the Venezuelan interior. The epidemiologist Professor Roy Anderson, of Imperial College London, told the Commons Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee last week that he had asked Maff-Defra recently for the database of farm locations by which the spread of foot and mouth disease had been monitored. Immensely helpful, they sent him the data, but the co-ordinates they provided left him perplexed. Half the farms he tried to look up, as Prof Anderson told the committee, "were out in the North Sea".
This had the MPs in stitches; there were hoots of laughter at the idiocy of computers and/or civil servants, or both. But on the ground, it has become more than a joke. My small farm (90 acres, 60 ewes, six beef suckler cows) in the Sussex Weald is far too small not to make a loss in the modern marketplace, so with four of my neighbours, we have clubbed together in a kind of co-operative, the Wealden Farmers Network. We have our own cutting room, where the animals are butchered and packed up into sellable joints (and delicious sausages, by the way, all to be had, if you are interested, from joamos2000@hotmail.com).
Foot and mouth hasn't been anywhere near East Sussex, but we, like the rest of the country, continue to labour under the most pedantic licensing scheme any computer or bureaucrat could have devised. All movements of animals between one holding and another still need to be licensed and supervised by a vet. It's a bore for the network's managers, but what happened last week was an example of the deepest absurdity that a bureaucratic system can sink to.
Some lambs in a field by the church at Netherfield needed to be moved to fresh grazing 300 yards away down the road. The new grazing was nominally in a different holding. They needed a licence. A licence was applied for at the trading standards office at Lewes. The trading standards officer refused to grant it. Why? Because the field next to the church in Netherfield was "in a dirty area".
"An infected area. The computer says it is."
"But there has been no foot and mouth in East Sussex."
"We can't go against the computer."
"So what can we do?"
"Talk to Defra about it."
We spoke to Defra. Nothing to do with them. We should speak to Adas, the privatised agricultural consultancy (motto: "Helping farmers to help themselves"). Adas said it was nothing to do with them. We should speak to the trading standards people. We spoke to them again. They said we should speak to Defra again, to their map division. The map division required all the papers to do with the case. We weren't allowed to send the details by fax. Everything had to go by post.
It is one of the more frustrating aspects of Maff-Defra culture that its relationship to modern technology is chaotic. Not only are they relying for their decision-making on computers that confuse East Sussex with Cumbria, and Oxfordshire with the Goodwin Sands; if their computers break down, which they have done at steady intervals, the officials are not allowed to turn to pen and paper until the machines have failed to work for more than eight hours. There are offices all over the country where officials sit for hours at a time twiddling their thumbs. Nor can any movement licences be faxed out. They all have to go in the post. And they can't be sent to the farmer who needs to move his animals. They can only go to the vet the farmer has nominated, yet another stiffening of the system. Individual vets have received 40 movement licences in a single post, which they cannot possibly deal with in a single day.
So what happened to the Netherfield lambs? Their grass ran out. In the two weeks the system took to work through its coils, two of the lambs died. The rest lost condition in a way no farmer likes to see in his stock. And, of course, there will be not an ounce of compensation.
It is laughable until you imagine the mistake over the Netherfield lambs being made in reverse. What if a Defra computer had happily issued a movement licence to animals from an infected farm because the computer said there was no disease within hundreds of miles? Has this happened? It now, on the face of it, seems likely. Is the ministry computer, with its jumbled maps, actually implicated in the huge geographical spread of the outbreak? It is already clear from Professor Ian Mercer's report to Devon County Council that policy "appeared to have been implemented by officials poring over maps in remote offices, so that only holdings were considered, not the topography, the disposition of animals upon it, nor the distances between them". The scale of the foot and mouth crisis is clearly evidence of a disastrous central failure to understand what was going on. The Government has shamefully refused to set up a proper public inquiry, with real powers to summon evidence and witnesses. Is this dreadful computer failure the secret which that decision is designed to conceal? All this is part of a larger question. The response to the foot and mouth outbreak has been characterised by a pervasive and fatal distance from the detailed realities on the ground. The lessons of the Northumberland report on the 1967 outbreak, which emphasised local, fast action, and burial, not burning, were ignored (or had been forgotten). It now seems certain that the disease was spread by the pyres that were meant to control it. The insistence this time on having suspected cases analysed centrally, and not acted on immediately and locally, introduced further catastrophic delays.
Sheer delay, it has been estimated, was responsible for the slaughter of about three million animals, which would otherwise have been unaffected. The new Draconian changes to the 1981 Animal Health Act, proposed by Elliot Morley last week, allowing the Government to kill any animal it wants to, whether the farmer wants it killed or not, is yet another symptom of a political and official culture governed by a contempt for any authority but its own. There is talk of making the present licensing scheme a permanent feature of farmers' lives, to be controlled by officials who know as much about the geography of rural Britain, and the lives of those who occupy it, as they do about the Matto Grosso or the hunting habits of the Nambikwara. It is a kind of official imperialism; but any empire governed like this would soon fall apart.
Nov 12

Call for more BSE testing
BBC

A senior government scientist has warned that too few cattle are being tested for BSE in Britain. Professor Roy Anderson believes the true extent of the disease may not be known in the UK, because so few animals are tested compared with other European countries. Almost one million animals are tested by both France and Germany every year. Prof Anderson, who has also advised ministers on foot-and-mouth disease, says that until this is matched here the accuracy of information on the presence of BSE in the UK cannot be guaranteed. Most of the 10,000 animals tested in Britain are those which have died - either due to accidents or disease - or those which are more than 30 months old. These animals might be more susceptible to the disease and that could distort the figures. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has issued a statement saying there is no obligation on farms to have animals tested and admitted that this meant they were slow to come forward. However, they say Britain is complying with EU legislation on testing.
A Europe-wide testing programme was introduced at the beginning of the year for cattle over 30 months. The average incubation period for BSE is four to six years, and the government says there have been no cases of BSE in younger cattle since strict feed controls were introduced in 1996.
Nov 12

Rural body urges farming shakeup
Guardian

Peter Hetherington,
Farmers struggling with the aftermath of foot and mouth disease have been dealt another blow, as the government's key rural advisers accused agriculture of wasting public money on a big scale and being out of touch with market realities. In a hard-hitting report, the countryside agency, whose chairman is Tony Blair's "rural champion", claims taxpayers are paying too heavy a price for supporting an inefficient industry. Calling for a shake up to end over-production and bring farming into line with consumer demands, it says agricultural subsidies should be diverted to support the wider rural economy and landscape. "Every year, over £3bn goes into production subsidies that most people, from farmers to consumers, agree are damaging and ineffective," it says. The report, to the policy commission on the future of farming and food - one of several inquiries commissioned during foot and mouth outbreak, says taxpayers are getting very poor value for huge farming subsidies. "Farming remains vital to the livelihood of many rural communities and the conservation of our cultural and environmental heritage, and yet little public money is devoted to securing these goals." It calculates that 40,000 agricultural jobs have been lost in the last two years, and in the areas worst hit by foot and mouth, such as the uplands of northern England, the end could be in sight for traditional livestock farming; 40% of farms sold recently went to non-agricultural uses. Unless corrective action is taken, it warns, the damage to the landscape caused by the switch to more intensive farming could be compounded by "further damaging change" as farmers attempt to stay competitive in world markets.
"For 50 years, agriculture has been treated differently from other businesses," the report says. "It has, until recently, had its own ministry, its own policies, protected markets, grant structures and price support. The public benefit from this special, and expensive approach, was perceived to be sufficiency of food, based on a home agricultural industry. This special treatment has resulted in an increasing isolation from market pressures and a disconnection from consumers." The report marks the opening shot in negotiations due next year for a review of the common agricultural policy, which determines most farming subsidies.
Although the rural affairs secretary, Margaret Beckett, has recently been critical of the farming industry, concern is growing that the government has yet to prepare an action plan for reforming the CAP. "The government should be preparing to take the lead in Europe by pressing for real change," one adviser said.
Nov 12

Farm shops are the future
Journal

The Government yesterday revealed their vision to overhaul British farming. In the wake of the foot and mouth crisis Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty said selling produce locally could be the industry's salvation. But he warned farmers not to bank on subsidies in the future. Speaking at a conference at Oxford Brookes University, he described his hopes of the fishing and farming industries producing "safe nutritious food" and for animal welfare being placed at the heart of agriculture. He stressed at the conference, chaired by Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow, that sustainable development was a key goal for the industry. He told farmers: "We have a vision for the country where the food, fishing and farming industries work together and with the Government, and are not dependent on output-related subsidies. "If anything good has come out of the foot and mouth crisis, it is that consumers have become more aware of the problems facing farmers. "They are showing an increased interest in buying local products."
Nov 11

It's true, people are like sheep
Sunday Times

Jonathan Miller
'Sheep are much more sophisticated than we thought, even similar to us in some abilities," says Dr Keith Kendrick, who has spent more than a decade trying to fathom their minds at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. Using a complicated experiment involving flash cards, Kendrick has concluded that sheep can remember the faces of other sheep. So flocks that are apparently mindlessly ruminating might actually be harbouring deep thoughts about missing loved ones, Kendrick says.
We must be grateful to Kendrick for his pathfinding research. I have not noted particular brilliance among my flock. I will have to pay closer attention. But did you notice that in talking up sheep intellect, Kendrick is comparing them to humans?
With only minor editing of his research findings, it is possible to state with equal authority that humans are more stupid than we thought, even similar to sheep in some ways. Consider the behaviour of the cowed flocks miserably pushed through the public transport, hospital and education systems every day, offering only the occasional bleat of protest. The only difference is that the conditions would be illegal if the humans were sheep.
It would not surprise me that a human can remember 50 faces. It could also be true that as humans appear to ruminate, eating junk food and listening to the mindless drivel from the BBC, they are harbouring deep thoughts.
Speaking of sheep, Sir Brian Follett, the chairman of the Royal Society's "independent" inquiry into the foot and mouth debacle, appears already to have concluded that vaccination would not have worked to control the world's costliest and most poorly managed foot and mouth epidemic.
Some inquiry. Expert and highly qualified witnesses who do not agree have yet to be even asked for their evidence.
Rural death supremo Margaret Beckett has been sent a Ladybird book of animals to help her tell a sheep from a goat. Elliot Morley, her junior in charge of the actual butchery, was down in Devon the other day insisting there was no doubt that farmers resisting Defra's legally questionable contiguous cull helped to spread foot and mouth disease. That's not true, is it, Elliot. There's plenty of doubt. Why can't the Tories do more about these constant lies from Defra? If Morley can identify a single case in which contiguous cull resistance can be shown unequivocally to have been responsible for the spread of the disease, he should name it. But he can't, because the reason why the disease spread was government incompetence. .....
Nov 11

A pleasant revolt
Sunday Times

Paul Donovan
..... it is remarkable just how far farming programmes have advanced in becoming critical of, rather than an arm of, Whitehall policy. Sixty years ago, the BBC's output was subject to a Ministry of Agriculture body called the Broadcast Planning Sub-Committee, which later changed its name to the Central Agricultural Advisory Committee of the BBC, and survived until the 1990s. The Archers, as is well known, had a propagandist remit for its first 20 years. Nowadays, things could hardly be more different, with producers and presenters often markedly critical of officialdom. (warmwell note: Hmmmm) The latest example of that will be the recording at Pebble Mill on Saturday of a "foot-and-mouth inquiry" to go out on Radio 4 next week. A joint venture between Farming Today and You and Yours, it will feature a panel of three wise men (Professor Ian Mercer, who chaired Devon's recent inquiry, Professor Hugh Pennington and Brigadier Alex Birtwistle, who commanded the slaughter and disposal troops in Cumbria) and evidence from "key players" - vets, farmers, scientists and so forth. It promises to be an uncomfortable listen for the government, which has only itself to blame for turning down all requests for a public inquiry. Two things are needed to make the farming output even better than it is now. First, Radio 4 should move Farming Today back to its old slot of 6.10am, where it would perform a more valuable service than that segment of the Today programme. Second, it should produce an informative series about slaughter - abattoirs, stunning, halal, kosher and so on - and a basic A-Z of farming. The rise of vegetarianism and the animal-rights movement, and the unending controversy over meat, mean there is huge interest in all these topics. But there is great ignorance about them, too. Radio could do much to counter it.
Nov 11

Blackwell's heir leaves charity a golden fleece
Sunday Telegraph

The Oxford publishing dynasty yesterday mourned the son who gave £10 million to help rare sheep. Catherine Milner
AS members of one of Britain's most distinguished publishing dynasties gathered to celebrate the life of one of its most senior members yesterday, the conversation was dominated by just one subject: his extraordinary generosity to charity. Miles Blackwell, who owned a large share of the Oxford-based family business, has given away virtually all his £65.3 million fortune, including a £10 million donation to a charity devoted to rare breeds of farmyard animals. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust, which was established in 1973 to promote the survival of rare and minority breeds of all farm animals, will receive the gift next year.Richard Lutwyche, the rare breed trust's marketing director, said upon hearing the news: "Good heavens - that's wonderful!. We're desperate at the moment following foot and mouth and we need as much support as we can get." "He has been extraordinarily generous," said one of the new trustees in charge of his estate. "But details of his will will not be resolved until probate next spring." ...... In January this year Mr Blackwell, who died aged 56 in August, cashed in his share of the privately owned family business and retired to enjoy the countryside with his wife, Briony, who was devoted to her rare Scots Dumpy hens and Manx Loghtan sheep. He was "devastated" when she died suddenly, aged only 46, and died himself only three weeks later. The couple had no children.
Nov 11

Foot and mouth threat is far from over
This is Bradford

IT has been almost three months since the last confirmed outbreak of foot and mouth in the Skipton-Settle "box" - but the Government has warned that the epidemic is far from over. The risk of foot and mouth disease returning is still "very high" according to Government animal health minister Elliot Morley. Speaking in the Commons this week to the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, Mr Morley said the epidemic would not be classed as officially over until there had not been a case in the country for three months. The last recorded case nationally was in Appleby on September 30. The last recorded case in the Craven district was in Beamsley on August 2, although there was another in the Herald's publication area of Addingham, on August 16. Mr Morley said there was a strong possibility that the disease was lying dormant. "We still face the very real and serious prospect of another outbreak," he said, adding that there was a "pause" during the 1967 outbreaks after which a further series of cases lasted for three months. (warmwell note: such assurance...it makes one wonder to what inside information Mr Morley is privy, particularly after the killing of so many sheep in Cumbria in the last few days..)
posted Nov 11

Dale still caught in middle of FMD zones
The Darlington & Stockton Times

A FARMERS' representative has predicted short-term grief for Teesdale, following the lifting of foot and mouth infected area status from most of County Durham. Mr Phil Barber, Barnard Castle NFU branch secretary, spoke out after an announcement by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that it was good news for farmers to the east of the River Tees in Middleton in Teesdale, but excluded that part of the county that was in the Allendale "blue box". Defra says that farmers in most of County Durham can now do business with Northumberland farmers who are not in the blue box area, with cattle, pigs and rams, subject to blood testing, able to move between the counties, under licence from local authorities. The news followed the results of tests involving samples taken from a cow slaughtered on Thursday of last week as a precautionary measure at a farm near Rookhope in Weardale. The tests proved negative. ........ But Mr Barber remained unconvinced that it would solve the more immediate problems encountered by dale farmers. "Although this is good news to a large extent, I can see it causing considerable difficulties in Teesdale in particular," he said. "The infected area boundary has been redrawn and runs directly through the dale and you can't send animals backwards and forwards across the boundary between infected and non-infected areas. "Teesdale seems to be having all the problems and to be stuck with restrictions without having had much infection, because of our proximity to Cumbria, although I am not trying to lay blame there." .........
posted Nov 11

FARMERS' LEADERS HAVE blasted the Government's handling of a new code of practice between supermarkets and their suppliers as "disastrous".
Country Reflections

NFU President Ben Gill has written to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry about the fact that the industry was kept in the dark about the issuing of the code. He was angry at the DTI's decision to publish the code without any prior dialogue with the NFU and other organisations representing suppliers. In the letter to Patricia Hewitt, he stressed that the sudden announcement was particularly galling as the industry had been waiting seven months for it. Mr Gill wrote:"The handling of the code's publication could not have been worse. During the seven months in which your department had the code you consulted with the major supermarkets but virtually excluded ourselves and other suppliers' organisations. "Despite this delay, we had hoped in vain that you would prescribe a code that would protect farmers' and growers' trading relationships with the supermarkets. To then also publish it without any prior notification has added insult to injury. "We need to find a way ahead which is far more even handed. The retailers are here to stay. We need an agreed proper trading relationship and I fear that your decision will make progress much harder. "It is critical that every avenue is explored to find a fair set of trading relationships between buyers and sellers within the food chain. ................
(.See also)

SUPERMARKETS HAVE TRIED to quash claims that English apples are being downgraded in favour of foreign imports.

English Apples and Pears, the group which represents the vast majority of the country's 400 growers, accused supermarkets of not displaying native types prominently. Adrian Barlow, chief executive of EAP, told the Daily Telegraph:"Last year we had a light crop due to the very wet weather. But this year, the weather has helped the crop, producing an abundant harvest with the best skin appearance for 25 years. "It is therefore particularly frustrating for both growers and consumers that supermarkets are not devoting the necessary shelf space."
posted Nov 11

Walkers free to ramble as paths reopen
This is Clitheroe

MORE footpath networks in popular walking areas have been re-opened. DEFRA yesterday re-defined the foot and mouth infected areas in Lancashire allowing the County Council's Countryside Service to reduce its blanket closure area, which will see the opening up of several local footpath networks. This means the Lune Valley is now accessible, with the re-opened area extending from the Cumbria border, through the Clough access area, and southwards as far as the Dunsop Bridge to Slaidburn Road, permitting walking throughout the Forest of Bowland. And the Lancashire cycleway from Slaidburn to High Bentham now forms the western boundary of the newly defined closed area. In the south of the county, the new boundary follows the road from Whalley, south of Sabden, through Roughlee and Blacko to Foulridge, opening up part of the Forest of Pendle and areas to the north of Barrowford and Colne, with the county border giving access to Knarr's Hill and the footpath network extending into the area recently reopened in Yorkshire. And within the closed area, cycleways and linking footpaths in the western part of Gisburn Forest are now open. Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for public protection and the countryside, County Councillor Tim Ormrod, said: "There are many small businesses, pubs, cafes and village shops that have been suffering a loss of trade as a result of the foot and mouth restrictions. ........... "Visitors should also be aware that within the closed area, restrictions do still apply to footpaths and bridleways only. "Roads, villages and associated businesses are open as usual." The announcement follows the lifting of restrictions for livestock movement this week in the Paythorne, Horton-in-Craven, Newsholme, Gisburn, Bolton-by-Bowland, Clitheroe and Sawley area. But is expected to be well into the new year before all paths in the Ribble Valley areas affected by the foot and mouth crisis are re-opened.
posted Nov 11

Disease inquiry 'needs big hitter in the chair'
Newcastle Journal

A search has been launched to find an influential high-flyer to lead the independent public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Northumberland. A leading academic with a background in rural affairs, who also has the ability and clout to influence Government thinking, is seen as the most likely candidate to chair the inquiry into the devastating impact of the crisis on Northumberland. As Cumbria County Council cast doubts yesterday on the value of local foot-and-mouth inquiries - Northumberland chiefs said their five-day hearing will be held early next year. Coun Michael Davey, leader of Labour-controlled Northumberland County Council which has sanctioned the inquiry, said he would not be embarrassed if it resulted in further criticism of the Government's handling of the epidemic. Northumberland is to learn lessons from the foot-and-mouth public inquiry held by Devon County Council last month, the findings of which branded the handling of the outbreak as "lamentable". ...... It is hoped to appoint a chairman or chairwoman for the Northumberland inquiry by the end of the year and all political parties on the county council will be involved in the selection process. Yesterday Coun Davey said: "The chairman has to be completely independent and the bigger the name the more clout the person concerned will have. ........ "Our first duty is to the people of Northumberland and if the public inquiry results in a report which is critical of Defra and the Government, then so be it. ..... Cumbria County Council said yesterday it would be "premature and inappropriate" to hold a local public inquiry into foot-and-mouth. Council leader Coun Rex Toft said the only satisfactory form of inquiry would be a national one, organised and paid for by the Government with the power to call ministers, experts and officials in an open and independent forum. Cumbria suffered 44% of the national total of confirmed foot-and-mouth cases: 893 compared to 173 in Devon. Coun Toft said the Devon inquiry did not have the power to force key players to attend. "Unfortunately, that can potentially devalue their findings to a degree. "Any realistic inquiry in Cumbria would have to be much larger, considerably more costly and would be likely to go on for weeks." Berwick MP Alan Beith said: "Given the Government's failure to hold a public inquiry, the hearing in Northumberland will be an opportunity to get an independent assessment of the very real grievances which many people have."
posted Nov 10

Asian extrovert tunes in to the farming set
The Times

BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
AN EXTROVERT journalist who greets ministers with a kiss will be the first Asian presenter for the BBC's early morning radio show Farming Today. Sarah Mukherjee, 34, has gained a fan club among farmers for her reports on farming and the environment for the BBC's local radio network. Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are connoisseurs of her exuberant style - though Ms Mukherjee admits that she has yet to find the courage to plant a peck on the cheek of Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary. Listeners may not be able to see the trendy presenter in her hallmark pink, red or purple, but her voice is set next month to be the 5.45am wake-up call for the 880,000 people who tune in. The daughter of an Indian doctor and an English nurse, she joins Miriam O'Reilly, a farmer's daughter, and Anna Hill, who has presented rural programmes on BBC Radio 4 for ten years. ...........
Nov 10

Flooding distress ignored'
WesternDaily Press

( warmwell note: time for the Minister to resign?) THOUSANDS of homes are at fresh risk of flooding this winter because the Government has not spent enough on defences, a shocking new report revealed yesterday. Last year saw 10,000 homes swamped around the country, including many along the river from Gloucester to Upton-upon-Severn, causing £1 billion damage and untold misery to those affected. And in previous years many other parts of the West have suffered, especially the Somerset Levels, as the impact of climate change and global warning is seen. Yesterday the respected Institute of Civil Engineers slammed the Govern-ment's handling of flood defences, calling for a big increase in spending. Its report said the human distress and health damage caused by flooding was ignored in favour of a strict economic approach to building defences. And it called for national standards for drainage systems, as flooding from sewage was much more distressing than from surface water and was a serious health risk. Both the Environment Agency and the Association of British Insurers dem-anded extra money, saying it would be a worthwhile investment in cutting clean-up costs, as well as avoiding suffering. Flood Minister Elliot Morley admitted more cash would have to be allocated. But Tory environment spokesman Jonathan Sayeed said Labour had "utterly failed" to sort out flood defences and thousands were in danger.
Nov 10

Rural firms sue over foot-and-mouth
Farmers Weekly

OWNERS of small rural businesses affected by foot-and-mouth have begun legal action against the government over its handling of the disease. The UK Rural Business Campaign has taken the first step towards action that could cost the government £500 million, reports the Financial Times. The organisation said it was forced into action by the government's refusal to hold a public inquiry and the way in which compensation was handled. "The human tragedy of it all is about to be exposed," said a spokesman. ( See press release)
Nov 9

Battle brews over Animal Health Bill
Farmers Weekly

By Isabel Davies
THE government looks set to face a battle over its proposed Animal Health Bill, due to have its second reading in Parliament on Monday (12 November). Critics believe the Bill breaches the Human Rights Act and would force farmers to slaughter livestock in the event of a re-run of foot-and-mouth.
And they are disputing claims by Countryside Minister Elliot Morley, who insisted to MPs this week that it complies with European Union law. Barrie Jones, legal director for the Farmers' Union of Wales, said the culling of animals without an appeals procedure could well breach EU law. "These proposals are flawed because they represent a blanket agreement to go in and kill any animals," he said. "We consider such all-embracing measures are incompatible with the human rights act."
Some legal experts have also voiced concern. Stephen Smith QC told the warmwell.com website that he would be worried if government officials slaughter animals without consent. "I find it very difficult to see how this proposed process can properly be said to be compatible with Convention rights," he said. A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman said the union was preparing a briefing paper for MPs which would set out concerns about the bill. This was likely to include the question of whether MPs could be confident the bill did comply with human rights law. Mr Morley has justified the new laws by saying the proposed new bill would improve culling efficiency in the event of a disease epidemic. "Vets in Thirsk were adamant that appeals and delays were stopping them from getting on top of [foot-and-mouth] disease," said Mr Morley. (warmwell note: but when pressed to name farms or farmers concerned, did not do so) But he denied that farmers would lose all right to appeal claiming they could still appeal informally before culling took place. (warmwell note: but as David Curry, the chairman of the EFRA Committee pointed out, the animals would, by then, be dead)
Nov 9

Union writes to MPs on Animal Bill
Farmers Weekly

By Isabel Davies
THE National Farmers' Union has written to MPs asking them to make sure that "shortcomings" in the proposed Animal Health Bill are rectified. The letter, sent in advance of the Bill's second reading on Monday (12 November), draws attentions to issues of concern to the union. Barney Holbeche, NFU head of parliamentary affairs, wrote in the letter that farmers look to MPs to rectify "the many shortcomings it contains". He added: "The timing of this Bill is curious, and its provisions and drafting show all sign of a rushed job." ........... it asks: "Will the government publish its legal advice that such a wide power is compatible with the European convention on Human Rights?" If ministers are keen to make sure the risk from animal diseases are minimised they must do more to tackle illegal imports, the NFU says. ....... The union has reservations that the Bill would enable officials to get warrants to enter farms by applying to a single Justice of the Peace. Farmers or their representatives would not be present to counter any of the information presented in support of the application, it notes.
posted Nov 9

Curbs are lifted on 8,500 farms
Telegraph

By Sandra Barwick
MOVEMENT restrictions on farmers in a large part of the North were reduced last night but farmers gave a warning that heavy snow meant the beginning of severe problems for stock still trapped in blue box zones.
A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union in the North-West said it was "deeply frustrating and disappointing" that despite the changes Lancashire, which has not had a case of foot and mouth since June, remained classified as a High Risk county. The Blue Box in south Cumbria remains as it is, but the one around Allendale in Northumberland has been reduced. In all, restrictions have been reduced on 8,496 farms in North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Lancashire and Cumbria. The rural affairs minister, Lord Whitty, said: "This is an important step forward, and reflects a considerable achievement by teams on the ground carrying out the programme of blood testing. "I would emphasise that now, as always, vigilance and strict biosecurity are essential. We cannot afford to relax our guard, and it is the responsibility of everyone - farmers, Defra officers and the wider community - to maintain standards and ensure that this disease is eradicated." (warmwell note: how we wish he would give this self-righteous and unnecessary preaching a rest)

Rural businesses from across Britain yesterday took the first step to suing the government over its handling of the foot and mouth crisis.

A coalition of businesses from all industries affected by the outbreak joined under the banner of the UK Rural Business Campaign to press ahead with an action that they estimated could cost the government a minimum of £500 million. They said they had been forced into action by the government's refusal to hold a public inquiry into the outbreak and the discriminatory manner in which ministers handled compensation. "The human tragedy of it all is about to be exposed," said a spokesman.
Nov 9

Failure to apply for farm aid 'uncaring'
Telegraph

THE Government's decision not to apply for money from Brussels to help farmers hit by the foot and mouth crisis was described by the Tories as shoddy and uncaring.
Anne McIntosh (C, Vale of York) said that the Government's refusal to apply for agri-monetary compensation sent the wrong signal to the farming community: that the Government saw "no viable future" for British farming.
Hugo Swire (C, East Devon) called for Devon county council to be compensated for the £25,000 cost of holding its own inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. "There can be no one left in the country who believes this Government cares about rural communities and farmers," he said.
Henry Bellingham (C, NW Norfolk) said that the average income of West Norfolk grain farmers had fallen to £5,000 a year. They had been shedding staff, cutting spending on local services and felt that this treatment was "extremely shabby". He added: "The point is that this money was available and the Government didn't apply for it."
Nov 9

Foot-and-mouth curbs lifted on Northern farms
Ananova

Movement restrictions imposed during the foot-and-mouth epidemic have been lifted on almost 8,500 farms in the north of England. Restrictions have now been ended on 95.3% of all the farms on which they were imposed. Only four areas, covering some 6,630 farms, are now under controls. They include two parts of Cumbria and small zones around Hexham, in Northumberland, and Skipton, North Yorkshire. The last confirmed case of foot-and-mouth came more than five weeks ago on September 30, but vets are carrying out thorough blood-testing surveys of sheep and goats around infected areas before restrictions are lifted. The 8,496 farms covered by the latest lifting of controls are in North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Lancashire and Cumbria. Some 5,026 farms in Cumbria and County Durham were released on Wednesday. ....................
Nov 9

Labour Lord demands 'drastic cull' of 470 life peers
EPXnews.com

Labour's Lord Desai has called for a "drastic cull" of 470 life peers to make space for elected or independent members of a reformed House of Lords. "Why are they being soft on existing life peers? Why don't they go the way they went with hereditary peers," he asked a Westminster Charter 88 meeting. "What I would have preferred of the current life membership is drastic culling leaving more room for elected or independent members." The veteran Labour politician, LSE professor and life peer since 1991 would like to see the government move quickly on the 587 life peers, which government white paper proposals will leave in place, to free up room for new members in a reformed chamber. Or he argues reform must wait a long time for a "few timely deaths" to make space for change. "Many of us are very old and may pop off but a lot of people are very young," he said. "Why this long space of transition?" Desai supports an election within the life peerage - similar to the contest that whittled down their hereditary counterparts in 1999 - to scrap 80 per cent of their numbers. "Rather than let the government's arbitrary rules or age to cull, I think we should have an open culling system and should reduce life peers to a fifth of their size," he said. The veteran Labour politician is sanguine about the political row that would follow. "I like blood all over the place," he told constitutional reformers. Desai "very strongly" believes in a fully elected chamber. "The public has a right to choose who will govern it," he said
.(warmwell note: .... giving us "the right to choose who governs it?" by destroying the only group not directly under the thumb of the Prime Minister able and prepared to challenge government meddling?....what utter humbug....and what a revealing choice of imagery)
Nov 9

U.S. push for cheap Cipro haunts AIDS drug dispute
San Francisco Chronicle

- A new round in the battle over cheap AIDS drugs for poor countries is shaping up as World Trade Organization ministers meet in Qatar Friday, with the Bush administration facing charges of rank hypocrisy. Just two weeks after the administration muscled steep price concessions from Bayer AG for its anthrax antibiotic Cipro, U.S. trade negotiators in Doha, Qatar, will be fighting a bid by developing nations to ease patent protection against knockoff versions of costly drugs that treat AIDS. At issue is a declaration proposed by 60 countries that would clearly affirm the right to sidestep patent laws in the name of public health - in particular "to ensure access to medicines for all." "Nothing," the draft proposal declares, "... shall prevent members from taking measures to protect public health." Brazil and India, which do not fully recognize patent protections on AIDS drugs and make low-cost versions, are primary backers of the declaration. The United States is staunchly opposed. "The Cipro thing was timely," said James Love, of Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, D.C., an organization founded by Ralph Nader. "When the U.S. did not like the price of a medicine, we were very fast to say we might override patent rights. When Brazil did the same thing (for AIDS drugs), they were savaged."
Nov 9

Sheep chaperone works wonders for hens
Ananova

A farmer has told of his secret weapon to improve the egg yield of his hens - sheep. Bill Martin, from Kent, says his free-range birds now produce 10% more eggs after he introduced sheep into their fields. He puts the success down to the fact that the hens protected by the sheep. He said: "Hens are timid animals and can get distressed if there is a loud noise like a plane going over. By putting the sheep in with them they seem to relax - and happy hens produce better eggs." ....
Nov 9

Strasbourg to hold public inquiry into FMD
The Scotsman

BRITISH farmers will get their full public inquiry into the handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis - but it will be held in Strasbourg and not London, it was revealed at the weekend. This follows a free vote in the European Parliament in which more than the required 25 per cent of the house voted in favour of the inquiry.
"It is now incumbent on the president of the parliament to set up that inquiry into the handling of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Britain," said James Provan, MEP for South East England and a member of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
He said the inquiry would be able to call ministers, government officials and vets to give evidence. It is expected to be up and running early next year. "It will be the same as the government inquiry into BSE, which was very thorough and extremely critical of the British government. "It is designed to make the public aware of what the management was like and what happened to European taxpayers; money," said Provan, a former Scottish farmer and MEP for North East Scotland.
A public inquiry has been rejected by the UK government . Instead, in August it announced three smaller inquiries to look into the science of the outbreak, lessons learned and future policy directions for food and farming.
This was typical of a government that appeared to be taking every opportunity to screw those in rural areas into the ground, said Provan. A further example was its refusal to apply for the £1 billion of reserves available in Brussels to compensate farmers for the strength of sterling which had cut UK support prices by 25 per cent. "Under present circumstances it is not a single market because of the terms of trade and sheer bureaucracy imposed on British farmers. " Provan, who was speaking at the British Deer Farmers Association annual meeting in Sussex on the day of the official start of the hunting season, also criticised the government's anti-hunting policy as a further attack on the countryside. .......
(posted Nov 8 but published Nov 5)

Forest of Dean Action "Foot and Mouth Action Group" Public Inquiry Call
FoD Press Release

FOREST OF DEAN FMD ACTION GROUP CALL PUBLIC MEETING TO CHALLENGE NEW LEGISLATION & CALL FOR MAJOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO FOOT & MOUTH Given the draconian legislation now before parliament the Forest of Dean FMD Action Group have called a public meeting to discuss what this means for the Forest. Also the Inquiries announced into FMD are proving totally inadequate to deal with dreadful mismanagement we witnessed in the Forest - we must make sure our views are heard again.
Carole Youngs, one of the organisers said "Changes to the Animal Health Act will make it impossible for any farmer to appeal against a culling order, and illegal to resist the slaughter of healthy animals:
Had this law applied at the time when the FoD FMD Action Group was actively supporting farmers and smallholders to protect their healthy animals, we would all have been acting illegally and the animals would all have been slaughtered." Given that there were no positive cases of FMD in any of the Contiguous culls in the Forest of Dean there can be no justification for the draconian and punitive legislation now proposed. ......We desperately need a major Public Inquiry to get to the root cause of what went so wrong in the Foot & Mouth epidemic. The Inquiries announced by the Govt are proving to be absolutely futile -......... (warmwell note: Details of the meeting: Tuesday 13 November 2001 7.00pm Forest Hill Golf Club, Coleford )

Businesses taking legal action over foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Rural businesses are taking the first step in a planned legal action over the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Traders meeting in Birmingham are to establish the UK Rural Business Campaign. It aims to bring a class action for the financial losses suffered during the epidemic. The meeting is being addressed by Stephen Alexander, partner of Class Law Solicitors, and other experts who will be advising on the strategy to be followed. The firm is already acting on behalf of the Powys Rural Business Campaign, which has organised the meeting.
Mr Alexander said: "The Government does not want to hold a public inquiry. "However, we will be presenting evidence in open court and their lawyers will have to respond. "The public will get the inquiry it deserves - and businesses the damages they deserve - through the court unless this matter is settled in their favour." Mr Alexander said the group is inviting other rural business campaigns and individuals adversely affected by foot-and-mouth to join in a united legal action to recover damages. He said businesses from foot-and-mouth-affected areas such as Cumbria, North Yorkshire, the Midlands and the West Country have indicated they will be joining the campaign.
(more details and contact number here)
Nov 8

After foot-and-mouth, now it's salmon
The Scotsman

Fordyce Maxwell Rural Affairs Editor
SLAUGHTER to control animal disease is becoming increasingly contentious. Most attention is on foot-and-mouth disease, where more than a dozen inquiries are being held into an epidemic in which more than six million cattle, sheep and pigs have been slaughtered. One of those inquiries is an independent one by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. But the society is also carrying out an inquiry into a disease of farmed salmon, which raises similar questions about causes and methods of control or eradication. Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is a viral disease which, like foot-and-mouth, poses no threat to human health. ...... However, unlike foot-and-mouth and a crucial difference for salmon farmers, there is no government compensation for lost stock.
Nov 8

Sheep are not just woolly thinkers
Telegraph

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
SHEEP, far from being woolly brained, have memories that would do credit to an elephant, says a new study. Scientists have been under-estimating ovine intelligence, says the Babraham Institute in Cambridge.
"Sheep are much more sophisticated than we thought, even similar to us in some abilities," said Dr Keith Kendrick, who has spent more than a decade trying to fathom their minds. The study by his team suggests that, while apparently mindlessly ruminating, sheep could be thinking about long-absent flock-mates - victims of foot and mouth culls, perhaps - or even shepherds. ................ Dr Kendrick said: "The implication of our work is that sheep have a rich and important facial environment. Farmers should avoid changing it all the time and keep their company as stable as possible."
Nov 8

'Crucial' delay on foot and mouth
Telegraph

By Sandra Barwick
THE three-day delay in banning animal movements after identification of the first case of foot and mouth caused the epidemic to be between one third and one half greater than it need have been, scientists said yesterday. If half of the epidemic could have been avoided, it would have saved the taxpayer at least £1 billion, and three million animals need not have been slaughtered. Prof Mark Woolhouse, of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine in Edinburgh, told the Commons environment select committee that the delay alone had resulted in the death of many livestock. Modelling by his team had shown that the epidemic could have been halved by swifter action. Foot and mouth was being incubated "all over the country almost before we knew the disease was there". Prof Roy Anderson, of Imperial College, told the committee: "In foot and mouth, speed is of the essence. Draconian movement restrictions - instantaneously. It seems ludicrous to say a three-day delay was crucial. But it was crucial." The disease was noticed by a vet on Feb 19 at Cheale Meats, in Essex, and confirmed the next day. But a ban on animal movements was not made until Feb 23.
Other models have found that if the Government had slaughtered animals on infected premises within 24 hours of the start of the epidemic, 40 per cent of the outbreak would have been prevented. The committee also heard views on the "contiguous cull" policy. If the epidemic broke out again, the controversial policy of culling on nearby farms which were not showing any signs of infection should be extended rather than the reverse, Prof Woolhouse said. "We would look hard at extending the cull in the immediate area," he said, adding that he believed that more research was needed to target culls. This was because, in the epidemic, half of all new cases arose within one and a half kilometres of premises that already had the disease. These had usually been missed for a variety of reasons, he said, not just resistance to slaughter.
Nov 8

Sheep farmers oppose tagging plans
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver in Malvern
LIVESTOCK farmers have vowed to oppose government proposals to introduce individual identification for sheep. National Sheep Association chief executive John Thorley said officials had told him of proposals for every sheep to be individually identified twice. Speaking at the Association's conference in Malvern on Wednesday (7 November) he said the proposals would involved too much paperwork. He said he made his opposition clear there and then because the new measures would be impractical for sheep farmers. "We have approached the Meat and Livestock Commission to act a broker to develop a system that our industry could cope with," he said Mr Thorley also hit out at comments made by Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty earlier the same day. "I am concerned at the fact that he believes the 20-day standstill will be a part of the future," Mr Thorley said. Referring to a impromptu vote taken after a conference speech by Lord Whitty, Mr Thorley said the industry could not cope with the rule.
Nov 7

Haskins to give up the day jobs?
Farmers' Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
NORTHERN FOODS and Express Dairies have refused to comment on speculation that Lord Haskins is about to quit as chairman of both companies. An e-mail sent to 2000 dairy farmers by quota brokers Ian Potter Associates claims that the Labour Peer will announce he is stepping down next week. "Lord Christopher Haskins is to step down on Friday, 17 November as chairman of Northern Foods and Express Dairies," the email says. But Northern Foods and Express Dairies declined to comment on the claim.

BSE tests 'may miss infected animals'
Ananova

Professor Roy Anderson has warned faulty tests may mean infected animals are being missed.
He told the Commons select committee on environment, food and rural affairs that current tests for the disease need urgent verification.
He said: "I have a horrible feeling that there is an underestimate of the figures in Europe. I want this scientific work done," he said after speaking to the committee. I want to know what the sensitivity of this test is by the stage of incubation of the animal." ( warmwell note: does anyone understand that? We do not.) It is possible official figures overstated the problem, the professor said. But he added: "It is more likely to be an underestimate." Vets should be given automatic powers to go on to farms and conduct random tests for BSE or other diseases such as foot-and-mouth, Professor Anderson said. Earlier the Government's chief scientific adviser, Professor David King, told MPs that BSE still existed in the British beef herd. And it is still "possible" that sheep had contracted BSE after huge flaws were uncovered in the major study that was supposed to settle the issue, Professor King admitted. However, he added: "I would underline what the Food Standards Agency is certainly saying - there is no reason to deter people from eating lamb, British lamb."
Nov 7

Health fears over pesticide chemical
Ananova

Government ministers are proposing to suspend approval for the use of pesticide products containing dichlorvos because of public health fears.
Dichlorvos has been at the centre of controversy in the past. Critics alleging it is one of the organophosphates linked to nervous disorders and might also be implicated in Gulf War syndrome. It has been sold in the UK and worldwide since the early 1960s and its uses include slow-release strips and aerosols to control flying and crawling insects.
Two senior ministers are currently prevented by court order from going ahead with the suspension, or announcing their intention, as the move has come under legal challenge from Amvac Chemical UK Ltd, a company which makes dichlorvos. Urgent legal intervention by Amvac prevented the ministers - Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions - going ahead with suspension and publicly announcing the move in August this year. But news of the proposed suspension became public knowledge for the first time this week because the judge hearing the case in London refused to allow the commercially sensitive challenge to be heard in private. Mr Justice Crane ruled the matter must be heard in the public domain. He made his decision after Richard McManus QC, for the ministers, said the case was a matter of considerable public importance and public confidence in the regulatory regime relating to pesticides was unlikely to be enhanced if public law challenges were to be conducted under a cloak of secrecy. Amvac Chemical UK Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Amvac Chemical Corporation, of California, is seeking judicial review of plans to suspend regulatory authorisation for its dichlorvos products.
Nov 7

Defra is accused of bid to curtail auction marts
Newcastle Journal

The farming industry yesterday accused Defra of trying to curtail the auction mart system and make the 21-day standstill permanent. According to the National Beef Association the Government chief vet's determination to blame the devastation of the foot-and-mouth outbreak on the delivery of 16 infected sheep into an auction market confirms an animal health reform agenda within Defra.
It says it is obvious the Government's animal health specialists will do all they can to cut back on animal movement and are prepared to make moves ahead of the results of its own FMD inquiries to secure their aims.
NBA chairman Robert Robinson, from Alnwick, said: "It is clear Defra is trying to deflect criticism of its failure to prevent the appearance of FMD virus inside the UK, its inability to spot the disease until it had been present for 17-18 days and its struggle to get on top of the epidemic by blaming others for its short- comings. ....
"In these circumstances we think it is shortsighted and unfair for Defra to try to shrink the effectiveness of the much needed auction system and make it more difficult than it ought to be to resurrect prime cattle sales and the transfer of store, breeding and cull stock through the UK-wide market network."
The NBA is worried about the continuation by Defra of temporary but difficult movement restrictions after FMD has disappeared and FMD legislation is suspended. "The FMD Control orders cannot continue if there have been no cases in Britain for three months and no live virus is circulating," Mr Robinson said.
"Unfortunately the new rules are unlikely to be agreed until the recommendations made by the FMD inquiries have been made public - which may not happen until July or August. "If this is the case a temporary regime operating outside the authority of EU law on FMD would have to be introduced and we are worried that Defra will use this stop-gap internal legislation to keep as many animals as it can out of auction markets over the first half of next year and also continue with the extremely difficult 21-day limit," he added.
posted Nov 7

Farm disease tally lowered
Telegraph

By Sandra Barwick
ONLY eight of the 103 farms that took legal action to save their animals from slaughter went on to develop foot and mouth, Elliot Morley, the agriculture minister, admitted yesterday. He had previously claimed at the launch of the Animal Health Bill that one in five had been infected. The Bill, which is being rushed through Parliament, receives its second reading on Monday. It gives draconian powers to kill cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants in outbreaks of a wide variety of diseases.
Mr Morley also conceded at a meeting of the environment select committee that, although judicial review of decisions to slaughter would be possible under the Bill, the disputed animals would already be dead. The Bill was necessary because appeals against culls were felt to have hampered the fight against foot and mouth. Previous powers to make contiguous culls had been limited.
The Bill gives the Government power to slaughter even when animals can be shown to be healthy and proved never to have been in contact with the disease. Farmers who object can appeal to a Government vet. If they continue to refuse despite their appeal being rejected, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs can apply to a magistrate for permission to enter the premises by force and carry out the slaughter. The Bill, which is expected to become law early next year, creates a new criminal offence of infecting animals with disease.
Nov 7

EU vets vote to ease UK meat export restrictions
Financial Times

By Michael Mann in Brussels and John Mason in London
Britain will be able to export lamb and mutton for the first time since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in February, after chief vets from the European Union's 15 member countries voted on Tuesday to ease export restrictions. The decision will allow exports of fresh sheep and goat meat from the Scottish islands, most of Scotland, some parts of eastern England and parts of Wales. Some game exports will also be permitted. .......
Meanwhile, the Country Land and Business Association said ministers were wrong to suggest farming had a bleak future and must play a smaller role in the rural economy.
The farming industry in Britain is as efficient as those in other European countries but has simply suffered more from external problems such as disease and poor exchange rates, it said.
The result of all these factors was that ministers now implicitly backed a reduction in the role of British farming. This ignored economic fundamentals and was not in the national interest, the association said.
In evidence to the Independent Policy Commission of Farming, set up by Tony Blair, prime minister, after the foot-and-mouth crisis, the association called on the government to continue reducing production subsidies but to offer more support to farmers hit by unexpected events. The report said British farming had been severely damaged by the succession of animal diseases such as BSE, foot-and-mouth and classical swine fever and the fall of world commodity prices.
"What makes the UK different is that we are the only country to suffer all of these occurrences virtually simultaneously," it said. In addition, Britain had to cope with severe fluctuation caused by the strength of the pound against other European currencies and the euro. "The result has been a decade of currency-determined boom and bust for UK farming."
Nov 7

Last chance for our villages
Western Daily Press

AN urgent last effort must be made to save Britain's rural way of life, it was claimed last night. ........ The Countryside Agency .... .. will today publish its most detailed report ever on the quality of such essential services in the countryside, comparing the position in 1997 with last year. And because the countryside has been devastated since then by the foot-and-mouth crisis, it is likely some problems will have got worse since the survey was compiled. The agency, which is headed by the Government's countryside czar, Somerset landowner Ewen Cameron, has found some success stories, especially with the number of village halls rising dramatically with help from lottery cash. And rural transport is recovering from the "all-time low of 1997, with an increase in the number of parishes with a good bus service.
But there is growing concern about post offices, which are seen by many rural people as the most important service, as they distribute pensions and benefits, while many sell food and other provisions. The survey underlines the urgency of the Western Daily Press Don't Stamp Out Our Post Offices campaign, which was supported by nearly four million people. ...... Somerton & Frome Liberal Democrat MP David Heath will tomorrow tackle the Government over the future of post offices in a special Commons debate.
The MP, a strong supporter of the Press campaign, said it was time to put post offices back in the political spotlight. He said the Government was still not clear about how the Universal Bank would operate and that uncertainly caused problems for the people who run post offices.
The report identifies the most important core local services as a post office, a pub, a shop and some form of public transport - and it shows how the smaller a village is, the more likely its residents are to miss out completely. The new research finds that places with around 400 residents have only a 15 per cent chance of having all four services, while for those with about 1,200 it is 65 per cent. But a quarter of villages with a population of 1,400 are likely to be without some of the key services, although there are variations around the country. There is a distinct North-South divide, with small places in Yorkshire, the North-east and the North-west doing much better than the rest of England.
In the South-west, just 5.4 per cent of villages and hamlets with fewer than 500 residents have all four most important services, and 29 per cent of those with a population of more than 750 lack at least one.
The report is published at a time when confidence in the Government's commitment to the countryside has come into question following the foot-and-mouth crisis. Tony Blair's refusal to allow a full public inquiry into the way the epidemic was handled has angered many rural people. And the axing of the discredited Ministry of Agriculture after the General Election in June appears to have made little difference, with its replacement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, making a series of blunders. Labour claimed when it first won power to have more rural MPs than the other parties put together and it retained almost all of the seats in June, some in places where it had not been in force for generations. But the Prime Minister knows he cannot hope to win a third term unless he can deliver his promised improvements in public services across the whole of the UK. And that will mean finding a way of boosting schools, health services and the police in remote areas, rather than forcing people to head to the bigger towns and cities. Labour will also have to scrap the current system of distributing Government money, which has long worked against West counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.....
Nov 7

Dying on its feetthe prosperous commuter community that's lost its reason to be
Western Daily Press

SHEILA Kent stands in the village shop that used to be her pride and joy but shelves are now empty, freezers have been defrosted and the parish noticeboard inside displays posters that no customer will ever see. ....... Over in the village pub, the Ring o' Hands, Roger Foster points out his gallery of photos charting Compton Martin's progress through the 20th Century. There is the village school photograph, taken during the 1930s. Every child in the village is here, from angelic urchins, to hefty lads with their chests puffed out. The school closed in the 1950s. There is the Home Guard photo, with familiar faces from the school line-up. It was taken in the days when the would have known each other like brothers, in an unshakeable sense of community. In the pub, Roger says times have changed, but his pub has adapted. The large car park is one of the main reasons the pub has survived while those in other villages have closed. Like the chicken and the egg, the decline in services has gone hand in hand with the replacement of one community with another. The new residents of Compton Martin and hundreds of other villages in the West, simply don't need a shop, a bus to the local town, or a daily milk delivery. There could well be more people from Compton Martin in Bristol during the day than are left in the village. But no one feels the transition between farming community to dormitory village more than Heather Dury, a resident for more than 60 years. She was shocked when the shop closed and angry that no one but her did anything about it - she wrote a letter to the Western Daily Press. "All villages are just becoming dormitory villages where people sleep," she said. "If they want groceries they go to the supermarket, if they want entertainment they go back into Bristol. I can't see how this can be reversed and it is really sad.
Nov 7

Government warns French over farming protectionism
Financial Times

By Brian Groom, Political Editor
The UK government issued a thinly-veiled warning to France on Tuesday not to let its desire to protect French farmers stand in the way of a deal to launch a new world trade round. Patricia, Hewitt, trade and industry minister, also disclosed that Britain was pressing the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to make a joint commitment to help the poorest countries adapt to the opening up of their markets.
Diplomats believe the economic damage inflicted by the September 11 attack on the US has increased the chances of reaching agreement at the World Trade Organisation's five-day meeting in Doha, in the Gulf state of Qatar.
Ms Hewitt, in a speech to the Foreign Press Association in London, said the attack had not only shed the blood of innocents, but was also an attack on world trade. It could hurt developing countries in Africa and Asia as much as, if not more than, the west.
She said one answer to the atrocity "must be to commit ourselves wholeheartedly" to the success of the new round. She said she was optimistic that the round was "within our grasp", but there were hard issues to tackle in the endgame.
A potential stumbling block was resistance by agricultural protectionists, of which France is the biggest in the European Union, to cutting tariffs and subsidies. Ms Hewitt said: "How can we expect agricultural economies to come to the negotiating table and bring down tariff barriers when we ourselves operate a protectionist regime for agriculture? It is essential that those European countries that have been dragging their feet now recognise the inevitability of change and send a strong signal that [agricultural policy] reform is something we will do, and do soon."
She disclosed that Tony Blair has written to the directors-general of the IMF and the World Bank urging them to help developing countries with training, technical assistance and other measures to build their capacity to trade and participate in the WTO.
Nov 7

(warmwell note: not everyone has such confidence in the IMF and WTO. See for example: )

Kenya: IMF, World Bank blamed for crisis in agricultural sector
Hoover.com

President Daniel arap Moi today said that the liberalization of the economy had adversely affected the grain sector reducing farmers' earnings. President Moi noted that with the government no longer setting the prices for grains, such as maize, prices had been left to the dictate of market forces. President Moi said that these conditions were set by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank way back in 1991. The president, therefore, told leaders to explain to farmers the true situation so that the government was not blamed for things beyond its control. He said that the government was doing everything possible to ensure farmers were not exploited by middle men. President Moi urged farmers not to sell their maize at throw away prices but to wait and sell the same to the National Cereals and Produce Board for better profits. ....
Nov 7

Molecular Farming Under Fire
wired.com

By Charles Mandel
(warmwell note: changes in farming are accelerating all over the world. The biotech and pharmaceutical companies will soon be fully in charge - of animal health measures and of crops, and most certainly of "research" - unless the public sees clearly what is in store and raises its voice in protest. Unlikely.) OTTAWA -- The next wave of genetically altered plants are on the horizon, and activists are warning the hue and cry over plant molecular farming will dwarf any previous controversy over other such products. The new outcry over plant molecular farming coincides with a public forum currently underway in Ottawa. The federal government's Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has called for the public's views on plant molecular farming --or "pharming" as it's sometimes referred to in the industry. The one-day forum and three-day technical conference are meant to help the CFIA as they draft new regulatory directives for 2002. While no plants for molecular farming are currently approved in Canada, the government wants its regulatory framework in place before the practice takes off.
Nov 7

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to Visit Qatar for Vital Trade Meetings
Freerealtime.com

-- Ann Veneman's commitment to increase U.S. agricultural exports will soon take her into one of the world's troubled regions. The U.S. secretary of agriculture, and a Modesto native, Veneman visits the Middle East country of Qatar next week to discuss the next round of World Trade Organization negotiations. "Trade is critical to the profitability of U.S. agriculture," Veneman said. "Agricultural exports account for 25 percent of farmers' gross sales." ....................... While tariffs are an obstacle to moving more U.S.-produced ag products overseas, sanitary restrictions can also make it difficult for farmers to export. Those include blocking goods because of fears of pests or disease, or concerns about food safety. Using science to resolve those issues "will help increase access to world markets for U.S. farmers, ranchers and food producers," Veneman said. Veneman noted that the Bush Administration has made progress in creating and strengthening foreign markets for U.S. food and ag products, including China's entry into the WTO, and maintaining U.S. beef exports to Korea and feed corn gluten feed exports to Mexico Veneman's voyage actually begins this week, when she meets with foreign trade ministers at the 31st Food and Agriculture Organization meeting in Rome. She will also speak on the importance of fair trade for the development of biotechnology. Veneman is expected to stress biotechnology's potential to help feed the developing world, improve nutrition, prevent losses to pests and disease and reduce the use of harmful chemicals. (warmwell note: i.e. clearing the way for Monsanto etc. Greenpeace said last month it was sending its flagship, Rainbow Warrior, to Qatar with about 35 activists on board to protest at the WTO meeting. The group said it had official permission. Industrialised countries are pressing for a new trade round but developing countries are reluctant, saying they have seen little benefit from earlier trade liberalisation.)
Nov 7

Australian farmers complain over US farm subsidies
ABCnet.australia

Australia's peak farming group says further United States farm subsidies will put many Australian producers out of business. National Farmers Federation President, Ian Donges, says the United States government is debating a bill, which if adopted, would provide 170-billion dollars in farm subsidies for the next 10 years. "Well the consequences are quite horrific even monumental if you look no further than what is happening in the sugar industry the cotton industry right now. But most of blame has to go back to the US trade practices. These practices and these distortions will continue perhaps for another 10 years which is absolutely incredible."
Nov 7

GOVERNMENT policy towards agriculture is making life impossible for Northern Ireland farmers, it was claimed today.
Belfast Telegraph

And the Ulster Farmers Union slammed Whitehall for refusing to claim agrimonetary compensation from Brussels for cereals farmers. UFU president Douglas Rowe said: "Government policy is crippling farmers' ability to be competitive in the international marketplace. "The Common Agriculture Policy aims to give all farmers in Europe a fair choice at making a decent living. But the Government continually refuses to use the CAP to the advantage of its farmers. "There is £1m available to help our local cereal farmers cope with the problems caused by the strength of sterling. "It is disgraceful the Government has ignored this opportunity and prefers instead to see the financial hardships on farms continue."
Nov 7

Probe shows need for full inquiry
Newcastle Journal

Devon County Council's foot-and-mouth public inquiry has shown the need for such an investigation at national level the Country Land and Business Association said yesterday. According to the organisation the speed and the effectiveness with which Devon County Council was able to gather evidence and publish an interim report demonstrated the process need not be so painful as the Government seemed to assume. The CLA provided one of 360 written submissions as well as joining 50 other organisations and individuals who gave evidence to the inquiry. CLA regional director Antony Haslam said: "We wholeheartedly endorse the findings of this inquiry, which actually vindicate much of what we said in the North-East during the course of the crisis. "We must never lose sight of the devastation this has caused to the whole of our rural economy and, in that respect, the fact that this inquiry has been held in public shows what can be done." ...... Mr Haslam said: "I think we were deeply disappointed Defra chose not to be represented at this inquiry a...... "To have read the submissions, listened to the witnesses and produced this report within the space of a couple of months shows that it can be done. We hope it will be given serious attention by every aspect of the Government's own three-pronged inquiry and that the Government will learn from it and from the fact that it has been held in public."
Nov 6

Blinded by the funeral pyres
The Times

BY MAGNUS LINKLATER
The Government is to speed up the slaughter of animals at risk of foot-and-mouth disease and claims that vaccination does not work. Ministers refuse to see the truth
The Government still believes in mass slaughter. Last week, an Animal Health (Amendment) Bill that gives the authorities greater powers to authorise swifter culling of animals simply because they risk spreading foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was published in the House of Commons. Ministers want to stop farmers pursuing legal action, which delayed the slaughter of cattle and sheep. Under the new proposals, farmers will be denied the right to appeal against a decision to cull, and state vets and slaughtermen will have powers of entry to carry out slaughter. Controversially, pets and zoo animals will be included.
If the disease flares up again, the killing, it seems, will simply recommence, but at a faster rate. Yet none of the various inquiries into FMD has been completed to show whether the Government's stance is justified. If anything, the Government's resistance to new thinking has hardened. Last month, the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a weighty document signed by its junior minister, Elliot Morley, that dismisses vaccination as a means of bringing FMD under control. On scientific, practical and economic grounds, Morley says flatly that vaccination would not work.
It is one of the most depressing government documents that I have read. It concludes, in effect, that the policy of mass slaughter, the millions of animals killed, the smoking pyres that have blighted the countryside, the body-blow inflicted on tourism, and the lingering after-effects of empty fields and abandoned farmyards is the method Britain prefers in dealing with FMD.
The bleak conclusion is that we have made little or no advance in how best to tackle the problem. In effect, science has stood still.
And yet this document, which stands as the Government's verdict on FMD, raises as many questions as it answers. It is full of selective arguments, half-truths, poor science and flawed logic. Above all, it simply fails to address whether Britain, unlike almost every other country that has had the disease, has learnt anything from the outbreak. ...... (See full article)

'High risk' of more foot-and-mouth outbreaks
Ananova

.... Animal health minister Elliot Morley has told MPs there is a strong possibility the disease still lies dormant somewhere in the country. He also estimated that the cost to the taxpayer of this year's outbreak will be at least £2 billion. The minister has given the evidence about the Government's Animal Health Bill to the Commons' environment, food and rural affairs select committee. The Defra minister has told the committee that the outbreak would be over officially after no new cases have emerged for three months. As things stand, no new case has been confirmed for more than a month.
He reminded MPs that during the 1967 outbreak there was a similar pause, which was followed by a further series of cases which lasted for three months. Mr Morley said: "We still face the very real and serious prospect of another outbreak, the risks are very high ... the chances of there being latent disease out there are currently high."
Nov 6

Minister faces farmers' fury after blaming them for virus
Western daily Press

FARMERS are demanding the sacking of Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley after he blamed them for spreading foot-and-mouth disease. As the West's livestock industry heads for financial collapse there is also mounting anger at the "weak" response to Mr Morley's new Animal Health Bill by the NFU's national leadership. The Bill will extend Government powers to slaughter animals in the event of a new foot-and-mouth outbreak. But Mr Morley has incensed farmers by suggesting that there was "considerable evidence" that those who resisted culling this year had helped the disease spread. In fact only one farm out of the 150 where culls were contested in the West country was later found to be infected.
(warmwell note: in fact, according to the solicitor involved, 200 farms were saved in Devon, NONE of which subsequently became infected. See also the letter from a QCabout the legal implications of the proposed 'Animal Health Amendment bill, in which DEFRA's allegations about " irresponsible" behaviour by farmers is discussed)

The National Foot-and-Mouth Group now says unless Mr Morley can supply evidence to back his claim then his Bill should be scrapped. In the Forest of Dean, another disease hotspot, none of the 34 contiguous culls proved positive when blood-tested. Not one of the farms had any animals that had been exposed to or contracted the disease, but 18 were culled out before the group's protests stopped the killing. Richard Haddock, spokesman for the South-west's livestock farmers, said: "If Morley cannot put up the evidence then he should be sacked.
"To hear him making accusations like this when it is his own department's stupidity that has magnified the crisis and brought livestock farming to its knees is more than farmers can stomach." Mr Morley has already been accused of "a shameless smear" by NFU officials in the South-west, but the issue has only highlighted the growing rift between regional and national officials.
Farmers have criticised NFU president Ben Gill's response to the Bill, welcoming a new legal framework to set out what measures could be taken in the event of any more outbreaks.
Their anger has grown in recent weeks as the aftershocks of the disease have continued to reverberate through the industry
Nov 6

Foot-and-mouth started by 16 sheep
This is London

by Geraint Smith Science Correspondent
Sixteen sheep spread foot-and-mouth disease across Britain, the Government's chief vet said today.
(warmwell note: reports that the sixteen sheep involved had finally given themselves up at a DEFRA office all bleating apologetically, have not been confirmed as yet.)
Investigations into the origins of the epidemic in which almost six million animals died and 9,000 farms had their livestock eliminated showed that an initial case at a pig farm in Northumberland went unreported for several weeks, Jim Scudamore told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
During that period, the virus infected a handful of sheep farms. From these, six went to a dealer in Lancashire and 10 went through markets in Northumberland and Cumbria, probably infecting thousands of animals directly or indirectly. Waves of secondary and tertiary infection then spread across the country.
The work, to be published as a scientific paper,
(warmwell note: the definition of "science" is somewhat flexible these days, we find) is likely to have a profound-effect on farming in Britain. In the long term, he told the committee, every sheep is likely to carry an electronic ear tag that will identify its origin and movements. There may be rules to slow down movement of animals, especially sheep, including a requirement that an animal moved to a farm must stay there for three weeks.
The disease may even see the end of the traditional livestock market. "The ideal is a situation in which animals are sold without mixing," he said. "The pig industry operates already without markets. People are experimenting with alternatives such as video auctions." Direct sales are also a possibility. That in itself could have a huge knock-on effect on market towns throughout Britain.
(warmwell note; the knock-on effect referred to here is that farmers will lose even more control over prices. The measure has been described as the death blow to livestock farming..a knock-out effect rather than a knock-on one.) Mr Scudamore was asked whether a culling policy that caused so much hardship could be called a success. He said: "What we have done is eliminate the virus." (warmwell note: But Elliot Morley talks today of its "lying dormant", presumably then just waiting to spring back into the headlines) Speaking outside the meeting, he later said: "It has not been a success in terms of people, the rural economy and tourism." He also revealed to the committee that in 20 per cent of cases confirmed from farms, laboratory tests came back negative. Some of these would have been false negatives, he said because the samples had not been taken properly or had been damaged in transit to the laboratory, but some would be real negatives. (warmwell note: We note that he is very careful indeed not to say that the results could have been wrongly given by Pirbright scientists since such veiled suggestions in the past have caused private fury - but rather that they were "not taken properly" or were "damaged in transit". We question the figure of 20% and wonder what then is the percentage of animals killed in contiguous culls, never tested, who were completely free of disease? ) He also said for the first time that vaccination might play a role in preventing a future outbreak (warmell note: but how? when? where? why? Vaccination is "bilge" according to Ben Gill of the NFU while Sir Brian Follett, chairman of the Royal Society Inquiry that has not yet begun its 'independent' deliberations, has just dismissed it, saying, "If anything, all the evidence points that we should continue with the present approach." He dismissed the prospect of protecting British livestock through vaccination, saying vaccination was not available. He also said that vaccination might not be possible for a decade. Who ARE we to believe?)
(posted on) Nov 6

Brazil looks to Doha for progress on fairer farm trade
Financial Times

By Ramond Colitt
...... Brazil is a key participant in the global debate towards freer farm trade before the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Doha. As the largest agricultural exporter among developing countries it has been one of the most vocal advocates against farm subsidies and trade barriers in industrialised nations. The Doha meeting, which starts on Friday, will be instrumental in determining whether there will be a shift in world farm production to lower-cost producers such as Brazil. Increases in productivity and cultivated land, based largely on new technologies and investment over the past two decades, have won Brazil considerable comparative advantages over farm production in most industrialised nations. Production costs are lower than in the US by roughly 20 per cent for soybeans, 50 per cent for cotton, and between 10 and 60 per cent for sugar. The outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Europe this year highlighted the health and financial costs of intensive farming practices. By comparison, beef production in Brazil, which is based on pasture feeding, is cheaper and less subject to disease. Brazil's large production of vegetable proteins - it is the world's second-largest soybean producer - also helps to keep down the cost of chicken and pork production, for instance, to between 20 and 30 per cent lower than other big producers. ......
Nov 6

Smallpox attack would create a worldwide crisis
Daily Telegraph

Roger Highfield
THE use of anthrax as a bioterrorist weapon is not nearly as frightening as the threat of attacks using smallpox, said Dr Jim Matthews of Northeastern University in Boston. ....... the Public Health Laboratory Service in Britain also provided new information to doctors on smallpox. Stockpiles of the smallpox virus are now scheduled for destruction on June 30 next year after a vigorous debate among scientists. Some have long argued that smallpox specimens represent a potential biological warfare weapon for terrorists, particularly given the turmoil in the former Soviet Union. Others wanted a stay of execution. Smallpox would be low on the terrorists' shopping list, given that there was an effective vaccine, they argued. The cultures would also be of huge value if there was a resurgence of the disease. Destroying the virus did not erase this threat, they added. The fact that the genetic blueprint of several smallpox strains had already been published provided the means for reconstructing it or transferring part of it to a common-or-garden pox virus. ........ .. Even in 1967 the disease was endemic in more than 40 countries, with 10 million cases. Overall, the virus has killed about a billion people and mutilated millions more. However, in the late 18th century smallpox suffered its first reverse. Edward Jenner showed a way to boost immunity by inoculation with a close relative, the cowpox virus. Effective vaccination followed and the last person to be naturally infected was a Somali cook who succumbed on Oct 26, 1977. Two years later, the world was officially declared free of the scourge. (warmwell note: smallpox was defeated by worldwide vaccination. This is what scientists experienced in the study of FMD, such as Prof Fred Brown, advocate for the elimination of foot and mouth. Continuing ignorant claims that there is no effective vaccine against foot and mouth is mischievous nonsense.)
Nov 6

Warning of smallpox terror risk
Telegraph

By Ben Aris in Moscow, Roger Highfield and Philip Delves Broughton in New York
THE Russian scientist in charge of one of the last known deposits of the smallpox virus called yesterday for the reintroduction of mass vaccination, saying terrorists could easily lure underpaid former Soviet researchers to turn it into a weapon.
"Smallpox is a very dangerous weapon in the hands of terrorists and you don't need some clever way of delivering it," said Dr Lev Sandakhchiyev, director of Russia's Vektor Institute. The Siberian centre holds one of only two official samples of the extinct disease. "All you need is a sick fanatic to get to a populated place. The world health system is completely unprepared for this."
The disease claimed around one billion lives before being declared extinct in 1980. Inoculation has not been routine for decades but, in the light of heightened fears of bioterrorism, worldwide vaccination should be reintroduced, Dr Sandakhchiyev said.
In the past few weeks, following the anthrax attacks in the United States, moves by American and British authorities have underlined how smallpox is considered more than a theoretical concern. However, Prof Harry Smith, chairman of the Royal Society working group on biological weapons, said the call for worldwide vaccination was "going over the top". But he added: "On the other hand, I think smallpox vaccine needs to be ready to immunise key people ...... (warmwell note:...!!...)
Nov 6

More foot-and-mouth curbs relaxed
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS yesterday welcomed the lifting of further foot-and-mouth disease protection zones - this time around Catterick and parts of Ribblesdale - which means that livestock movement restrictions will be eased. Protection zones removed in North Yorkshire also include Tunstall and Patrick Brompton, while in Ribblesdale the freed areas are Rathmell, Pay-thorne, Horton-in-Craven, Newsholme, Gisburn, Bolton-by-Bowland, Clitheroe and Sawley.
Nov 5

Police alert after protester death
The Times

BY RICHARD FORD,
POLICE forces were on alert for potential retaliation by militant animal rights groups yesterday after a jailed protester died on hunger strike. Barry Horne, who was serving 18 years after being convicted of an arson campaign that caused damage amounting to £3 million, died in hospital after refusing food for 16 days. He had been held in Long Lartin top security jail in Worcestershire, where he had been on and off hunger strike throughout the summer. Horne, 49, from Northampton, was transferred from the jail to Ronkswood Hospital in Worcester last Thursday when his condition deteriorated. A Prison Service spokeswoman said he died of kidney failure yesterday. She said his condition had been weakened by sporadic refusal of food since the summer. Horne, described at his trial as an "urban terrorist", embarked on his latest hunger strike in protest at the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, in particular the slaughter of cattle......
Nov 6

Farmers urged to defend Welsh livestock auctions
icWales

Welsh farmers are being asked to urgently respond to a petition organised by the Welsh Livestock Auctioneers Association. The association has sent all its customers - numbering tens of thousands - letters for their signature calling on the rural affairs Minister, Carwyn Jones to make a commitment to the future of the livestock auction system in Wales. The chairman of the association, Glyn Owen hopes to present the first wave of letters to the minister following a public meeting organised by Tory rural affairs spokesman Peter Rogers AM at the national assembly for Wales on Thursday 8th November. The meeting has the backing of both presidents of the two farming unions, Bob Parry of the FUW and Hugh Richards of the NFU who are coming to listen to assembly members debate Mr Rogers' motion. Speaking from his Brynsiencyn farm, Mr Rogers said: "Carwyn Jones has says he doesn't think the auction system is fair to farmers. That's not true - the auctions are essential to achieving a fair price for farmers' stock, and have provided invaluable support to the industry during the foot and mouth crisis. "Farmers right across Wales are telling me that without the auctions the price of their stock has plummeted. The message must be that if you want to save the auctions sign and return letter immediately."
posted Nov 6

Consult us on animal Bill - beef men
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver
BEEF producers are accusing the government of trying to rush through laws to deal with future disease outbreaks without proper consultation. A proposed Animal Health Bill would force farmers to comply with orders to cull livestock in the event of another foot-and-mouth epidemic. The National Beef Association said it supported culling infected stock. But killing too many animals would create problems, it added. "It can produce queues that block the disposal and encourage disease spread," said NBA vice-chairman Keith Redpath.
"The NBA would have been much happier if the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had talked to livestock farmers. Mr Redpath said the Bill should have included more detail on identifying animals for contiguous culling and keeping wasteful killing to a minimum.
And he criticised the publication of the Bill ahead of two foot-and-mouth inquiries that will recommend how to tackle future outbreaks.
The government should have waited until the conclusions of the inquiries before publishing a Bill containing rules that will cover the next epidemic. The NBA has also responded to recent comments by chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore about the role of livestock markets in the epidemic. Mr Scudamore, who blamed auctions for spreading the disease, confirmed an "animal health reform agenda" within Defra, claim NBA leaders NBA chairman Robert Robinson said the government wanted to curtail auction markets and make a 21-day livestock movement limit permanent. "It is clear that Defra is trying to deflect criticism of its failure by blaming others for its shortcomings," he said.
Nov 5

Foot-and-mouth protest 'murder' trial date set
Ananova

A farm worker accused of attempted murder after allegedly charging a police cordon in a stolen mechanical digger is to face trial. Stephen Andrew Morgan, 27, of was remanded in custody after the hearing at Swansea Crown Court. The alleged attack happened in April this year at the height of a community protest against plans for a mass burial of slaughtered carcasses in Mid-Wales. Morgan denies attempted murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, taking and driving a bulldozer and dangerous driving. He also denies eight separate offences of damaging property with intent to endanger life. The trial will start on November 13. Protesters turned out to demonstrate at the Epynt Firing Range, near Brecon as it was being prepared for use. A Swansea policeman, drafted in during the demonstration, was injured when his patrol car was damaged. (warmwell note: the Epynt disaster is one of the least well publicised stories of the whole sorry foot and mouth crisis. The frustration felt in Epynt was immense. While anyone of any sense will feel sympathy for the injured policeman, it is hardly fair, we feel, to report on this story as if it were a case of attempted murder.) Story filed: 14:55 Monday 5th November 2001
Nov 5

ROYAL SOCIETY INQUIRY INTO FMD IS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION
National Foot and Mouth Group Press Release

Sir Brian Follett, Chairman of the RS Inquiry, has already made his views known on many of the key issues of the Inquiry, even though the Call for Detailed Evidence was only issued 3 weeks ago and the closing date for submissions is not until the 30 November 2001.
Speaking to farmers in Cumbria Sir Brian Follett said "If anything, all the evidence points that we should continue with the present approach." He dismissed the prospect of protecting British livestock through vaccination, saying vaccination was not available. He also said that vaccination might not be possible for a decade.
The NFMG Group and Compassion in World Farming had arranged for two leading world scientists in FMD, Dr Simon Barteling and Dr Paul Sutmoller to present evidence to the Inquiry. Both scientists have widespread experience in controlling FMD throughout the world and in the use of vaccination to assist control. As yet the Inquiry has not heard any evidence from either of them. full press release
Nov 5

Animal health bill a licence for state incompetence
Scotland on Sunday

(warmwell note: Magnus Linklater, on Scotland's decision to distance itself firmly from the Animal Health Amendment Bill, points out that the bill deprives all of the legal right to challenge the killing of their animals)
ROSS Finnie, the Minister for rural affairs, is generally considered to have come well out of the foot and mouth disaster. He is commended for moving more rapidly to combat the disease, for bringing in the army early enough to stop its spread, and of course for having, thus far, stamped it out in Scotland. I am not myself an enthusiastic Finnie supporter, because I regarded the policy of slaughtering healthy animals as brutal and unnecessary. But I am prepared to give him the benefit of doubt on two conditions: that he resists the appalling bill currently proposed at Westminster which is being introduced under the Orwellian title, the Animal Health (Amendment) Bill. And that he takes action to reverse the scandalous decline of Scottish veterinary science in Scotland.

First things first: the Animal Health Bill is an outrage. It gives the government the right to slaughter any animal, including not only cows and sheep, but family pets, horses, ponies, and even creatures housed in zoos, if, in its view, they "pose a risk of spreading disease". This means that if there is another foot and mouth scare, farmers or householders will be deprived of the legal right to challenge the killing of their animals. It is a savage and draconian piece of legislation, far worse in its implications than the absurd Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, which was rushed through after the scare over pit-bull terriers, and was found to be unworkable. ...(full article)
Nov 4, posted Nov 5

Labour MP's bill books an audience with President Blair
Guardian

Nicholas Watt,
.........."Instead of a healthy balance we have an executive, the UK presidency, which stands like an 800lb gorilla alongside a wizened legislature and judiciary," Mr Allen writes in a book published this week: Time to be Honest about the UK Presidency. ............. "The UK has in effect a presidency," he argues. "We should recognise it. We should welcome it. We should democratically control it." Downing Street officials, who insist publicly that they are observing the constitutional convention that the prime minister first among equals, will privately recognise many of Mr Allen's claims. Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair's chief of staff, reportedly said in private last year that he wanted to create a "Bonapartist" system in which Downing Street controlled every element of government. This runs against the constitutional convention that cabinet ministers are accountable to par liament for their departments. Mr Allen says that for 50 years successive prime ministers have ignored the conventions as they amassed more powers. "The blanket of powers of the UK presidency inadvertently suffocates initiative at every lower level," he says. ...Calling on the prime minister to "come out" and admit he has become a president, Mr Allen outlines powers which outstrip those held by President Bush. "A whole panoply of so-called royal prerogative powers are reserved to the prime minister ... [which] includes the making of treaties, and the ability to go to war," he writes. "Of course, in true British style, all this power is concealed by acres of window dressing, privy councils, royal audiences, parliamentary rituals, the facades of ancient buildings and public school accents. "While we in the UK would rather chatter about the cut and colour of the camouflage, behind it the UK president has power that would make Stalin blush." As a first step to changing the system, Mr Allen recommends a novel way to liven up the "ritualised, partisan, perfunctory questioning" of ministers in parliament. "Why close our minds to an MP or an Andrew Marr figure using the currently empty chamber each morning with a roving mike getting MPs' first-hand evidence live on TV on key constituency problems of the day, or a semi-circular chamber, or guest witnesses addressing the House - anything to get the House to speak to and for the electors and their concerns," he writes.
Nov 5

Farmers 'justified' in resisting cull
Letters to the Times

FROM MRS H. L. GOOD
Sir, Amendments to the Animal Health Act would give the Government powers to order the slaughter of any or all animals (this is not confined to farm animals) when and where it chose, and to prevent owners from resisting a culling order (report, October 31). The implication is that such resistance has contributed to the spread of foot-and-mouth. In fact, of the scores of owners who have resisted the culling of their livestock, only one, to my knowledge, was subsequently found to have animals that were infected.
It would appear that this is an attempt by the Government to airbrush out its own culpability with regard to the spread of foot-and-mouth and the economic consequences of its disastrous decisions.
I remain etc, H. L. GOOD, 21 North End, Meldreth, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 6NR. fmdwatch@hotmail.com November 1.
From Mr James Rider
Sir, Only 18 to 25 per cent of farms where animals were slaughtered under the contiguous cull had foot-and-mouth. This shows that at least three out of four slaughter teams were wasting their time and that farmers who resisted the cull were almost invariably right to do so.
Far from prolonging FMD these people actually saved the Government money.
Yours faithfully, JAMES RIDER, East Penrest Farm, Lezant, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 9NR. jrider@lineone.net
From Mr Charlie Munn
Sir, FMD was virtually unknown in this country for almost 30 years, but now that it may be endemic, it is the farmers who have to suffer further controls. In a few short months the Government has managed to alienate the whole industry and appears to be about to miss another opportunity to show that it has any practical interest in the future of farming.
Yours faithfully, CHARLIE MUNN, Hodore Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex TN7 4AR.
Nov 5

Say no to WTO talks: farmers body tells Govt
South Nexus.com

(warmwell note: articles such as this should be borne in mind when one hears the bland assurances of our politicians, Mrs Beckett in particular, that a global economy benefits the poorer nations. It does nothing of the kind. it benefits the greedy multi-nationals and the banks.) NEW DELHI, Nov 04: National Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement said that the Government should say, a "firm no" to another round of talks of World Trade Organisation at Doha as it "is not in the interest of the Indian farmers." The global trade regulatory body "favours the developed nations and spells doom for developing countries like India as most of the agreements are anti-farmer," Bharatiya Kisan Union president Chaudhury Mahendra Singh Tikait said. "Why does this Government love foreigners and hate Indians?" Tikait questioned. M D Najunda Swamy, the president of Karnataka Rajya Rayat Sangh -- a constituent of NCCFM, said, "besides opposing the new round of talks at Doha, the Government should use its voting rights in the WTO to block any new issues coming into the agenda." "India should also demand a thorough review of the existing WTO agreements and strive to replace this oppressive and unfair trade system with a new, socially just and sustainable trading framework," Swamy said. On the controversy surrounding the genetically modified Bt cotton, Swamy said, it "was sown on 10,000 hectares without the knowledge of the Government. The farmers as well as Gujarat Government were kept in the dark. .....," Swamy said.
Nov 5

Foot and mouth scourge may be over
Sunday Times

THE foot and mouth outbreak which saw 4m animals culled in Britain may be over. Scientists are optimistic that the virus has been contained, although more time is needed to find out if it has been eradicated. One expert said: "With every day without a new confirmed case we are more confident." The last confirmed case of the disease was on September 30 at a farm in Cumbria.
(warmwell note: the "scourge" was not the disease itself but the measures put in place to fight it. Farmers are still shackled by the movement restrictions. These are resulting in the pointless and wasteful deaths of thousands more animals. If the Animal Health Amendment bill is passed, the government will have given itself powers never before dreamt of to destroy animals at will whether or not they have been in contact with diseases. Owners will have no rights left to object and will be forced to cooperate. The bill as read on Oct 30. Few MPs even realised.)

King of the corn dolly
Western Daily Press

AS a seven-year-old boy, David Packwood was captivated by a small corn dolly made by an old man in a field. But with competition from TV and computer games, it takes more than a small cleverly-woven bunch of straw to capture the imagination of today's youth. So to ensure the survival of the ancient art, the 64-year-old master craftsman decided to think big. He creates 6ft tall straw sculptures of knights and maidens to grab the attention of young people and encourage them to take up the dying art. ............. David now travels around schools teaching children the art of making straw sculptures in the hope that some of the pupils will continue to practise until, like him, they can plait five straws in 50 different ways with their eyes shut. He says the large figures are in keeping with the ancient tradition because dolly means image or idol and he picks subjects to reflect this.
He also hope foot-and-mouth disease will lead to a resurgence in an art that was virtually finished off in the late 1950s when farmers started planting shorter straw needed for combine harvesters. "I have to give farmers the seed to grow longer straw I need but I've been told it's set to make a comeback after foot-and-mouth," he explained. "People are starting to say that the older varieties are better at keeping the farmyard clean and offer greater protection from the disease and I've heard people are starting to grow them again. " lSome of David's work is currently on show at the heritage centre in Ross-on-Wye.
Nov 5

Farmer's Outrage over New Powers
Shropshire Star

A livestock owner on the Shropshire Powys border accused the government of declaring war on farmers with its nproposed powers to slaughter animals against owners' wishes in future disease outbreaks.
Mr Roy Miller who farms sheep and cattle near Welshpool said he was outraged by the powers that he believed would take away the last safety net farmers have to protect their animals. He claimed that the Welshpool area would have become a wasteland if DEFRA had wielded such powers this year. .....
The government could force owners of sheep that are not resistant to scrapie, a disease harmless to humans, to slaughter or castrate them because a voluntary scheme to breed out the disease would be too slow. Eliott Morley, the animal health minister, claimed the powers were necessary because legal challenges to the contiguous cull policy had handicapped the fight against foot and mouth. But Mr Miller challenged him to find one example in Wales where resistance has resulted in the disease being spread. He said it was the government, not farmers, that allowed the disease to get out of control.
the bill will provide powers to kill any animals the minister thinks should be slaughtered with a view to preventing the spread of any disease - even if they are healthy annd have had no contact with infected animals.
Nov 3, posted Nov 4

Field day for the animal killers
Sunday Times

The idiot National Farmers' Union endorses the government's proposed Animal Health Act amendments that will give ministry agents the power to destroy cows, sheep, pigs, alpacas, cats, dogs, horses, hamsters and goldfish without judicial review.
This vindictive legislation, to put beyond challenge the power of the government to kill anyone's animal, has been rushed into parliament without waiting for reports from any of the three foot-and-mouth inquiries established by the government.
Ministers now allege, with the NFU, that animal owners who resisted the cull helped spread the disease. Where is the evidence? There is plenty of evidence that the bio-sanitary practices of the government's own agents spread the disease - but not that it was spread by people trying to protect their healthy animals from the ministry of death.
If the government is seeking ex post facto to legalise its contiguous cull policy, it can only be to make the next big cull a lot easier - without citizens seeking redress at law.
The NFU, which is as close to the new Defra as it was to the old Maff, is not the only organisation to have emerged disgraced by foot and mouth. Vets cravenly presided as ministry slaughtermen, accompanied by soldiers and armed police, took out pet goats. As government agents on quad bikes chased cows, the hypocritical RSPCA campaigned to ban hunting. I will never give them another penny.
The police ought to protect our freedoms. Instead, the senior cadre sent officers to superintend gross violations of human and animal rights. The army did its best to ameliorate the distress by organising matters more efficiently. ............
(full article)
Nov 4

After the slaughter comes the Bill to make it legal
Sunday Telegraph

Christopher Booker's Notebook
THE most startling aspect of the Animal Health Bill, which no one seems to have noticed, is that it confirms that the Government acted illegally during the foot and mouth crisis in ordering millions of healthy animals to be destroyed.
The Bill, which the Government hopes to rush into law by early next year, tacitly recognises that there was no legal power to order the destruction of these animals under the "contiguous cull".
The Bill contains two astonishing features. The first is that it grants powers more arbitrary and draconian than state officials have ever been given in Britain before. In the name of eliminating foot and mouth or any other disease, they are given right of entry to any premises, to kill any animal they wish, including cats and dogs.
Animal owners are deprived of any legal right to question or challenge such decisions. Indeed, they can be ordered by officials, on pain of prosecution, to provide assistance in any way that the officials want; so that, on paper, even refusing to make tea for an official could be deemed a criminal offence .
The Bill's other remarkable feature is that it confirms that when, in March, the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) launched its contiguous cull scheme, under which more than three million animals were killed simply because they were on farms within "three kilometres" of an infected premises, it did not have the legal power to do so.
The Animal Health Act 1981 clearly states that officials can kill animals only where there is proof that they are either diseased or have been exposed to infection. EU law, under directive 85/511, is even stricter, ruling that animals can be culled only when already infected.
It was these laws which Maff deliberately ignored in ordering its contiguous cull, supported by Professor Roy Anderson's Imperial College computer model. Indeed, whenever animal owners challenged the legality of the contiguous cull, Maff found some way to back down.
An Exeter solicitor, Alayne Addie, confirmed last week that, when she challenged Maff on more than 200 occasions, it was clear that the last thing the ministry wanted was to have its policy tested in court. When the case of Grunty, the film-star pig, did come before the High Court in June, Mr Justice Harrison ruled that the ministry had no power to order a blanket slaughter policy. Each case must be assessed individually.
It is precisely this wholesale breaching of the law that the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is now seeking to circumvent, by granting its officials the powers which until now the law has not given them.
This was justified last week by the Defra minister Elliott Morley, who outraged lawyers, farmers and vets by claiming as "a fact" that attempts to challenge the legality of the cull had helped prolong the epidemic. Miss Addie points out that in only one of the 200 cases she fought did the animals subsequently develop the disease. Mr Morley has been challenged to produce a single piece of evidence to support his claim.
Not the least controversial aspect of Mr Morley's new law (available via www.warmwell. com; see story below) is that it proposes to give police-state powers to the very officials who have so conspicuously abused the powers that they already have over the past seven months. Miss Addie argues that, by denying animal owners any right of appeal, the Bill is in clear breach of the Human Rights Act.
Despite the storm of protest it is arousing, Mr Morley will have little problem getting it nodded through by MPs. But since it was not announced in either the Labour manifesto or the Queen's Speech, the Lords are entitled to throw it out. Opponents now look to an all-party alliance of peers to do so.
Copies of my Not the Foot and Mouth Report are available from newsagents, or from Private Eye on 020 7228 6457.
Nov 4

Download on the lowdown on farm crisis
Sunday Telegraph

THE foot and mouth epidemic was the first national crisis in which, in terms of circulating a mass of vital information, a key part has been played by the internet. Several regular websites proved useful, but for thousands trying to follow this crisis, easily the most valuable, by posting a complete daily press summary, scientific and veterinary papers and all kinds of other data, has been www.warmwell.com.
Only last week, as a regular visitor, did I discover the extraordinary fact that this highly professional site was run single-handedly by an English teacher living in France. A year ago Mary Critchley moved with her laptop and two dogs to a farmhouse north of Bordeaux, to teach local people English.
She set up a chatty website on www.englishin france.com, to keep friends back home in touch with her daily doings. In April, she was so horrified by the vain battle of a farmer friend in Scotland to save his pedigree sheep from destruction that she decided to switch attention to the foot and mouth crisis, to provide reliable information on what was happening.
Mrs Critchley fast became familiar with all the key issues the Government wished to suppress, from the scientific case for vaccination to the illegality of the contiguous cull. Spending many hours a day with her laptop, next to a French vineyard 400 miles from Britain, she was soon keeping Devon farmers, Cumbrian vets, even journalists in Somerset, au fait with all that was happening.
Not surprisingly, warmwell.com (derived, Mary confesses, from "warm welcome") was last week dominated by the wave of informed outrage greeting the Government's Animal Health Bill (see main story). She hopes to keep her site open "as long as this awful battle continues".......
Nov 4

Food supply may be terror target Nation taking steps to guard agriculture from attack
USA today

By Anita Manning As federal authorities tighten security at airports and investigate anthrax cases in the eastern USA, scientists and politicians are growing increasingly worried about another possible target for terrorists: the food supply. An attack that disrupts agriculture could be economically devastating and widespread, says Craig Smith, an infectious-disease specialist at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Ga. ''We're talking about geopolitical ramifications,'' says Smith, who is part of a working group on bioterrorism with the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). ''We have an open society and open access to scientific information,'' he says. The Department of Agriculture stepped up disease surveillance efforts and restrictions on imports in the wake of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease in the United Kingdom, but ''we know that whenever outbreaks occur around the world, terrorists send their scientists to obtain samples,'' he says. ''You can't be paranoid, but we have to be cautious.'' ....... Speaking Sunday at an IDSA meeting in San Francisco, he said new research ''will also surely address some of the other critical public health and infectious-disease vulnerabilities on our planet.'' To illustrate that point, he showed a slide of a steaming mountain of British cattle that had been destroyed to stem the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in last summer's epidemic. ''We can do better than this in treating a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak,'' Inglesby said. ''We can have a vaccine that we can use widely that doesn't disrupt economic consequences of the meat supply.'' Scientists are at work on that, says USDA spokesman Kevin Herglotz. ''We have active research as it relates to vaccinations for foot-and-mouth disease, as well as technology that could better detect animal diseases,'' he says. ''We need to make sure that, particularly in the wake of Sept. 11, that we invest appropriately in that kind of research and science in our laboratory systems, and a lot of the senators have called for taking a closer look at these kinds of things.''.......
Nov 4

Foot and mouth vets 'should have more local power'
Telegraph

By Sandra Barwick (Filed: 03/11/2001) CENTRALISED control of the foot and mouth epidemic by Government "caused a lot of trouble" and vets needed more local authority, according to the chairman of the Royal Society inquiry. He also said that a radically different approach to foot and mouth to the current policy of slaughter, including vaccination, might not be possible for a decade. At a meeting of the inquiry in Cumbria to hear opinions from farmers, Sir Brian Follett, a biologist, was told that vets were often unable to make decisions on slaughter without clearance from London, delaying culls for up to five days. Sir Brian said: "National control caused a lot of trouble. The chief veterinary officer in a region should have been able to make a decision without having to go to London." He dismissed the prospect of protecting British livestock through vaccination, saying vaccination was not available. There was a need to find a vaccine "that really works". Britain could not find the scientific solutions to make a radical change in policy in isolation. EU and international backing would be needed. He said: "If anything, all the evidence points that we should continue with the present approach but put in place mechanisms to make it much more efficient. We have to be able to diagnose animals faster and make decisions much quicker. "In that way we can curtail the epidemic in a much shorter period of time. It got out of control in the present outbreak." Alan Richardson, a vet who had experience in the 1968 outbreak and who came out of retirement to work in Cumbria, has submitted a report of his experiences to the inquiry. He said yesterday that he had battled with the centralised control of the epidemic, based at the then Ministry of Agriculture in London. "You couldn't get a decision out of anyone. A telephonist would take a message and the chit would wait in an in-tray. "In 1969 I was the first man in the Macclesfield centre. I was the equivalent of an army captain. It was tightly run locally. You decided, valued, slaughtered and buried the same day. You can't do that if everything has to be decided in London."
(warmwell note: see Mr Richardson's paper on warmwell) Peter Jinman, vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, said that in future government should tackle epidemics "in partnership" with local veterinary expertise.
Nov 3

Oppose the Animal Health Bill
Petition on line

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition
To: All Westminster MPs
The Countryside Action Network and the animal owners who have put their names to this petition strongly oppose the Animal Health Bill, which provides additional powers to Ministers to order the slaughter of animals and to allow Ministers to add to the schedule of diseases for which compulsory slaughter of animals can be ordered.
In light of the very unpleasant experiences inflicted upon farmers and smallholders during the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, which resulted in millions of healthy animals being slaughtered, and thousands being slaughtered 'by mistake', we believe that giving additional powers to Ministers, without reference to Parliament, is not warranted.
Sincerely, The Undersigned
Nov 3

You've let the supermarkets off the hook . . .
Western Daily Press

FARMERS have attacked as "purely cosmetic" a new code of practice aimed at reining in the big four supermarkets. The long-awaited document, published this week, governs the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers. It was ordered after the Competition Commission concluded that the big chains operated in ways that "distorted" a fair market. The code, drawn up by the Office of Fair Trading, is split into eight parts and covers areas such as prices and payments, compensation, consumer complaints and third party dealings. It also includes setting up an independent mediator to resolve possible breaches of the code. The big four supermarkets, Asda, Safeway, Sainsbury's and Tesco, will be required to put terms of business in writing to ensure they do not use their power to force suppliers into unfair contracts. They will be also be expected to give reasonable notice before seeking retrospective price cuts and payments for lower profits than expected.
The document is legally binding but West producers dismissed it yesterday as "superficial". Farmers' leaders said it "lacked the guts" needed to redress the balance.
Robert Persey, who farmed 15,000 pigs for 35 years in Collumpton, Devon, before his business folded earlier this year, said: "This is like trying to rein in supermarkets with a piece of thread. "The code will do nothing, the power of the supermarkets is so great. "This is purely cosmetic and will have no affect whatsoever. Supermarkets are a power that is without control."
Maurice Vellacott, who has a cow and sheep farm at North Molton on the Somerset-Devon boarder was similarly unimpressed. He said: "Somebody is paying lip-service for a demand for something radical to happen. "Supermarkets should realise what the cost of production is and not exploit us." Suppliers were particularly annoyed that concerns voiced earlier this year, when they studied a draft version of the code, had apparently been ignored. The National Farmers Union said the new code would "leave farmers and growers bitter and angry"... ...... Supermarkets with at least an eight per cent share of the market will be bound by the code.
Nov 3

Farm virus puts dogs on the dole
Evening Chronicle

Sheep dogs are being abandoned in droves because foot and mouth has taken away their jobs. The RSPCA says it has been inundated with calls from desperate farmers who can no longer afford to look after their dogs.
Many of the working animals have been rendered redundant because fields once full of livestock are now deserted. Other farms have closed down, leaving the dogs with no place to go.
Today the RSPCA in Northumberland launched a campaign to rehouse homeless border collies. Spokesman Stephen Kirkup said: "We have all heard of farms closing and livestock slaughtered but this is another hidden cost of foot and mouth.
"Collies are just not needed in some parts of Northumberland and we now have a 200 per cent rise in the number of homeless dogs. "They are difficult to rehouse with ordinary families because they need special care. We haven't been able to go to other farms to offer them because of the risk of spreading infection." In many cases the collies were born before the first outbreak of foot and mouth in Northumberland last March.
Most of the dogs are up to ten months old and are considered by some farmers to be too old to properly train now........
Nov 3

CLASH OF VIEWS ON FARM SUBSIDIES
Dundee Courier

By Andrew Arbuckle, farming editor
THE PRESENT high level of support given to farmers within the UK was not only unsustainable in the long term but it also made farmers within the EU uncompetitive, farmers have been warned.
"If you continue (with the CAP) you will end up in a system where you will be unable to compete and you will lose touch with the views of consumers," Professor Donald Macrae, told farmers at a conference in Fife this week.
An advocate of freeing up the market and reducing dependency on subsidies, Professor Macrae said that the £482 million given in direct support to Scottish agriculture could be increased to £766 million as the real cost of subsidising agriculture. This was, he said, now some 3.3 times greater than the total income for Scottish agriculture and meant that every farming business in Scotland was receiving an average of £40,000 a year. The unsustainability of this position was further underlined in his eyes by the increased levels of borrowing which Scottish agriculture had resorted to in the past five years when farm income figures plummeted downward. Clearing bank debt has now risen to over £1200 million, or about £50,000 per farm unit. Professor Macrae, who is a senior economist with Lloyds TSB and who also claimed that he had several hundred years of farming in his own family tree, said that he was not advocating a quick shift to a New Zealand type of farming where levels of Government support are very small.
But, he said, the main beneficiaries of the present support system were the companies operating in supplying farming with some of its basic requirements, such as feedstuffs and fertilisers. He pointed out that input costs rose as rapidly as returns when the UK joined the Common Market, and when support was removed from NZ agriculture, then costs of fertilisers and animal medicines fell as quickly as the prices given for produce.
But, Professor Macrae's gloomy prognostications were too much for John Cameron, who led the National Farmers' Union of Scotland in the early years of this country's membership of the EU. As a former chairman of the railways in Scotland, Mr Cameron, said that the subsidies given to maintaining rural railways in this country were far higher than those given to the whole of agriculture. Mr Cameron added that while he believed there should be some shift in emphasis on how support was provided, the basic tenet remained that farm subsidies provided the best method of putting money into the rural economy. ....
Nov 3

Loch Katrine sheep farming to end
Glasgow Herald

JAMES FREEMAN
SHEEP will disappear from the hills around Loch Katrine because of economic failure and the need to safeguard the purity of Glasgow's water supply. West of Scotland Water is to stop sheep farming at the loch and at Afton, in Ayrshire. The Loch Katrine operation is one of the biggest sheep farms in Scotland at more than 20,000 acres, with 8000 sheep looked after by five full-time shepherds. Craigdarroch Farm at Afton has 800 sheep tended by one shepherd. .......The area has been a sheep farm since the second world war but in recent times its marginality was propelled into loss making by foot-and-mouth disease. Mr Cornish said: "We need to demonstrate to our customers that we are as cost-efficient as possible and minimise the degree by which charges have to increase. Non-core business operations, especially those which are loss-making, require serious reassessment." A second reason for selling its flocks was to minimise risk of contamination of the water supply from animal faeces. This follows the outbreak of stomach illness caused by the bacterium cryptosporidium in Glasgow last spring. Although no conclusive evidence identified the source, Greater Glasgow Health Board's scientists concluded the organism responsible was waterborne......
Nov 3

Scrapie plan threatens rare breeds
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver
SOME of Britain's rarest sheep breeds could be wiped out by proposals to cull or castrate sheep believed to be susceptible to scrapie. Ministers face growing calls to protect certain rare breeds following the publication of the Animal Health Bill. The bill would give the government powers to slaughter, castrate or sterilise sheep which do not have scrapie-resistant genes. The aim is to force farmers to help eradicate the BSE-type disease. But the National Sheep Association claims unique genes that could bring benefits will be lost if all susceptible sheep are culled. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust said rare breeds of sheep, which include Shetlands, Soays and Castlemilk Moorits, are generally not resistant. The trust is helping to organise a special government-funded genotyping programme for rare breeds to gauge the extent of the problem. Jeremy Roberts, chairman of the Castlemilk Moorit Breed Society, said: "If the scheme is made compulsory our breed will disappear." The sheep should be exempted because there are so few of them they are insignificant in terms of disease transmission. Countryside minister Elliot Morley said he would offer some hope to breeds. "There is going to be some flexibility. "We will take into account the need to protect rare specialist breeds." (warmwell note: it's not like the Farmers Weekly to miss the point like this. The bill is illogical and an affront to civil liberties - and its powers go way beyond what is implied in this article. There is no suggestion that cattle should be castrated or culled if they are not resistant to BSE. Scrapie in sheep is not harmful to humans. Scrapie cannot be proved to have any link with BSE - which in turn cannot be proved to cause CJD - yet the bill is hoping to ride on the current whipped up fears about all thse things. All associations that care about sheepfarming, or about the rights of the owners of all animals - including pets - to protect them, should be up in arms about this malevolent bill - not feebly begging for exemptions. )
Nov 2

Fears after new suspected foot-and-mouth case
Ananova

Tests are being carried out on a dairy cow sparking fears foot-and-mouth disease may have reappeared in the country for the first time in more than a month. Farmers are anxiously awaiting the results of the test, a National Farmers' Union spokesman said. The tests are being carried out at the government laboratory in Pirbright, Surrey, after the symptoms similar to those of foot-and-mouth disease were discovered in a cow at a farm near Rookhope, County Durham. The farm stands on the edge of the Blue Box restriction zone which was set up to stop the spread of disease from the virus hotspot around Hexham and Allendale in Northumberland. The animal was slaughtered as a precautionary measure and a sample taken for testing. A positive test for the disease would be confirmed later today, while a negative result would take longer to confirm. The Defra spokesman said today: "Following a report from a farmer in the Blue Box in County Durham, Defra vets have gone out to examine his stock. "One cow showed a lesion from which foot-and-mouth could not be eliminated." National Farmers' Union regional spokesman Rob Simpson said: "Farmers are waiting with trepidation for the results. If there are no results today it will be a good sign because it is less likely they will be positive. We will all be holding our breath." The last case confirmed in County Durham was on September 4, while the last in the national case was confirmed in Appleby, Cumbria on September 30.
Nov 2

Farmers fighting for the future
Scotsman.com

THERE is no sign of an exodus of Borders farmers from the agricultural industry after the foot-and-mouth crisis which affected more than 100 local farm-based businesses. Two farm business advisers commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Borders to help devastated farmers draw up recovery plans say the vast majority of people directly or indirectly hit by slaughter policies and livestock restrictions are determined to either start again or diversify. The Borders initiative in providing a special advice service is being seen as a pilot for the rest of Scotland, said Hugh Tasker, a Selkirk veterinary surgeon who chairs the Borders LEC. He added: "The agricultural industry accounts for 4,000 jobs with over 1,500 agricultural businesses in this area. These generate about £176 million annually for the local economy." Such an important industry must get the chance to flourish in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth. He said: "The Scottish executive has asked us, working in partnership with other organisations, to pilot a project with the rural development department which will eventually be disseminated to the rest of Scotland." The Borders LEC is paying for the two advisers to undertake audits on individual farms. A key objective is to identify possible diversification opportunities for farmers struggling to keep businesses going. A programme worked out by the two experts will include workshops on diversification, financial management, and technical discussion groups. There will be opportunities for director training specifically tailored to meet the needs of farm businesses. A conference for Borders farmers will be held in January 2002 to consider the industry's future requirements.
Nov 2

What foot and mouth can teach Blair about war
Telegraph

By Alice Thomson
...I asked our local farmer what had happened. "We're the last farm to have tested positive for foot and mouth," he said. "They came while I was away on holiday and shot all my sheep. Now they think it was a false alarm but it's too late. They're dead. Everyone's forgotten about our war."
In some ways the war against foot and mouth and the war against terrorism couldn't be more different. ..... One caused panic. In the foot and mouth crisis, supermarkets ran out of meat, Cheltenham was cancelled and Chinese stir fries were shunned. There were rumours that the disease could be carried 100 miles on the wind; the tourism industry lost £10 billion. In the war against terrorism, most people in Britain have remained calm despite the men in white suits and a couple of knock-kneed cricketers. Tony Blair treated them differently, too. He has called both disasters "devastating" and "grave". But over foot and mouth he vacillated for weeks, refusing to take responsibility and insisting there was no crisis. He put his junior, Nick Brown, in charge but gave him little more than a hessian sack to beat the virus.......Both times, the Prime Minister has tried to bypass Parliament. Over foot and mouth, Mr Brown insisted it was a waste of time to come to Westminster to tell MPs how the battle was going. Mr Blair still doesn't trust his MPs to have a proper debate or vote on the war.
In both cases, the Government's spin squadrons have floundered on the PR front. People felt sorry for farmers when they saw the medieval scenes of pyres burning in the countryside; now many feel wretched watching Afghanistan being bombed even further back into the Middle Ages. (see full article)

Rural Fears
Letter to the Telegraph

Re: Rural fears Date: 2 November 2001
SIR - The Government's plans to slaughter animals against the wishes of their owners (report, Nov. 1) are yet another attempt to fend off growing calls for a public inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic. Elliot Morley, the animal health minister, once more seeks to blame farmers, who now have more cause than ever to doubt scientific tests that could result in slaughter of flocks and herds built up over a lifetime, with no appeal. The minister might look at governmental concern about the election and lack of concern about foot and mouth in the early weeks of the outbreak, and at the Prime Minister's early abandonment of personal control when losing the battle. Mr Morley should also consider his own position regarding attempts to stifle assistance from qualified hunt staff early in the slaughter. Country people to whom I talk fear a government-inspired ploy to finish the entire livestock industry.
Edward Hart, Ludlow, Shrops
Nov 2

Telegraph farm wife's tale becomes a book
Telegraph

By Richard Savill (Filed: 02/11/2001)
AT the start of the foot and mouth crisis, The Telegraph asked Sally Leaney to write a diary for a week on how life with her husband and children on a West Country farm had altered. Her accounts proved so popular that they continued, drawing hundreds of letters from readers. Yesterday a book of her diaries - and some of those responses - was published. "I never expected this. It only started as a personal family diary," said Mrs Leaney, who was at the launch with her husband, Duncan, and children, Alice, 13, and Sam, 10. Mrs Leaney, whose farm at Corfe, near Taunton, Somerset, escaped the disease, hoped the book would serve as a "living memory" of the epidemic. Children in India, vets involved in the 1967 outbreak, a 95-year-old nun and farmers who lost animals were among those who made contact. One eight-year-old wrote to Sam and Alice saying: "We have a foot dip at school, have you? I am very scared . . ."..... Mrs Leaney said: "There were so many horrific images; charred legs sticking out of burning pyres. People needed to see the passion that was involved, and the pain and the cost. That is what I tried to convey." The Telegraph Diary of a Farming Wife by Sally Leaney (Merton Priory Press) is available for £9.95, post free in the UK. To order, call Telegraph Books Direct on 0870 155 7222.
Hundreds of rural businesses are uniting to mount legal actions against the Government over its handling of the foot and mouth crisis. The UK Rural Business Campaign claims that the Government illegally closed roads, was negligent in its advice to tourists and had contravened the Human Rights Act.
Nov 2

'Needless delay' in BSE sheep test
BBC

There are still concerns over whether BSE is in sheep. Scientists could have discovered whether BSE is in the national sheep flock several years ago, according to one of the government's senior advisers on the disease. The government's Veterinary Laboratory Agency is set to announce that it has developed a fast biochemical test for detecting BSE in sheep. But Professor John Collinge told the BBC the test could have been developed several years ago had the VLA devoted more resources to the project and sought outside expertise. The VLA says more research is required to determine whether it can distinguish BSE-like agents from all forms of scrapie but scientists hope to have a working test within months. But Professor Collinge says he developed the basis of the test for the VLA four years ago. The move comes in the wake of a bungled four-year study into whether BSE was in sheep, which was found to be mistakenly studying cow brains. Initial findings that one per cent of sheep might have BSE were explained when last minute tests showed that the brains being tested were in fact those of cows. Critics are appalled that after a four-year-study, the government is still no closer to answering concerns that BSE could have been in sheep for some time and mistaken for scrapie. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett has fended off criticism that she tried to "bury" the original bungled project. The scientist at the centre of the study has blamed the VLA for testing the wrong samples. But Mrs Beckett says the government still has no reason to be embarrassed.
(warmwell note: Mrs Beckett may possibly be deluding herself here - but no one else. )
Nov 2

NEW LEGISLATION PRE-EMPTS ALL FMD INQUIRIES
Press Release from National Foot and Mouth Group

Without waiting for the evidence or findings of any of the 3 Inquiries into FMD the Government has announced new legislation to reduce even further the appeals against the culling of healthy animals. Calling on the Government to justify this move, the National Foot and Mouth Group are asking the Government to produce evidence to substantiate its claim that farmers appealing against the contiguous cull caused the disease to spread. The experience of the Group in the Forest of Dean was that none of the 34 Contiguous culls proved positive when blood tested. Not one of the 34 farms had any animals that had been exposed to Foot & Mouth or contracted the disease. (18 farms were culled out before the Group's protests stopped the cull - all were negative when tested after slaughter - Elliot Morley eventally agreed to blood test the rest - they too were all negative.) .....
Nov 1

Disease bill reeks of 'jackboot tactics'
Farmers Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
THE unveiling of the government's Animal Health Bill has provoked much discussion throughout the national papers.
New measures will force farmers to comply with ministerial orders to slaughter their livestock to fast track-control of future disease epidemics. The Guardian describes the new laws as further evidence of government, "tightening the screw," against agriculture. In the paper, Devon pedigree cattle farmer Peter Cave, accuses the government of indulging in "jackboot tactics". He is quoted as saying:"This smacks of Nazi law, malicious and spiteful - you bloody well behave or we'll get you."
Lawyers have also questioned whether the legality of the new measures. Tim Russ, a partner in a Taunton practice, told the paper arbitrary culling without an appeals procedure could breach European Union law.
The Daily Telegraph labels the changes as, "draconian powers, to slaughter animals against the wishes of owners in future outbreaks of disease." The Financial Times say the new "legislation is designed to strengthen ministers' hand during the current crisis." Farmers' leaders have backed the proposals, but warned that government has to improve its communication with farmers, it says. (warmwell note: WHY have "farmers' leaders" backed this bill? It doesn't make sense voluntarily to give up one's right of appeal. These powers to grab property, once seized, would not be lightly relinquished. Why is the NFU's unelected executive hand in glove with the government over this issue? Real farmers are most certainly not.) The paper reports Malcolm Bruce, Liberal Democrat agriculture spokesman as saying: "We need consultation, not confrontation." The Times says ministers have been frustrated by delays and stalling tactics employed by some farmers to prevent the slaughter of their animals. But it concludes that the decision will "penalise farmers financially." Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told the paper that the proposals are "half-baked and evasive." There was no evidence that farmers had exacerbated the outbreak by their resistance to the slaughter of livestock, he said. Mr Burge cited inquiries by the National Audit Office and Devon County Council in his defence of farmers.
Nov 1

Government plans tough powers for any fresh animal epidemic
Telegraph

By Sandra Barwick DRACONIAN powers to slaughter animals against the wishes of owners in future outbreaks of disease, and to kill scrapie-susceptible sheep even if BSE is never found in the national flock, are being taken by the Government. Legislation, which is expected to become law in the New Year, would prevent farmers, owners of animal refuges and pets mounting legal challenges to contiguous culls as happened this year. It will also enable the Government to force owners of sheep which are not resistant to scrapie, a disease harmless to humans, to slaughter or castrate them because a voluntary scheme to breed out the disease would be too slow. Elliot Morley, the animal health minister, said the powers were necessary because legal challenges to the contiguous cull policy had handicapped the fight against foot and mouth. The Government had fought more than 100 court cases of owners opposed to slaughter, and "that in many cases allowed the disease to spread" he said. He had been told that in around 20 of those cases animals had proved to be infected, he said. (warmwell note: had he? Well none of them was in Wales. We'd be very interested to know which cases "PROVED TO BE INFECTED". Mr Morley may perhaps have been told of the Hodgson family where "positive" blood tests caused them to drop their case, resulting in their liability for costs and the distressing slaughter of their disabled son's pet goats . His pet pig, also killed along with the unfortunate pet goats, had lived and slept alongside these "infected" anmals without any ill effects for months.) "We make no apology for taking these powers."
But Peter Ainsworth, the Shadow Secretary for Environment, said the proposed powers would "set alarm bells ringing across the countryside". The results of the Devon Inquiry showed "only too clearly that Defra [Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] ministers and officials cannot be trusted to take rational or informed decisions during an epidemic," he said. ....The Bill will provide powers to kill "any animals the Minister thinks should be slaughtered with a view to preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease', even if they are healthy and have had no contact with affected animals.
Nov 1

Vaccination for foot and mouth
Letter in The Scottish Farmer

........He also did not acknowledge that offers from abroad and indeed from within the UK to help were refused by the Government authorities. The Government agencies, although they were informed some years before the UK epidemic (and must have themselves been aware) thatthe UK was a sitting duck for foot-and-mouth disease, apparently did nothing and refused all help to get such diagnostic tests (or indeed the "new" vaccines) validated for use in this country or indeed the EC.The scientific basis for such diagnostic tests is sound.
To do nothing in the face of such knowledge for so long in the presence of an obvious risk of catastrophe is inexcusable. How can the Government establishment at Pirbright, England, justify its status as a world centre for the study of foot-and-mouth disease? The "new" science (which in reality is several years old) would have predictably led to providing us with a diagnostic kit that could be applied on farm to check for evidence of infection or vaccination, with clear distinction between the two.
In other but related fields of scientific endeavour, there is plenty of evidence that this could indeed be achieved. Bureaucracy got in the way so that such important scientific advances could not be used until such time that trials in the EC had been done. The golden opportunity of doing the trials during the epidemic was missed with all help refused.Such trials should have been done before the outbreak as part of a contingency strategy, which clearly was non-existent in spite of the obvious risk. Bureaucratic rules emanating from what appears to be an incompetent EC Veterinary Committee prevailed, while it waited to be asked. Apparently, it does not intend considering what to do about the UK epidemic and its spread to elsewhere in the EC until later this year. Everyone must now be aware that the EC is very good at making endless directives, but is useless at business management in terms of making realistic decisions within a practical time frame. (full text)
Nov 1

New animal health bill is premature, says farm union
News Wales

New government measures to speed up the culling of livestock in any future foot and mouth outbreak are far too premature, the Farmers' Union of Wales stressed today. They are a knee-jerk reaction to the implications of the current foot and mouth crisis and will do nothing to assist farmers, said FUW President Bob Parry. The Animal Health Bill, published today, proposes giving Government vets and officials stronger powers to enforce the rapid culling of livestock in any future outbreak. "It appears the Government is trying to shift blame for the current outbreak on to the farmers instead of looking at the facts. We believe the only proper way of identifying all the weaknesses in the handling of the present crisis is by way of a public inquiry," said Mr Parry. ............. "The FUW firmly believes that farmers must retain the right of appeal against some of the additional powers for vets and other officials being proposed in this Bill," Mr Parry added. Welsh Tories have also criticised the bill. "It looks like farmers are once again the victims of the government's own incompetence. If there problems during the crisis then Labour only have themselves to blame. Once again they're seeking to try and pass the buck for their own mistakes," said Conservative agriculture spokesman Peter Rogers AM. "It's laughable that we've not yet implemented controls at the ports to prevent infected food for coming in and yet the government are bringing in legislation which will allow indiscriminate slaughter."
Nov 1

New laws on culling tighten screw on farms
Guardian

Tough measures forcing farmers to cooperate with livestock culls to combat foot and mouth were unveiled yesterday as the government tightened the screw against agriculture and angrily accused sections of the industry of spreading the disease. New laws giving ministers powers to have slaughtered any animals thought necessary in the battle against foot and mouth, raised the spectre of police accompanying government vets on to holdings to keep angry farmers at bay. With Margaret Beckett, the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, warning of the disease breaking out in pockets later this year - there has not been an outbreak for a month - the animal health (amendment) bill will scrap a lengthy procedure allowing farmers to appeal before a cull. .............................
Last night farmers accused the government of underhand tactics by attempting to shift the blame for mishandling the eight month foot and mouth crisis away from the former ministry of agriculture. Lawyers also claimed that the new powers couldbreach the Human Rights Act. ................... . Peter and Gillian Cave, who successfully went to court in March to save 100 pedigree Devon cattle earmarked for slaughter in a contiguous cull, accused the government of "jackboot tactics". Mr Cave claimed hundreds of thousands of healthy animals had been needlessly killed. "This smacks of Nazi law, malicious and spiteful - you bloody well behave or we'll get you." Lawyers representing farmers questioned the legality of the new measures. Tim Russ, a partner in a Taunton practice, said it still had to be determined whether the disease had spread through government mismanagement or poor farming practice. He said introducing arbitrary culling without an appeals procedure could breach the EU law. ............ Nov 1

Farmers lose out on compensation
BBC

Farmers have said the Arable sector is at an all-time low Arable farmers calling on the government to claim compensation from the EU have been rebuffed. Junior food and rural affairs minister Elliot Morley cited the cost of foot-and-mouth when he announced the claim had been rejected. Elliot Morley "We have decided not to draw down these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present, not least the cost of eradicating foot-and-mouth disease". Under the terms of the compensation the government would have had to match any funds provided through EU compensation. The announcement, in a Commons written answer, came after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott refused to be drawn on the issue as he stood in for Tony Blair during prime minister's questions. .....
Nov 1

Europe is master
Letter in Telegraph

Date: 31 October 2001 Christopher Booker, Litton, Som
SIR - Having just published a detailed analysis of the foot and mouth catastrophe ("Not the Foot and Mouth Report"), I read with particular interest your summary of the preliminary findings of the inquiry set up by Devon County Council (report, Oct 29).
Certainly, Professor Mercer has identified most of the key errors that made the Government's handling of this crisis, in his own word, so "lamentable". But it is important to recognise how many of his admirable recommendations for changes in policy are subject to the agreement of the European Commission, which has exercised ultimate control over foot and mouth policy since the 1980s. These include everything from the rules on importing food and disposal of carcasses to the use of vaccination, on which it seems, in light of the UK disaster, the Commission is already moving towards a change in policy.
Professor Mercer calls for a "national contingency plan" to ensure that such mistakes are never repeated. He should know that precisely such a detailed contingency plan already exists. It was approved by the European Commission in 1993, but has been kept firmly out of public view ever since. Can the Government explain why we are not allowed to see this document?
posted Nov 1

New laws to fight farm diseases
Farmers Weekly

THE government has unveiled proposals for new legislation to improve its handling of future foot-and-mouth outbreaks. In a bid to speed up the containment of the disease, the Animal Health Bill would force farmers to comply with orders to slaughter their livestock. Ministers believe the fight against foot-and-mouth was hampered by farmers who appealed against culls of apparently healthy animals. The new bill, announced in London on Wednesday (31 October), also contains plans to eradicate the BSE-type disease scrapie in sheep. Some scientists fear that scrapie could be masking BSE in sheep and ministers want to develop "rapid" tests to see whether this is the case. Peter Jinman, a member of the BSE advisory committee, said it was proving difficult to validate the sheep tests because they are so complex. Ministers may want to review the validation process, especially because the tests are new and there is nothing to compare them with, he said. .................. Molecular tests have been used on 465 scrapie-infected sheep brains from the current flock at the government's Veterinary Laboratory Agency. None of the samples tested positive for BSE. But the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has warned that it is still not possible to guarantee that sheep are free from BSE. It wants more technology made available so it can test more sheep in the hope of drawing a conclusion about whether the disease is in sheep.
Oct 31

Foot-and-mouth Inquiries
BBC

Just over 2,000 cases of foot-and-mouth animals were confirmed during the epidemic, yet almost 4,000,000 animals were slaughtered. The government's policy of mass culling and its refusal to vaccinate are likely to be central issues at the inquiries into the epidemic now getting under way. ......... Millions of uninfected animals were slaughtered during the mass culls The government has introduced new powers to force farmers to co-operate with the mass culling of animals in any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Some farmers asserted their right to have their animals tested before they were slaughtered, leading to delays and the spread of disease according to some scientists. .... Giant pyres to burn animal carcasses were seen as mediaeval and barbaric
The Government's response to the foot-and-mouth crisis in Devon was "lamentable", according to the county's inquiry into the outbreak. The inquiry says giant pyres used to burn animal carcasses should not be used again and the government should look again at the option of vaccination.
Cull delays made epidemic worse Many government vets were reluctant to accept the policy of mass culling More aggressive culling of livestock could have helped reduce the scale of the foot-and-mouth epidemic according to studies by two groups of scientists. The researchers say around one million fewer animals would have had to be slaughtered if the government had acted sooner on the advice received from experts.
Oct 31

New laws could speed up the culling of livestock
BBC

(warmwell note: let no one be in any doubt about the nature of this bill. It intends to wrest the last power from the hands of people who own livestock of any kind, making it illegal for them to protect their animals from government powers of slaughter. It is to be rushed through Parliament on the nod. It seems horribly likely that no one at Westminster will be awake enough to stop it.) New government powers to strengthen the fight against animal diseases are being unveiled on Wednesday. The Animal Health Bill aims to close loopholes which ministers claim have made it more difficult to eradicate both foot and mouth disease, and a BSE-type disease in sheep called scrapie. Scientists believe the fight against foot-and-mouth was weakened by farmers, who used the power of appeal against culls of apparently healthy animals on farms neighbouring confirmed outbreaks. This caused delays, making it more difficult to keep on top of the spread of the virus - and may in some cases have allowed other farms to become infected. (warmwell note: How DARE the BBC report such blatant propaganda.) Wednesday's bill proposes giving government vets and officials stronger powers to enforce the rapid culling of livestock in any future outbreak.
Scrapie fears
The bill will also step up attempts to rid the British sheep population of the brain disease scrapie. Although it has been around for hundreds of years and is not harmful to people, it has similar symptoms to BSE, linked to the fatal brain disease variant CJD in humans. (warmwell note: again, this is just disgraceful manipulation of language. There is NO proven link between BSE and CJD, let alone any evidence that sheep can develop BSE.) The fear is that scrapie could be masking BSE in sheep - it is that possibility which scientists were investigating when it was found that they had been testing cattle brains instead of sheep tissue. A voluntary scheme to breed scrapie out of sheep has had a low take-up by farmers, so the bill is expected to introduce powers for the compulsory testing programme for rams.
Huge slaughter
Those with a genetic make-up likely to produce lambs at risk from the disease would have to be slaughtered or castrated. The final element of the proposed law is to prepare for an event everyone hopes will never happen. (warmwell note: No, not "everyone". It is precisely such an excuse as this that those involved have been seeking to eradicate the sheep in this country. The supermarket barons for example, with their eyes on cheap exports will rejoice.) If it is found that BSE has in fact crossed from cattle to sheep, plans have been drawn up which could involve the slaughter of all of the 40 million sheep in Britain. This would involve a huge operation phased over several years, and powers are now being put into place to allow this to happen - hopefully they will never have to be used. (warmwell note: "hopefully", an adverb we prefer to use correctly, cannot describe the way we face the future when New Labour behave in a way that horrifies and disgusts anyone who still has any integrity and concern for social justice.)
Oct 31

From the Devon County Council Inquiry :On the use of vaccination and slaughter
Interim Report

1.10 ....We find that the Government should give greater priority to more scientific research into this area backed with appropriate funds and contracts and should initiate international co-operation on this front. It might replace totally the present methodology for preventing a future outbreak. (warmwell note: Lord Whitty had no grounds for suggesting on Farming Today yesterday that "the arguments put to the Devon Inquiry which they didn't completely accept was that at times vaccination would have been an alternative to culling" These paragraphs show that the Devon Inquiry found an urgent need to review vaccination as an alternative to culling.)
1.11 But, in the short term, the use of vaccination to contain the disease and thus reduce the pressure on the system of slaughtering and disposal must be considered.
1.12 We find that the whole question of using vaccination in the interest of temporary containment must be explored in the context of 1.10 above. DEFRA should recognise that farmers routinely inject stock regularly as part of their livestock husbandry. The ridiculous and dangerous situation brought about by attempts at last-minute training of vaccinators should never be repeated because there are clear alternatives 1.13 Reports received by the Inquiry of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of all those involved, from Ministers downwards. If culling on or beyond confirmed infected farms should persist then the actual process of killing animals must be handled more sensitively and more humanely.
1.14 We find that training in slaughter management is needed. It should include clear instruction in the assessment of the likely impact that slaughtering will have on farmers, their families and other witnesses. This of course will not be necessary if slaughter is discontinued in future policies. (Devon's emphasis)
Oct 31

EU fails to meet cost of foot-and-mouth disease
Financial Times

By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Cathy Newman in London The European Commission is to give Britain less than E800m (£500m) towards the cost of foot-and-mouth - two-thirds of what the government has demanded. The taxpayer has had to pay more than £1.7bn for compensating farmers for slaughtered livestock. The government has lodged a provisional request for E1.2bn from the European Commission, Michaele Schreyer, budget commissioner said on Tuesday. The environment department said it would continue pushing for the remainder of the money. However, the Tories said they were "disillusioned with the Commission's reluctance to reimburse Britain in full". Ann Winterton, Conservative agriculture spokesman, said: "We are one of the largest contributors to the EU funds: it's a pretty poor show when the British government asks for assistance that we have been turned down in this way." ......
Oct 31

Watchdog set to investigate Maff's 'poaching' of vets
Independent

By Marie Woolf Chief Political Correspondent 31 October 2001 The Government's financial watchdog is to investigate claims that the Ministry of Agriculture diverted too many vets to the fight against foot-and-mouth, leaving abattoirs and meat factories dangerously exposed to the threat of other diseases. The National Audit Office is to follow up a complaint from the biggest supplier of vets in the country about salaries of up to £100,000 paid to recruit professionals to the fight against the epidemic. Jason Aldiss, the managing director of Evill and Jones, the country's biggest private contractor of vets, said the pay offered by the Government "was so good that our people abandoned us". Abattoirs and meat factories were severely overstretched and in some cases unable to meet the Government's own standards introduced this year to protect the public against diseases such as BSE. The investigation will assess claims that public health vets were warning the now-defunct Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) on a daily basis that they were haemorrhaging staff during the crisis because of the salaries being offered by the Government. Andrew Storrar, president of the Veterinary Public Health Association, said: "Public health could have been disturbed by not having the number of people to cover. We were overwhelmed because we could not compete with these salaries. It was farcical." Downing Street was told about the dangers but vets say their pleas were ignored. Hundreds of vets saw their salaries double when they signed up to work on a daily rate for the Government, which paid up to £250 a day as well as offering perks including a car, mobile phone and free hotel accommodation. The Independent has learnt that an official complaint has been made to the inland revenue that some vets recruited from abroad left the country without paying tax. The Tories accused the Government last night of a "grotesque waste of public money" in supplying vets. Peter Ainsworth, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, said: "Seeing them handing out money hand over fist like this is shocking." Mr Aldiss said: "From 1 April this year we were required to provide 100 per cent supervision of all fresh meat facilities including cutting plants and slaughterhouses. So we recruited 60 vets to ensure compliance. Thirty were subsequently poached by Maff. That left us extremely short-staffed and I known that other contractors were left in the same position and were unable to provide the cover required. "In future they [Maff and its successor] have to learn lessons from this. We all warned them. They knew what was happening and nobody listened at all." The Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, which was created after the demise of Maff, denied that public health had been compromised by its policy of hiring vets on high rates. It said it had received no complaints from the Meat Hygiene Service which is in charge of enforcing government standards. Some 600 vets are still being paid the high rates even though there have been no cases of foot-and-mouth for the past month. But the Government is now understood to be looking at introducing fixed-term contracts for vets to save money.
Oct 31

CULLING STILL BEST CONTROL - WHITTY
Farmers Guardian

by PA News reporters (October 30, 2001)
Mass culling would remain the Government's policy in the event of a further outbreak of foot-and-mouth, in spite of the experience of this year's epidemic, Lord Whitty said today.

The food minister said he would not pre-empt the three independent inquiries being carried out into the outbreak. But he confirmed that, at present, Government policy on culling had not changed.

Lord Whitty told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today: "Policy at the moment would be to follow the successful dimensions of the strategy we have adopted so far, which is basically that the culling, as long as we match the target figures, is effective in containing the disease. "There may be other measures which could be supportive to that - measures of tighter biosecurity and control of movements and import controls - but we would at this point primarily go for culling. "At the moment, we can see vaccination being a support to culling in certain circumstances, but it is not an alternative to culling."
(Full transcript )
..(warmwell note: this makes perfect logical sense in our Brave New LabourWorld where the government is intent, and has been from the start, not on animal health and supporting British farming but on the death of both. Can there be any further doubt that its intention is to eradicate stock in Britain for the benefit of cheap imports and to pursue its own arcane designs on the wilder parts of the country?) ......
Oct 30

An epidemic of evasion
Telegraph Leader

GOVERNMENTS generally hold inquiries for three reasons: to assuage public concerns; to learn lessons from past failure; and to prevent the repetition of mistakes. By all three criteria, the case for a full public inquiry into the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic is overwhelming. It is difficult, even now, to describe the full scale of the calamity.......
In the absence of an official public inquiry, there have been two "freelance" investigations: one by Devon County Council and one by the magazine Private Eye. The European Parliament, under pressure from Conservative MEPs, looks likely to order a third. .......Private Eye, in a remarkably thorough investigation, is even more scathing. It accuses the Government of slaughtering millions of animals unnecessarily, of acting outside the law, and of setting its policy to suit Labour's election timetable. Despite a petition of more than 100,000 signatures organised by Farmers' Weekly, ministers have resolutely refused to set up a public tribunal. Instead, they have organised in-house studies with limited remits. All the key questions thus remain unanswered. When did ministers first hear of the outbreak? What action did they order? Why were they so slow to halt the movement of animals? Is it true, as we report today, that 40 per cent of the culled beasts might have been saved by more prompt action? Why were the lessons of 1967 ignored? Why were there such unconscionable delays between identification, slaughter and destruction? Why the vacillation over burning versus burial, and slaughter versus vaccination? Many country people are convinced that ministers are reluctant to allow a public inquiry for one reason: they fear it would reveal that their reaction to the disease was dictated by electoral rather than veterinary criteria. Put crudely, many farmers suspect that ministers were far more concerned with the date of the election than with eradicating the disease, and that this prejudiced their response to it. Without a full inquiry, who is to say that this suspicion is unfounded?
Oct 30

Plan now for next foot-and-mouth, ministers are told
The Times

BY ELIZABETH JUDGE
THE Government should immediately prepare a national foot-and-mouth contingency plan, according to the chairman of the only public inquiry into the outbreak. Ian Mercer, who yesterday published his preliminary findings into the handling of the epidemic in Devon, said that the Government should be "getting on with it" rather that waiting for the results of the three national inquiries. Ministers' handling of the outbreak in Devon had been "lamentable", the report said. There should be a national contingency plan that would "cascade down via region to the county, the district and the parish". The call was backed by David Hill, chairman of the Devon branch of the National Farmers' Union. Lord Whitty, the Farming Minister, admitted that the contingency plan introduced after the 1967 epidemic had not been adequate to contain this year's outbreaks and had not been widely shared with the farming community. "We do need to improve communication and be better prepared if this happens again," he said. He defended the decision not to proceed with vaccination and said that a Bill dealing with animal disease outbreaks was being prepared.( warmwell note: this may well refer to the Animal Health bill which is to be rushed through parliament under the wing of "bio-terrorism" legislation, extending powers to slaughter without owners' consent ...another bullying government sledgehammer designed to miss the nut) Professor Mercer' report accused the Government of trying to handle this year's epidemic by "poring over maps in remote offices" while ignoring the knowledge and experience of local people. The decision to burn carcasses in huge pyres was"disastrous";..........The report said that vaccination should be considered in future. Peter Ainsworth, the Shadow Secretary for Rural Affairs, said that the Government seemed keener to shirk its responsibilities than to establish why things went wrong. The Prince of Wales said yesterday that farmers would need "all the moral support possible" as winter drew in and that people should pray that the worst of the epidemic was over. Visiting Dartmoor National Park Authority for its 50th anniversary, he said that as he had watched the epidemic unfold "the frustration was not being able to do enough to help but having to witness so many people having to go though what must be complete hell". The Prince gave £500,000 to help farmers at the height of the outbreak.
Oct 30

Government admits errors handling foot-and-mouth
Financial Times

The government on Monday admitted there had been "communication problems" over plans to combat the foot-and-mouth outbreak, after an inquiry by Devon County Council said the government's handling of the affair was "lamentable". Lord Whitty, farming minister, said that while plans were in place to deal with an outbreak, they were not disseminated fully. He said: "The contingency plan was not sufficiently shared with stakeholders [the farming community]...future contingency plans for this and other outbreaks should be shared more widely and tested." Professor Ian Mercer, whose report into Devon's outbreak was published on Monday, urged the government to prepare an immediate contingency plan: "Nothing should delay it...they should be getting on with it now". ........................ It also criticised the way in which government officials treated individuals and communities, a charge which Lord Whitty acknowledged. "There were...insensitivities in the beginning. That is not a criticism of our staff but we do need to be improve communication and be better prepared if it happens again," he added. (warmwell note: Would Lord Whitty classify as "insensitivities" the physical beating up of a Devon farmer by policemen when he attempted to stand between his stock and the slaughter teams? Would he use the adjective "insensitive" to describe the behaviour of those who caused the horrors at Knowstone?) Professor Mercer also said vaccination must be considered to contain any future outbreak. However, Lord Whitty defended the government's decision not to proceed with a vaccination programme. He said: "I think it is important to say that throughout the disease the government has been prepared to look at it, but it [vaccination] was important to get the support of farmers in Devon and it was clear that we didn't have the sort of support to implement it". (warmwell note: and who was asked?)
Oct 30

Re: Touching the surface
Telegraph Letter

SIR - Margaret Beckett talks of working in partnership with the farming community to achieve a 14 per cent reduction in ammonia emissions by 2010. She must be well pleased with herself for reaching her target some nine years in advance - or has no one told her that her department has successfully removed something close to that percentage of animals during the foot and mouth crisis?

SIR - I am amazed at the ignorance of the agriculture industry displayed by Margaret Beckett (letter, Oct 26). She suggests that farmers should plough in manure, rather than simply spreading it, as this reduces emissions of ammonia. ...........Unfortunately, cattle lift their tails several times a day, producing unimaginable quantities of manure every winter. Most farms do not have sufficient land under the plough to dispose of one winter's manure in the manner suggested by the minister. Dare I suggest that more ammonia is emitted by the large agri-businesses favoured by Lord Whitty than by smaller family farms, particularly those which have opted for an organic system of production? Perhaps attention should first be paid to the artificial fertiliser industry, or is the Government wary of upsetting large chemical companies? Agriculture is a very complex industry, and any minister who thinks she can tackle any one of its problems in isolation is extremely naive.
Oct 29

MPs renew calls for virus inquiry
Farmers Weekly

OPPOSITION MPs have renewed calls for a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth following the publication of the Devon report into the crisis The preliminary report from the Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry proves the need for a full public inquiry into the epidemic, they said. The report, published on Monday (29 October) brands the government's handling of the crisis as lamentable. Shadow Rural Affairs Secretary Peter Ainsworth said it was probable that shortcomings identified in Devon had been repeated elsewhere. "It is disgraceful that the Government seems more set on running away from its own responsibilities than on establishing what went wrong and why." The government's half-hearted participation in the Devon inquiry was an insult to thousands of people who had suffered, said Mr Ainsworth. Refusing to hold a full inquiry would only deepen the sense of anger felt by millions across the whole of the country, he said. Lib Dem Rural Affairs spokesman Malcolm Bruce said it was ironic that farmers were more comfortable dealing with the army than the government. ..........
Oct 29

Farmer burns flag in food protest
Farmers Weekly

By FWi staff
A BRITISH farmer burned an American flag in protest at global food policies which, he claims, are driving small producers out of business. Hector Christie, a pig farmer from North Devon, burned the flag during a protest before 50 protestors in Gloucestershire on Saturday (27 October). Mr Christie from Tapely Farm, near Bideford, said: "Small farmers are being crushed beneath globally-centred economics and loaded legislation" Low prices had forced Mr Christie to kill 11 piglets. Even giving away the animals would have cost him £150 in vet bills and £55 in transport costs. Mr Christie said he burned the American flag in response to World Trade Organisation rules which were hurting small farmers. "We are currently killing thousands of animals per day because we can't move or sell them while exports roll in by the lorry load," he said. "We incinerate or bury our healthy animals while Afghans starve." The Marquess of Worcester, formerly TV actress Tracey Ward, also warned that global food policies were killing Britain's small farmers She was cheered as she spoke from the bandstand in Gloucester Park, Gloucester, before marching on the city's Shire Hall. (warmwell note: interesting that the Farmers Weekly report this so inaccurately. Hector was dissuaded from burning the flag and, although the day was not at all thought a disappointment, the march did not in fact take place. The rest of the report is correct.) Farmers are being strangled by supermarkets who buy food from abroad rather than using healthy produce grown on their doorstep, she said. The 42-year-old marquess, who lives on the Badminton Estate, now works as an ecologist supporting local farmers. Among the marchers were Cornish farmer Simon Burbage and Gloucestershire farmer Sue Osbourne. Mr Burbage said: "Quite why we need to go to Afghanistan to fight terrorism I don't know. We have a terrorist called Tony Blair in Whitehall." "He has shown a total disregard for every rural issue." Mrs Osbourne said: "Foot-and-mouth has been swept under the carpet so Tony Blair can get on with his war."
Oct 29

F&M staff paid bonuses despite concerns
icWales

By Jamie Lyons, PA
Bonuses were paid to Welsh Assembly staff handling the foot-and-mouth crisis -despite the finance minister's ''great reservations'' about such rewards, it emerged today. Edwina Hart said Assembly officials had been rewarded for their exceptional work during the outbreak. Mrs Hart told today's plenary session: ''Bonus payments were given to Assembly staff involved in foot-and-mouth as recognition of what happened in that period.'' The revelation came minutes after Mrs Hart told AMs of her objection to such payments. ''I personally have very great reservations about the effectiveness of any performance bonuses,'' she said. (warmwell note: Yes, we have too. And in this case, we cannot help but wonder what "performance" was thought worthy of such reward while welsh farmers continue to struggle painfully under restrictions and hardships brought about by these servants of the government. While the Devon report describes the policy as "lamentable" and remarks, "Reports of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of those involved, from ministers downwards" we have to wonder for what services exactly these bonuses in Wales were paid. )
The minister said in certain cases bonus payments were justified. But she said she had concerns about the manipulation of some systems of performance-related pay........
posted Oct 29

Government 'lamentable' over foot and mouth
Telegraph

By Richard Savill
A REPORT into the foot and mouth crisis today describes the Government's handling of the epidemic as "lamentable". The report, the outcome of the only independent public inquiry into the outbreak, finds fault with almost every aspect of the Government's approach. It accuses the Government and its agencies of "insensitive treatment" of ordinary individuals and communities, and none of those involved escapes criticism. It says: "Reports received by the inquiry of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of all those involved, from ministers downwards. "If culling on or beyond confirmed infected farms should persist then the actual process of killing animals must be handled more sensitively and more humanely." The report says the contiguous cull policy "appeared to have been implemented by officials poring over maps in remote offices, so that only holdings were considered, not the topography, the disposition of animals upon it, nor the distances between them." The 20-page report makes 31 recommendations and is the result of this month's five-day public inquiry chaired by Prof Ian Mercer into the outbreak in Devon, one of the worst-affected counties. In his foreword, Prof Mercer, 68, the former secretary general of Association of National Park Authorities, says it is "already clear that the outbreak and the handling of the ensuing crisis was lamentable". The report goes on to say that there should be an immediate ban on animal movements on the first day of any future outbreak. The inquiry heard that the Government's delay between announcing the first case and stopping all animal movements meant hundreds of thousands of sheep were moved, spreading the disease across the country. The report also says that vaccination must be considered to help the temporary containment of any future epidemic. It calls for a national contingency plan, such as that produced for maritime pollution response by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The report adds that situations arose in Devon where "the insensitive treatment of ordinary individuals and communities confronted by events outside their control did nothing to foster a united front or provide community leadership against the common enemy - the disease itself". Lessons that should have been learned from the 1967 outbreak did not appear to have been implemented and "recommendations of the official report into that outbreak were ignored". The inquiry was set up by Devon County Council, with all-party support, and the inquiry team, which heard 50 witnesses and received written submissions from another 300, comprised seven county and district councillors.
The Government has announced three inquiries into the foot and mouth crisis, but unlike Devon, it has rejected demands from the farming community to hear evidence in public.
Prof Mercer has sent his preliminary findings - a full report is to be published later this year - to Tony Blair, Lord Haskins, the Government's rural recovery co-ordinator, and Lord Whitty, the minister responsible for co-ordinating Defra evidence to the foot and mouth inquiries.
Oct 29

Plan to vaccinate cattle 'vetoed' Ex-minister says food lobby barred foot and mouth policy
Guardian

Peter Hetherington, regional affairs editor
The government came close to authorising the limited vaccination of livestock in an attempt to curb the spread of foot and mouth over six months ago, the former minister of agriculture revealed yesterday. But it had been unable to go ahead because of opposition from the food industry, he claimed.
In a frank assessment of Whitehall's shortcomings in the midst of the epidemic, Nick Brown, who frequently faced the wrath of angry farmers, came close to questioning the government's strategy and hinted it could have been tougher. While avoiding directly criticising Downing Street's role in taking over the day-to-day management of disease control, he acknowledged there was a strong argument for vaccinating cattle soon after foot and mouth broke out.
Earlier his former special adviser said the government was singularly ill-prepared for the epidemic and was playing "catch-up" from day one. Mr Brown's comments, to the BBC's North of Westminster programme, will fuel demands for a public inquiry into the crisis, which has led to the slaughter of 5m animals - the majority healthy - and 2,030 confirmed cases of the disease. It has cost the government at least £1bn in compensation to farmers alone. Since leaving the Ministry of Agriculture for a more junior post in the Department of Work and Pensions, Mr Brown had kept his counsel, although political allies feel he was badly treated by Downing Street and received little recognition for his work at the former ministry.
His intervention comes as the findings of the first unofficial inquiry, published today, criticise the government's "lamentable" handling of the epidemic. Organised by Devon county council in protest at the government's failure to hold its own public investigation, the inquiry speaks of "carnage by computer" undertaken by insensitive "and even belligerent" operatives and of "bungled culls". Mr Brown, a former government chief whip and ally of the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, told the BBC: "I think there was a good case for vaccination and I explored it very fully indeed. The key difficulty was that there was no guarantee that the public would buy the milk from vaccinated animals or eat the meat from cattle which had been vaccinated. The retailers said there is consumer resistance, we will not stock the product." His admission follows a Guardian investigation earlier this year which revealed minutes of a high-level Whitehall meeting when, according to participants, limited vaccination was agreed and then vetoed by the food industry. Kieron Simpson, former special adviser to Mr Brown, said the Ministry of Agriculture had not appreciated the speed at which modern farming methods spread the disease. When the disease first struck, at the end of February, the ministry assumed it was dealing with "just a couple of cases". "The virus had a head start and we were left playing catch-up," he said last week. "No one appreciated the extent of sheep movements or how far the disease had spread. It was only when we became aware of the sheer scale of the problem that it became clear for everyone that the department did not have the resources or people to cope with it." In the Devon inquiry report, Professor Ian Mercer, who chaired the hearing, criticised the new Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for refusing to take part. The report is scathing about the official response to foot and mouth, government indifference to the plight of rural communities, and the use of huge pyres to dispose of animals. "The crisis that a major outbreak generates is not an excuse for the government and its agencies to override the welfare of individuals or communities or to ignore the long-established rules for the management of the environment."
Oct 29

Ministers 'bungled' handling of disease

BY A CORRESPONDENT
THE Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth emergency has been condemned as "lamentable" by a report from the only public inquiry to have been held into the epidemic. The preliminary report of the Devon hearing into the foot-and-mouth epidemic, published today, calls for a national contingency plan to respond to any future outbreak. The panel finished its hearing earlier this month in Exeter after hearing from 50 witnesses and considering more than 360 submissions. Its chairman, Ian Mercer, says in his foreword to the report that the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs not to attend the inquiry had been "deplored by many". Professor Mercer says it was clear "that the outbreak and handling of the crisis was lamentable". The document adds: "Reports of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of those involved, from ministers downwards."
Oct 29

National plan called for to combat foot-and-mouth outbreaks
Ananova

A national contingency plan to respond to any future foot-and-mouth outbreak is being called for. The plea comes in a report from the only public inquiry into the outbreak. The preliminary report of the Devon hearing brands the handling of the crisis as "lamentable". It adds that a plan should "cascade" down via the region to parish level, and should be reviewed, tested and rehearsed up to every five years. The report says: "We find that in the field there would best be a military command, with police, environmental and veterinary aides at its side from day one of an outbreak." Among the suggestions are:
The tightening of import controls on meat and livestock products - with new legislation if necessary Greater Government priority into more scientific research into vaccination An immediate ban on animal movements from day one of any future outbreak An end to the use of large scale pyres to dispose of livestock corpses.
See also BBC report
Oct 29

Export delay frustrates farmers
BBC

The EU has raised restrictions on the export of pig meat Farmers have expressed disappointment that the government has failed to implement regulations allowing British meat to be exported to Europe for the first time since the foot-and-mouth crisis began. Exports should have started a week ago after the European Union (EU) lifted the ban on the export of pig meat from animals raised in counties completely free of foot-and-mouth. .............. Last week Margaret Beckett said she was unaware of any difficulties starting exports. But officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) admit it could still be a few more days before British meat can be imported into Europe. It appears the stringent licensing system demanded by the committee is far from being in place. A spokesman for the Meat and Livestock Commission said there were already thousands of pounds worth of orders from Europe waiting to be filled.
Oct 29

MP says bio-terrorists could be behind foot-and-mouth
Ananova

An MP says that foot-and-mouth disease may have been introduced to Britain by terrorists as a biological attack. The claim comes from Bruce George, the chairman of the House of Commons defence select committee. He says the idea is "very possible", although he does not think it likely.
(warmwell note: "bio terrorists" were behind the foot and mouth policy all right; unfortunately they were not fanatic foreigners but part of our own so-called establishment. The catastrophe might be a little less hard to bear if this were not the case.) He told Radio Five Live's Late Night Currie show: "If it is possible to open a letter and then be contaminated with anthrax it is possible, although I do not think at this stage it is likely, that foot-and-mouth was a deliberate attempt to destroy animals and human beings. "I think it is being considered." He made his comments during a phone-in on the programme.
Oct 29

Sheep slaughter to eradicate scrapie
Independent

26 October 2001 The Government is proposing new powers that would allow the slaughter of millions of sheep if scrapie is found to be widespread in the UK's flocks. The Animal Health Bill is to be introduced within weeks as ministers prepare plans to test the entire sheep population for their susceptibility to the brain disease. The Bill, which will also allow more extensive testing for BSE, will to try to prevent a repetition of the scandal surrounding the handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Experts fear that scrapie could be linked with BSE, although this has not been proven. However, sheep shown to be at great risk are certain to be shot. That is bound to prove unpopular with struggling sheep farmers who have seen prices slide to rock bottom levels in recent years. "This is just another kick in the teeth to an industry that is so far down on the ground it is lucky to get up again," said Janet George of Countryside Action Network. "There is still no proof positive that BSE came from scrapie."
posted Oct 29

There You Go Again, Monsanto
Gene Watch

Commentary by Martin Teitel ....... the new management at Monsanto has been working to portray the biotech giant as a kinder and gentler behemoth. Earlier this year, however, Monsanto reverted to form in its dogged prosecution of a fifth-generation Canadian farm family. Septuagenarian Percy Schmeiser is a fifth-generation Canadian farmer. At the end of March, a Canadian judge ordered Schmeiser to pay Monsanto $85,000as a penalty for growing Monsanto's herbicide resistant canola without the company's permission. On top of the $200,000 he has already spent on his court battle, the cost of the inevitable appeal, and his counter suit against Monsanto, Schmeiser is facing financial ruin. ..... Essentially Monsanto was awarded payment for its contamination of the farmer's crops, whether by dropped seeds or pollen drifting in the wind........ It is as if a judge held people who had been contaminated by Monsanto's PCBs liable for the cost of the chemicals, or if a soft drink company tried to charge for its product, having found an empty container on a front lawn. ..................The 1.4 billion small farmers in the world's poorest countries rely on seed saving for their lives and livelihoods. Agribusiness companies and trade reps from the US and other northern countries have long wanted to find ways to jostle subsistence farmers off their delicate balance of self-sufficiency, in order to create a dependence on imported seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, petroleum products to pump water, and other accoutrements of "modern" agriculture. This concerted effort to create dependency, which the outside "experts" describe in terms of increasing crop yield, alleviating starvation and "harmonizing" laws, has been tried before. The Green Revolution managed to increase both crop yields and starvation by pushing high-input hybrid monocultures. At its core was an effort to get farmers out of the traditional barter and subsistence system into mainstream commerce and the international agricultural commodities trade. The new push for biotech crops in the third world follows a very similar pattern. It attempts to disrupt traditional means of obtaining food in favor of creating dependencies on imported seeds and chemicals. Central in this scheme is the enforcement of prohibitions on seed saving, the fundamental threat to agricultural bio-colonialism. This larger struggle for global agricultural hegemony might well be the underlying motive behind Monsanto's suit against Schmeiser, and the scores of similar actions still in court. While the immediate victim of this unjust decision is a gentle farmer from Canada, the real target might well be far poorer and vulnerable small farmers in Zimbabwe, Colombia, and other countries around the third world.
posted Oct 28

Christopher Booker's Diary
Sunday Telegraph

After the BBC, the deluge WHAT a comical muddle our metrication fanatics so often get into about the object of their infatuation. Last Sunday a reader, Paul Holyoak, noted a BBC Ceefax item on the day's floods. The Environment Agency had reported a deluge in Braintree, Essex. "after 60 to 70 millilitres of rain fell between 3am and 9am". As Mr Holyoak comments "12-14 teaspoonfuls of rain a deluge? How did they measure it?" (warmwell note: the Environment Agency, run by Baroness Young, seems to us to be as potentially damaging as Defra in its bullying and restrictive proposals. To discover that they can't tell a millilitre from a centimetre is not unlike the inablity to tell a cow from a sheep - and as deeply worrying for the rest of us.)
Oct 28

One man's meat - From cows to humans
Sunday Times

The powerful hydraulic ram was able to pulp entire cattle skeletons in minutes. Flesh and bone were crushed and then sieved through industrial filters to produce a pungent black slurry. It was neither pretty nor appetising, but for the directors at Scotbeef Ltd it was a sight to behold - their chance to carve themselves a slice of the huge profits to be made in the cheap meat revolution. ...........Although no direct link has yet been established, independent scientists believe that beef MRM made from BSE- infected cattle was responsible for the emergence of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) in humans, which has claimed at least 107 lives in Britain since the first reported death in 1995.....
(warmwell note: Modern scientists involved in the food or medicine business produce findings that are not a result of a search for scientific truth but rather in favour of the interests of their backers. This use of the unexpected adjective "independent" here is significant; perhaps these unnamed scientists had a source of independent funding? We would be interested to know which scientists are referred to here. It seems likely that the Sunday Times means the scientists of the FSA and SEAC. Their "independence" however appears to be underwritten by the Wellcome Trust)
............ The controversy over the foot and mouth outbreak and the potential spread of BSE to sheep have further eroded public confidence in livestock farming and British meat. Additionally, only last week the government was accused of trying to conceal the embarrassing fact that a four-year study which cost taxpayers more than £200,000 was worthless because of a mix-up between the brains of sheep and cows. The FSA was meant to be in the vanguard of the new changes, but it seems that the lethargy which earlier afflicted the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has wafted down the corridors of the FSA. Its failure to determine which companies used MRM in which products has added to the injury suffered by families such as the Fyfes. "You can't begin to realise what it's like,"said Paula Fyfe. "I hope nobody else goes through what I went through, but I don't think that will be the case. "It's hard to blame anyone for what happened to Graham, but if it wasn't for greed and the desire to make as much money as possible, he might still be alive."
Oct 28

£1bn bill, 1.5m animals culled
The Journal

The foot-and-mouth crisis has cost the North-East £1bn, the lives of 1.5m animals and left the rural economy in tatters. On the first day of our investigation, on Wednesday, a key adviser to former agriculture minister Nick Brown admitted Maff had neither the staff nor resources to deal with the crisis and had been "playing catch-up" from the very first day We revealed yesterday how the Government's culling policy may have increased the spread of the virus The Journal's call for an independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis now has 24,230 supporters Mr Blair's government has announced three separate inquiries - none public Look out next week for a petition form in The Journal
Oct 28

Left to bear the scars for decades to come
The Journal

At first glance, it looks like many other places in the heart of the Northumberland countryside - small close-knit villages clustered round one another, a dotting of farms amid the open fields, and the occasional reminders of a once-thriving coal industry.

But the area around the villages of Widdrington and nearby Widdrington Station have something which makes it different It has been left to bear the scars of an agricultural catastrophe for decades to come, a legacy which haunts every person living there and which has sown the seeds of fear for their own and their children's health in years to come

Six long months at the forefront of foot-and-mouth disposal operations - a burial pit and a pyre site - has seen the community change irreversibly Where there has always been a resilient cheerfulness and willingness to accept adversity, a trait learned the hard way during the tough days of the coalmines, there is now also a deep distrust of authority
posted Oct 28

New animal health bill is premature, says farm union
News Wales

New government measures to speed up the culling of livestock in any future foot and mouth outbreak are far too premature, the Farmers' Union of Wales stressed today. They are a knee-jerk reaction to the implications of the current foot and mouth crisis and will do nothing to assist farmers, said FUW President Bob Parry. The Animal Health Bill, published today, proposes giving Government vets and officials stronger powers to enforce the rapid culling of livestock in any future outbreak. "It appears the Government is trying to shift blame for the current outbreak on to the farmers instead of looking at the facts. We believe the only proper way of identifying all the weaknesses in the handling of the present crisis is by way of a public inquiry," said Mr Parry. ............. "The FUW firmly believes that farmers must retain the right of appeal against some of the additional powers for vets and other officials being proposed in this Bill," Mr Parry added. Welsh Tories have also criticised the bill. "It looks like farmers are once again the victims of the government's own incompetence. If there problems during the crisis then Labour only have themselves to blame. Once again they're seeking to try and pass the buck for their own mistakes, said Conservative agriculture spokesman Peter Rogers AM. "It's laughable that we've not yet implemented controls at the ports to prevent infected food for coming in and yet the government are bringing in legislation which will allow indiscriminate slaughter."
Nov 1

New laws on culling tighten screw on farms
Guardian

Tough measures forcing farmers to cooperate with livestock culls to combat foot and mouth were unveiled yesterday as the government tightened the screw against agriculture and angrily accused sections of the industry of spreading the disease. New laws giving ministers powers to have slaughtered any animals thought necessary in the battle against foot and mouth, raised the spectre of police accompanying government vets on to holdings to keep angry farmers at bay. With Margaret Beckett, the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, warning of the disease breaking out in pockets later this year - there has not been an outbreak for a month - the animal health (amendment) bill will scrap a lengthy procedure allowing farmers to appeal before a cull. .............................
Last night farmers accused the government of underhand tactics by attempting to shift the blame for mishandling the eight month foot and mouth crisis away from the former ministry of agriculture. Lawyers also claimed that the new powers couldbreach the Human Rights Act. ................... . Peter and Gillian Cave, who successfully went to court in March to save 100 pedigree Devon cattle earmarked for slaughter in a contiguous cull, accused the government of "jackboot tactics". Mr Cave claimed hundreds of thousands of healthy animals had been needlessly killed. "This smacks of Nazi law, malicious and spiteful - you bloody well behave or we'll get you." Lawyers representing farmers questioned the legality of the new measures. Tim Russ, a partner in a Taunton practice, said it still had to be determined whether the disease had spread through government mismanagement or poor farming practice. He said introducing arbitrary culling without an appeals procedure could breach the EU law. ............ Nov 1

Farmers lose out on compensation
BBC

Farmers have said the Arable sector is at an all-time low Arable farmers calling on the government to claim compensation from the EU have been rebuffed. Junior food and rural affairs minister Elliot Morley cited the cost of foot-and-mouth when he announced the claim had been rejected. Elliot Morley "We have decided not to draw down these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present, not least the cost of eradicating foot-and-mouth disease". Under the terms of the compensation the government would have had to match any funds provided through EU compensation. The announcement, in a Commons written answer, came after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott refused to be drawn on the issue as he stood in for Tony Blair during prime minister's questions. .....
Nov 1

Europe is master
Letter in Telegraph

Date: 31 October 2001 Christopher Booker, Litton, Som
SIR - Having just published a detailed analysis of the foot and mouth catastrophe ("Not the Foot and Mouth Report"), I read with particular interest your summary of the preliminary findings of the inquiry set up by Devon County Council (report, Oct 29).
Certainly, Professor Mercer has identified most of the key errors that made the Government's handling of this crisis, in his own word, so "lamentable". But it is important to recognise how many of his admirable recommendations for changes in policy are subject to the agreement of the European Commission, which has exercised ultimate control over foot and mouth policy since the 1980s. These include everything from the rules on importing food and disposal of carcasses to the use of vaccination, on which it seems, in light of the UK disaster, the Commission is already moving towards a change in policy.
Professor Mercer calls for a "national contingency plan" to ensure that such mistakes are never repeated. He should know that precisely such a detailed contingency plan already exists. It was approved by the European Commission in 1993, but has been kept firmly out of public view ever since. Can the Government explain why we are not allowed to see this document?
posted Nov 1

New laws to fight farm diseases
Farmers Weekly

THE government has unveiled proposals for new legislation to improve its handling of future foot-and-mouth outbreaks. In a bid to speed up the containment of the disease, the Animal Health Bill would force farmers to comply with orders to slaughter their livestock. Ministers believe the fight against foot-and-mouth was hampered by farmers who appealed against culls of apparently healthy animals. The new bill, announced in London on Wednesday (31 October), also contains plans to eradicate the BSE-type disease scrapie in sheep. Some scientists fear that scrapie could be masking BSE in sheep and ministers want to develop "rapid" tests to see whether this is the case. Peter Jinman, a member of the BSE advisory committee, said it was proving difficult to validate the sheep tests because they are so complex. Ministers may want to review the validation process, especially because the tests are new and there is nothing to compare them with, he said. .................. Molecular tests have been used on 465 scrapie-infected sheep brains from the current flock at the government's Veterinary Laboratory Agency. None of the samples tested positive for BSE. But the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has warned that it is still not possible to guarantee that sheep are free from BSE. It wants more technology made available so it can test more sheep in the hope of drawing a conclusion about whether the disease is in sheep.
Oct 31

Foot-and-mouth Inquiries
BBC

Just over 2,000 cases of foot-and-mouth animals were confirmed during the epidemic, yet almost 4,000,000 animals were slaughtered. The government's policy of mass culling and its refusal to vaccinate are likely to be central issues at the inquiries into the epidemic now getting under way. ......... Millions of uninfected animals were slaughtered during the mass culls The government has introduced new powers to force farmers to co-operate with the mass culling of animals in any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Some farmers asserted their right to have their animals tested before they were slaughtered, leading to delays and the spread of disease according to some scientists. .... Giant pyres to burn animal carcasses were seen as mediaeval and barbaric
The Government's response to the foot-and-mouth crisis in Devon was "lamentable", according to the county's inquiry into the outbreak. The inquiry says giant pyres used to burn animal carcasses should not be used again and the government should look again at the option of vaccination.
Cull delays made epidemic worse Many government vets were reluctant to accept the policy of mass culling More aggressive culling of livestock could have helped reduce the scale of the foot-and-mouth epidemic according to studies by two groups of scientists. The researchers say around one million fewer animals would have had to be slaughtered if the government had acted sooner on the advice received from experts.
Oct 31

New laws could speed up the culling of livestock
BBC

(warmwell note: let no one be in any doubt about the nature of this bill. It intends to wrest the last power from the hands of people who own livestock of any kind, making it illegal for them to protect their animals from government powers of slaughter. It is to be rushed through Parliament on the nod. It seems horribly likely that no one at Westminster will be awake enough to stop it.) New government powers to strengthen the fight against animal diseases are being unveiled on Wednesday. The Animal Health Bill aims to close loopholes which ministers claim have made it more difficult to eradicate both foot and mouth disease, and a BSE-type disease in sheep called scrapie. Scientists believe the fight against foot-and-mouth was weakened by farmers, who used the power of appeal against culls of apparently healthy animals on farms neighbouring confirmed outbreaks. This caused delays, making it more difficult to keep on top of the spread of the virus - and may in some cases have allowed other farms to become infected. (warmwell note: How DARE the BBC report such blatant propaganda.) Wednesday's bill proposes giving government vets and officials stronger powers to enforce the rapid culling of livestock in any future outbreak.
Scrapie fears
The bill will also step up attempts to rid the British sheep population of the brain disease scrapie. Although it has been around for hundreds of years and is not harmful to people, it has similar symptoms to BSE, linked to the fatal brain disease variant CJD in humans. (warmwell note: again, this is just disgraceful manipulation of language. There is NO proven link between BSE and CJD, let alone any evidence that sheep can develop BSE.) The fear is that scrapie could be masking BSE in sheep - it is that possibility which scientists were investigating when it was found that they had been testing cattle brains instead of sheep tissue. A voluntary scheme to breed scrapie out of sheep has had a low take-up by farmers, so the bill is expected to introduce powers for the compulsory testing programme for rams.
Huge slaughter
Those with a genetic make-up likely to produce lambs at risk from the disease would have to be slaughtered or castrated. The final element of the proposed law is to prepare for an event everyone hopes will never happen. (warmwell note: No, not "everyone". It is precisely such an excuse as this that those involved have been seeking to eradicate the sheep in this country. The supermarket barons for example, with their eyes on cheap exports will rejoice.) If it is found that BSE has in fact crossed from cattle to sheep, plans have been drawn up which could involve the slaughter of all of the 40 million sheep in Britain. This would involve a huge operation phased over several years, and powers are now being put into place to allow this to happen - hopefully they will never have to be used. (warmwell note: "hopefully", an adverb we prefer to use correctly, cannot describe the way we face the future when New Labour behave in a way that horrifies and disgusts anyone who still has any integrity and concern for social justice.)
Oct 31

From the Devon County Council Inquiry :On the use of vaccination and slaughter
Interim Report

1.10 ....We find that the Government should give greater priority to more scientific research into this area backed with appropriate funds and contracts and should initiate international co-operation on this front. It might replace totally the present methodology for preventing a future outbreak. (warmwell note: Lord Whitty had no grounds for suggesting on Farming Today yesterday that "the arguments put to the Devon Inquiry which they didn't completely accept was that at times vaccination would have been an alternative to culling" These paragraphs show that the Devon Inquiry found an urgent need to review vaccination as an alternative to culling.)
1.11 But, in the short term, the use of vaccination to contain the disease and thus reduce the pressure on the system of slaughtering and disposal must be considered.
1.12 We find that the whole question of using vaccination in the interest of temporary containment must be explored in the context of 1.10 above. DEFRA should recognise that farmers routinely inject stock regularly as part of their livestock husbandry. The ridiculous and dangerous situation brought about by attempts at last-minute training of vaccinators should never be repeated because there are clear alternatives 1.13 Reports received by the Inquiry of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of all those involved, from Ministers downwards. If culling on or beyond confirmed infected farms should persist then the actual process of killing animals must be handled more sensitively and more humanely.
1.14 We find that training in slaughter management is needed. It should include clear instruction in the assessment of the likely impact that slaughtering will have on farmers, their families and other witnesses. This of course will not be necessary if slaughter is discontinued in future policies. (Devon's emphasis)
Oct 31

EU fails to meet cost of foot-and-mouth disease
Financial Times

By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Cathy Newman in London The European Commission is to give Britain less than E800m (£500m) towards the cost of foot-and-mouth - two-thirds of what the government has demanded. The taxpayer has had to pay more than £1.7bn for compensating farmers for slaughtered livestock. The government has lodged a provisional request for E1.2bn from the European Commission, Michaele Schreyer, budget commissioner said on Tuesday. The environment department said it would continue pushing for the remainder of the money. However, the Tories said they were "disillusioned with the Commission's reluctance to reimburse Britain in full". Ann Winterton, Conservative agriculture spokesman, said: "We are one of the largest contributors to the EU funds: it's a pretty poor show when the British government asks for assistance that we have been turned down in this way." ......
Oct 31

Watchdog set to investigate Maff's 'poaching' of vets
Independent

By Marie Woolf Chief Political Correspondent 31 October 2001 The Government's financial watchdog is to investigate claims that the Ministry of Agriculture diverted too many vets to the fight against foot-and-mouth, leaving abattoirs and meat factories dangerously exposed to the threat of other diseases. The National Audit Office is to follow up a complaint from the biggest supplier of vets in the country about salaries of up to £100,000 paid to recruit professionals to the fight against the epidemic. Jason Aldiss, the managing director of Evill and Jones, the country's biggest private contractor of vets, said the pay offered by the Government "was so good that our people abandoned us". Abattoirs and meat factories were severely overstretched and in some cases unable to meet the Government's own standards introduced this year to protect the public against diseases such as BSE. The investigation will assess claims that public health vets were warning the now-defunct Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) on a daily basis that they were haemorrhaging staff during the crisis because of the salaries being offered by the Government. Andrew Storrar, president of the Veterinary Public Health Association, said: "Public health could have been disturbed by not having the number of people to cover. We were overwhelmed because we could not compete with these salaries. It was farcical." Downing Street was told about the dangers but vets say their pleas were ignored. Hundreds of vets saw their salaries double when they signed up to work on a daily rate for the Government, which paid up to £250 a day as well as offering perks including a car, mobile phone and free hotel accommodation. The Independent has learnt that an official complaint has been made to the inland revenue that some vets recruited from abroad left the country without paying tax. The Tories accused the Government last night of a "grotesque waste of public money" in supplying vets. Peter Ainsworth, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, said: "Seeing them handing out money hand over fist like this is shocking." Mr Aldiss said: "From 1 April this year we were required to provide 100 per cent supervision of all fresh meat facilities including cutting plants and slaughterhouses. So we recruited 60 vets to ensure compliance. Thirty were subsequently poached by Maff. That left us extremely short-staffed and I known that other contractors were left in the same position and were unable to provide the cover required. "In future they [Maff and its successor] have to learn lessons from this. We all warned them. They knew what was happening and nobody listened at all." The Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, which was created after the demise of Maff, denied that public health had been compromised by its policy of hiring vets on high rates. It said it had received no complaints from the Meat Hygiene Service which is in charge of enforcing government standards. Some 600 vets are still being paid the high rates even though there have been no cases of foot-and-mouth for the past month. But the Government is now understood to be looking at introducing fixed-term contracts for vets to save money.
Oct 31

CULLING STILL BEST CONTROL - WHITTY
Farmers Guardian

by PA News reporters (October 30, 2001)
Mass culling would remain the Government's policy in the event of a further outbreak of foot-and-mouth, in spite of the experience of this year's epidemic, Lord Whitty said today.

The food minister said he would not pre-empt the three independent inquiries being carried out into the outbreak. But he confirmed that, at present, Government policy on culling had not changed.

Lord Whitty told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today: "Policy at the moment would be to follow the successful dimensions of the strategy we have adopted so far, which is basically that the culling, as long as we match the target figures, is effective in containing the disease. "There may be other measures which could be supportive to that - measures of tighter biosecurity and control of movements and import controls - but we would at this point primarily go for culling. "At the moment, we can see vaccination being a support to culling in certain circumstances, but it is not an alternative to culling."
(Full transcript )
..(warmwell note: this makes perfect logical sense in our Brave New LabourWorld where the government is intent, and has been from the start, not on animal health and supporting British farming but on the death of both. Can there be any further doubt that its intention is to eradicate stock in Britain for the benefit of cheap imports and to pursue its own arcane designs on the wilder parts of the country?) ......
Oct 30

An epidemic of evasion
Telegraph Leader

GOVERNMENTS generally hold inquiries for three reasons: to assuage public concerns; to learn lessons from past failure; and to prevent the repetition of mistakes. By all three criteria, the case for a full public inquiry into the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic is overwhelming. It is difficult, even now, to describe the full scale of the calamity.......
In the absence of an official public inquiry, there have been two "freelance" investigations: one by Devon County Council and one by the magazine Private Eye. The European Parliament, under pressure from Conservative MEPs, looks likely to order a third. .......Private Eye, in a remarkably thorough investigation, is even more scathing. It accuses the Government of slaughtering millions of animals unnecessarily, of acting outside the law, and of setting its policy to suit Labour's election timetable. Despite a petition of more than 100,000 signatures organised by Farmers' Weekly, ministers have resolutely refused to set up a public tribunal. Instead, they have organised in-house studies with limited remits. All the key questions thus remain unanswered. When did ministers first hear of the outbreak? What action did they order? Why were they so slow to halt the movement of animals? Is it true, as we report today, that 40 per cent of the culled beasts might have been saved by more prompt action? Why were the lessons of 1967 ignored? Why were there such unconscionable delays between identification, slaughter and destruction? Why the vacillation over burning versus burial, and slaughter versus vaccination? Many country people are convinced that ministers are reluctant to allow a public inquiry for one reason: they fear it would reveal that their reaction to the disease was dictated by electoral rather than veterinary criteria. Put crudely, many farmers suspect that ministers were far more concerned with the date of the election than with eradicating the disease, and that this prejudiced their response to it. Without a full inquiry, who is to say that this suspicion is unfounded?
Oct 30

Plan now for next foot-and-mouth, ministers are told
The Times

BY ELIZABETH JUDGE
THE Government should immediately prepare a national foot-and-mouth contingency plan, according to the chairman of the only public inquiry into the outbreak. Ian Mercer, who yesterday published his preliminary findings into the handling of the epidemic in Devon, said that the Government should be "getting on with it" rather that waiting for the results of the three national inquiries. Ministers' handling of the outbreak in Devon had been "lamentable", the report said. There should be a national contingency plan that would "cascade down via region to the county, the district and the parish". The call was backed by David Hill, chairman of the Devon branch of the National Farmers' Union. Lord Whitty, the Farming Minister, admitted that the contingency plan introduced after the 1967 epidemic had not been adequate to contain this year's outbreaks and had not been widely shared with the farming community. "We do need to improve communication and be better prepared if this happens again," he said. He defended the decision not to proceed with vaccination and said that a Bill dealing with animal disease outbreaks was being prepared.( warmwell note: this may well refer to the Animal Health bill which is to be rushed through parliament under the wing of "bio-terrorism" legislation, extending powers to slaughter without owners' consent ...another bullying government sledgehammer designed to miss the nut) Professor Mercer' report accused the Government of trying to handle this year's epidemic by "poring over maps in remote offices" while ignoring the knowledge and experience of local people. The decision to burn carcasses in huge pyres was"disastrous";..........The report said that vaccination should be considered in future. Peter Ainsworth, the Shadow Secretary for Rural Affairs, said that the Government seemed keener to shirk its responsibilities than to establish why things went wrong. The Prince of Wales said yesterday that farmers would need "all the moral support possible" as winter drew in and that people should pray that the worst of the epidemic was over. Visiting Dartmoor National Park Authority for its 50th anniversary, he said that as he had watched the epidemic unfold "the frustration was not being able to do enough to help but having to witness so many people having to go though what must be complete hell". The Prince gave £500,000 to help farmers at the height of the outbreak.
Oct 30

Government admits errors handling foot-and-mouth
Financial Times

The government on Monday admitted there had been "communication problems" over plans to combat the foot-and-mouth outbreak, after an inquiry by Devon County Council said the government's handling of the affair was "lamentable". Lord Whitty, farming minister, said that while plans were in place to deal with an outbreak, they were not disseminated fully. He said: "The contingency plan was not sufficiently shared with stakeholders [the farming community]...future contingency plans for this and other outbreaks should be shared more widely and tested." Professor Ian Mercer, whose report into Devon's outbreak was published on Monday, urged the government to prepare an immediate contingency plan: "Nothing should delay it...they should be getting on with it now". ........................ It also criticised the way in which government officials treated individuals and communities, a charge which Lord Whitty acknowledged. "There were...insensitivities in the beginning. That is not a criticism of our staff but we do need to be improve communication and be better prepared if it happens again," he added. (warmwell note: Would Lord Whitty classify as "insensitivities" the physical beating up of a Devon farmer by policemen when he attempted to stand between his stock and the slaughter teams? Would he use the adjective "insensitive" to describe the behaviour of those who caused the horrors at Knowstone?) Professor Mercer also said vaccination must be considered to contain any future outbreak. However, Lord Whitty defended the government's decision not to proceed with a vaccination programme. He said: "I think it is important to say that throughout the disease the government has been prepared to look at it, but it [vaccination] was important to get the support of farmers in Devon and it was clear that we didn't have the sort of support to implement it". (warmwell note: and who was asked?)
Oct 30

Re: Touching the surface
Telegraph Letter

SIR - Margaret Beckett talks of working in partnership with the farming community to achieve a 14 per cent reduction in ammonia emissions by 2010. She must be well pleased with herself for reaching her target some nine years in advance - or has no one told her that her department has successfully removed something close to that percentage of animals during the foot and mouth crisis?

SIR - I am amazed at the ignorance of the agriculture industry displayed by Margaret Beckett (letter, Oct 26). She suggests that farmers should plough in manure, rather than simply spreading it, as this reduces emissions of ammonia. ...........Unfortunately, cattle lift their tails several times a day, producing unimaginable quantities of manure every winter. Most farms do not have sufficient land under the plough to dispose of one winter's manure in the manner suggested by the minister. Dare I suggest that more ammonia is emitted by the large agri-businesses favoured by Lord Whitty than by smaller family farms, particularly those which have opted for an organic system of production? Perhaps attention should first be paid to the artificial fertiliser industry, or is the Government wary of upsetting large chemical companies? Agriculture is a very complex industry, and any minister who thinks she can tackle any one of its problems in isolation is extremely naive.
Oct 29

MPs renew calls for virus inquiry
Farmers Weekly

OPPOSITION MPs have renewed calls for a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth following the publication of the Devon report into the crisis The preliminary report from the Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry proves the need for a full public inquiry into the epidemic, they said. The report, published on Monday (29 October) brands the government's handling of the crisis as lamentable. Shadow Rural Affairs Secretary Peter Ainsworth said it was probable that shortcomings identified in Devon had been repeated elsewhere. "It is disgraceful that the Government seems more set on running away from its own responsibilities than on establishing what went wrong and why." The government's half-hearted participation in the Devon inquiry was an insult to thousands of people who had suffered, said Mr Ainsworth. Refusing to hold a full inquiry would only deepen the sense of anger felt by millions across the whole of the country, he said. Lib Dem Rural Affairs spokesman Malcolm Bruce said it was ironic that farmers were more comfortable dealing with the army than the government. ..........
Oct 29

Farmer burns flag in food protest
Farmers Weekly

By FWi staff
A BRITISH farmer burned an American flag in protest at global food policies which, he claims, are driving small producers out of business. Hector Christie, a pig farmer from North Devon, burned the flag during a protest before 50 protestors in Gloucestershire on Saturday (27 October). Mr Christie from Tapely Farm, near Bideford, said: "Small farmers are being crushed beneath globally-centred economics and loaded legislation" Low prices had forced Mr Christie to kill 11 piglets. Even giving away the animals would have cost him £150 in vet bills and £55 in transport costs. Mr Christie said he burned the American flag in response to World Trade Organisation rules which were hurting small farmers. "We are currently killing thousands of animals per day because we can't move or sell them while exports roll in by the lorry load," he said. "We incinerate or bury our healthy animals while Afghans starve." The Marquess of Worcester, formerly TV actress Tracey Ward, also warned that global food policies were killing Britain's small farmers She was cheered as she spoke from the bandstand in Gloucester Park, Gloucester, before marching on the city's Shire Hall. (warmwell note: interesting that the Farmers Weekly report this so inaccurately. Hector was dissuaded from burning the flag and, although the day was not at all thought a disappointment, the march did not in fact take place. The rest of the report is correct.) Farmers are being strangled by supermarkets who buy food from abroad rather than using healthy produce grown on their doorstep, she said. The 42-year-old marquess, who lives on the Badminton Estate, now works as an ecologist supporting local farmers. Among the marchers were Cornish farmer Simon Burbage and Gloucestershire farmer Sue Osbourne. Mr Burbage said: "Quite why we need to go to Afghanistan to fight terrorism I don't know. We have a terrorist called Tony Blair in Whitehall." "He has shown a total disregard for every rural issue." Mrs Osbourne said: "Foot-and-mouth has been swept under the carpet so Tony Blair can get on with his war."
Oct 29

F&M staff paid bonuses despite concerns
icWales

By Jamie Lyons, PA
Bonuses were paid to Welsh Assembly staff handling the foot-and-mouth crisis -despite the finance minister's ''great reservations'' about such rewards, it emerged today. Edwina Hart said Assembly officials had been rewarded for their exceptional work during the outbreak. Mrs Hart told today's plenary session: ''Bonus payments were given to Assembly staff involved in foot-and-mouth as recognition of what happened in that period.'' The revelation came minutes after Mrs Hart told AMs of her objection to such payments. ''I personally have very great reservations about the effectiveness of any performance bonuses,'' she said. (warmwell note: Yes, we have too. And in this case, we cannot help but wonder what "performance" was thought worthy of such reward while welsh farmers continue to struggle painfully under restrictions and hardships brought about by these servants of the government. While the Devon report describes the policy as "lamentable" and remarks, "Reports of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of those involved, from ministers downwards" we have to wonder for what services exactly these bonuses in Wales were paid. )
The minister said in certain cases bonus payments were justified. But she said she had concerns about the manipulation of some systems of performance-related pay........
posted Oct 29

Government 'lamentable' over foot and mouth
Telegraph

By Richard Savill
A REPORT into the foot and mouth crisis today describes the Government's handling of the epidemic as "lamentable". The report, the outcome of the only independent public inquiry into the outbreak, finds fault with almost every aspect of the Government's approach. It accuses the Government and its agencies of "insensitive treatment" of ordinary individuals and communities, and none of those involved escapes criticism. It says: "Reports received by the inquiry of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of all those involved, from ministers downwards. "If culling on or beyond confirmed infected farms should persist then the actual process of killing animals must be handled more sensitively and more humanely." The report says the contiguous cull policy "appeared to have been implemented by officials poring over maps in remote offices, so that only holdings were considered, not the topography, the disposition of animals upon it, nor the distances between them." The 20-page report makes 31 recommendations and is the result of this month's five-day public inquiry chaired by Prof Ian Mercer into the outbreak in Devon, one of the worst-affected counties. In his foreword, Prof Mercer, 68, the former secretary general of Association of National Park Authorities, says it is "already clear that the outbreak and the handling of the ensuing crisis was lamentable". The report goes on to say that there should be an immediate ban on animal movements on the first day of any future outbreak. The inquiry heard that the Government's delay between announcing the first case and stopping all animal movements meant hundreds of thousands of sheep were moved, spreading the disease across the country. The report also says that vaccination must be considered to help the temporary containment of any future epidemic. It calls for a national contingency plan, such as that produced for maritime pollution response by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The report adds that situations arose in Devon where "the insensitive treatment of ordinary individuals and communities confronted by events outside their control did nothing to foster a united front or provide community leadership against the common enemy - the disease itself". Lessons that should have been learned from the 1967 outbreak did not appear to have been implemented and "recommendations of the official report into that outbreak were ignored". The inquiry was set up by Devon County Council, with all-party support, and the inquiry team, which heard 50 witnesses and received written submissions from another 300, comprised seven county and district councillors.
The Government has announced three inquiries into the foot and mouth crisis, but unlike Devon, it has rejected demands from the farming community to hear evidence in public.
Prof Mercer has sent his preliminary findings - a full report is to be published later this year - to Tony Blair, Lord Haskins, the Government's rural recovery co-ordinator, and Lord Whitty, the minister responsible for co-ordinating Defra evidence to the foot and mouth inquiries.
Oct 29

Plan to vaccinate cattle 'vetoed' Ex-minister says food lobby barred foot and mouth policy
Guardian

Peter Hetherington, regional affairs editor
The government came close to authorising the limited vaccination of livestock in an attempt to curb the spread of foot and mouth over six months ago, the former minister of agriculture revealed yesterday. But it had been unable to go ahead because of opposition from the food industry, he claimed.
In a frank assessment of Whitehall's shortcomings in the midst of the epidemic, Nick Brown, who frequently faced the wrath of angry farmers, came close to questioning the government's strategy and hinted it could have been tougher. While avoiding directly criticising Downing Street's role in taking over the day-to-day management of disease control, he acknowledged there was a strong argument for vaccinating cattle soon after foot and mouth broke out.
Earlier his former special adviser said the government was singularly ill-prepared for the epidemic and was playing "catch-up" from day one. Mr Brown's comments, to the BBC's North of Westminster programme, will fuel demands for a public inquiry into the crisis, which has led to the slaughter of 5m animals - the majority healthy - and 2,030 confirmed cases of the disease. It has cost the government at least £1bn in compensation to farmers alone. Since leaving the Ministry of Agriculture for a more junior post in the Department of Work and Pensions, Mr Brown had kept his counsel, although political allies feel he was badly treated by Downing Street and received little recognition for his work at the former ministry.
His intervention comes as the findings of the first unofficial inquiry, published today, criticise the government's "lamentable" handling of the epidemic. Organised by Devon county council in protest at the government's failure to hold its own public investigation, the inquiry speaks of "carnage by computer" undertaken by insensitive "and even belligerent" operatives and of "bungled culls". Mr Brown, a former government chief whip and ally of the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, told the BBC: "I think there was a good case for vaccination and I explored it very fully indeed. The key difficulty was that there was no guarantee that the public would buy the milk from vaccinated animals or eat the meat from cattle which had been vaccinated. The retailers said there is consumer resistance, we will not stock the product." His admission follows a Guardian investigation earlier this year which revealed minutes of a high-level Whitehall meeting when, according to participants, limited vaccination was agreed and then vetoed by the food industry. Kieron Simpson, former special adviser to Mr Brown, said the Ministry of Agriculture had not appreciated the speed at which modern farming methods spread the disease. When the disease first struck, at the end of February, the ministry assumed it was dealing with "just a couple of cases". "The virus had a head start and we were left playing catch-up," he said last week. "No one appreciated the extent of sheep movements or how far the disease had spread. It was only when we became aware of the sheer scale of the problem that it became clear for everyone that the department did not have the resources or people to cope with it." In the Devon inquiry report, Professor Ian Mercer, who chaired the hearing, criticised the new Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for refusing to take part. The report is scathing about the official response to foot and mouth, government indifference to the plight of rural communities, and the use of huge pyres to dispose of animals. "The crisis that a major outbreak generates is not an excuse for the government and its agencies to override the welfare of individuals or communities or to ignore the long-established rules for the management of the environment."
Oct 29

Ministers 'bungled' handling of disease

BY A CORRESPONDENT
THE Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth emergency has been condemned as "lamentable" by a report from the only public inquiry to have been held into the epidemic. The preliminary report of the Devon hearing into the foot-and-mouth epidemic, published today, calls for a national contingency plan to respond to any future outbreak. The panel finished its hearing earlier this month in Exeter after hearing from 50 witnesses and considering more than 360 submissions. Its chairman, Ian Mercer, says in his foreword to the report that the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs not to attend the inquiry had been "deplored by many". Professor Mercer says it was clear "that the outbreak and handling of the crisis was lamentable". The document adds: "Reports of insensitive and even belligerent operatives and bungled culls do little to enhance the professional reputation of those involved, from ministers downwards."
Oct 29

National plan called for to combat foot-and-mouth outbreaks
Ananova

A national contingency plan to respond to any future foot-and-mouth outbreak is being called for. The plea comes in a report from the only public inquiry into the outbreak. The preliminary report of the Devon hearing brands the handling of the crisis as "lamentable". It adds that a plan should "cascade" down via the region to parish level, and should be reviewed, tested and rehearsed up to every five years. The report says: "We find that in the field there would best be a military command, with police, environmental and veterinary aides at its side from day one of an outbreak." Among the suggestions are:
The tightening of import controls on meat and livestock products - with new legislation if necessary Greater Government priority into more scientific research into vaccination An immediate ban on animal movements from day one of any future outbreak An end to the use of large scale pyres to dispose of livestock corpses.
See also BBC report
Oct 29

Export delay frustrates farmers
BBC

The EU has raised restrictions on the export of pig meat Farmers have expressed disappointment that the government has failed to implement regulations allowing British meat to be exported to Europe for the first time since the foot-and-mouth crisis began. Exports should have started a week ago after the European Union (EU) lifted the ban on the export of pig meat from animals raised in counties completely free of foot-and-mouth. .............. Last week Margaret Beckett said she was unaware of any difficulties starting exports. But officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) admit it could still be a few more days before British meat can be imported into Europe. It appears the stringent licensing system demanded by the committee is far from being in place. A spokesman for the Meat and Livestock Commission said there were already thousands of pounds worth of orders from Europe waiting to be filled.
Oct 29

MP says bio-terrorists could be behind foot-and-mouth
Ananova

An MP says that foot-and-mouth disease may have been introduced to Britain by terrorists as a biological attack. The claim comes from Bruce George, the chairman of the House of Commons defence select committee. He says the idea is "very possible", although he does not think it likely.
(warmwell note: "bio terrorists" were behind the foot and mouth policy all right; unfortunately they were not fanatic foreigners but part of our own so-called establishment. The catastrophe might be a little less hard to bear if this were not the case.) He told Radio Five Live's Late Night Currie show: "If it is possible to open a letter and then be contaminated with anthrax it is possible, although I do not think at this stage it is likely, that foot-and-mouth was a deliberate attempt to destroy animals and human beings. "I think it is being considered." He made his comments during a phone-in on the programme.
Oct 29

Sheep slaughter to eradicate scrapie
Independent

26 October 2001 The Government is proposing new powers that would allow the slaughter of millions of sheep if scrapie is found to be widespread in the UK's flocks. The Animal Health Bill is to be introduced within weeks as ministers prepare plans to test the entire sheep population for their susceptibility to the brain disease. The Bill, which will also allow more extensive testing for BSE, will to try to prevent a repetition of the scandal surrounding the handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Experts fear that scrapie could be linked with BSE, although this has not been proven. However, sheep shown to be at great risk are certain to be shot. That is bound to prove unpopular with struggling sheep farmers who have seen prices slide to rock bottom levels in recent years. "This is just another kick in the teeth to an industry that is so far down on the ground it is lucky to get up again," said Janet George of Countryside Action Network. "There is still no proof positive that BSE came from scrapie."
posted Oct 29

There You Go Again, Monsanto
Gene Watch

Commentary by Martin Teitel ....... the new management at Monsanto has been working to portray the biotech giant as a kinder and gentler behemoth. Earlier this year, however, Monsanto reverted to form in its dogged prosecution of a fifth-generation Canadian farm family. Septuagenarian Percy Schmeiser is a fifth-generation Canadian farmer. At the end of March, a Canadian judge ordered Schmeiser to pay Monsanto $85,000as a penalty for growing Monsanto's herbicide resistant canola without the company's permission. On top of the $200,000 he has already spent on his court battle, the cost of the inevitable appeal, and his counter suit against Monsanto, Schmeiser is facing financial ruin. ..... Essentially Monsanto was awarded payment for its contamination of the farmer's crops, whether by dropped seeds or pollen drifting in the wind........ It is as if a judge held people who had been contaminated by Monsanto's PCBs liable for the cost of the chemicals, or if a soft drink company tried to charge for its product, having found an empty container on a front lawn. ..................The 1.4 billion small farmers in the world's poorest countries rely on seed saving for their lives and livelihoods. Agribusiness companies and trade reps from the US and other northern countries have long wanted to find ways to jostle subsistence farmers off their delicate balance of self-sufficiency, in order to create a dependence on imported seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, petroleum products to pump water, and other accoutrements of modern agriculture. This concerted effort to create dependency, which the outside experts describe in terms of increasing crop yield, alleviating starvation and harmonizing laws, has been tried before. The Green Revolution managed to increase both crop yields and starvation by pushing high-input hybrid monocultures. At its core was an effort to get farmers out of the traditional barter and subsistence system into mainstream commerce and the international agricultural commodities trade. The new push for biotech crops in the third world follows a very similar pattern. It attempts to disrupt traditional means of obtaining food in favor of creating dependencies on imported seeds and chemicals. Central in this scheme is the enforcement of prohibitions on seed saving, the fundamental threat to agricultural bio-colonialism. This larger struggle for global agricultural hegemony might well be the underlying motive behind Monsanto's suit against Schmeiser, and the scores of similar actions still in court. While the immediate victim of this unjust decision is a gentle farmer from Canada, the real target might well be far poorer and vulnerable small farmers in Zimbabwe, Colombia, and other countries around the third world.
posted Oct 28

Christopher Booker's Diary
Sunday Telegraph

After the BBC, the deluge WHAT a comical muddle our metrication fanatics so often get into about the object of their infatuation. Last Sunday a reader, Paul Holyoak, noted a BBC Ceefax item on the day's floods. The Environment Agency had reported a deluge in Braintree, Essex. "after 60 to 70 millilitres of rain fell between 3am and 9am". As Mr Holyoak comments "12-14 teaspoonfuls of rain a deluge? How did they measure it?" (warmwell note: the Environment Agency, run by Baroness Young, seems to us to be as potentially damaging as Defra in its bullying and restrictive proposals. To discover that they can't tell a millilitre from a centimetre is not unlike the inablity to tell a cow from a sheep - and as deeply worrying for the rest of us.)
Oct 28

One man's meat - From cows to humans
Sunday Times

The powerful hydraulic ram was able to pulp entire cattle skeletons in minutes. Flesh and bone were crushed and then sieved through industrial filters to produce a pungent black slurry. It was neither pretty nor appetising, but for the directors at Scotbeef Ltd it was a sight to behold - their chance to carve themselves a slice of the huge profits to be made in the cheap meat revolution. ...........Although no direct link has yet been established, independent scientists believe that beef MRM made from BSE- infected cattle was responsible for the emergence of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) in humans, which has claimed at least 107 lives in Britain since the first reported death in 1995.....
(warmwell note: Modern scientists involved in the food or medicine business produce findings that are not a result of a search for scientific truth but rather in favour of the interests of their backers. This use of the unexpected adjective "independent" here is significant; perhaps these unnamed scientists had a source of independent funding? We would be interested to know which scientists are referred to here. It seems likely that the Sunday Times means the scientists of the FSA and SEAC. Their "independence" however appears to be underwritten by the Wellcome Trust)
............ The controversy over the foot and mouth outbreak and the potential spread of BSE to sheep have further eroded public confidence in livestock farming and British meat. Additionally, only last week the government was accused of trying to conceal the embarrassing fact that a four-year study which cost taxpayers more than £200,000 was worthless because of a mix-up between the brains of sheep and cows. The FSA was meant to be in the vanguard of the new changes, but it seems that the lethargy which earlier afflicted the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has wafted down the corridors of the FSA. Its failure to determine which companies used MRM in which products has added to the injury suffered by families such as the Fyfes. "You can't begin to realise what it's like,"said Paula Fyfe. "I hope nobody else goes through what I went through, but I don't think that will be the case. "It's hard to blame anyone for what happened to Graham, but if it wasn't for greed and the desire to make as much money as possible, he might still be alive."
Oct 28

£1bn bill, 1.5m animals culled
The Journal

The foot-and-mouth crisis has cost the North-East £1bn, the lives of 1.5m animals and left the rural economy in tatters. On the first day of our investigation, on Wednesday, a key adviser to former agriculture minister Nick Brown admitted Maff had neither the staff nor resources to deal with the crisis and had been "playing catch-up" from the very first day We revealed yesterday how the Government's culling policy may have increased the spread of the virus The Journal's call for an independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis now has 24,230 supporters Mr Blair's government has announced three separate inquiries - none public Look out next week for a petition form in The Journal
Oct 28

Left to bear the scars for decades to come
The Journal

At first glance, it looks like many other places in the heart of the Northumberland countryside - small close-knit villages clustered round one another, a dotting of farms amid the open fields, and the occasional reminders of a once-thriving coal industry.

But the area around the villages of Widdrington and nearby Widdrington Station have something which makes it different It has been left to bear the scars of an agricultural catastrophe for decades to come, a legacy which haunts every person living there and which has sown the seeds of fear for their own and their children's health in years to come

Six long months at the forefront of foot-and-mouth disposal operations - a burial pit and a pyre site - has seen the community change irreversibly Where there has always been a resilient cheerfulness and willingness to accept adversity, a trait learned the hard way during the tough days of the coalmines, there is now also a deep distrust of authority
posted Oct 28

Legal challenge to disease handling
BBC

The government is to be sued by a group of Welsh businessmen over its handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The group is bringing its case under the Human Rights Act, claiming the decision to effectively close down the countryside has deprived them of their ability to make a living. They accuse the government of failing to consider non-agricultural rural businesses in its efforts to protect the farming industry. A London law firm is putting together their case. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, chairman of the Powys Rural Business Campaign Ian Mitchell said: "We have taken instructions from solicitors concerning issues affecting our members under the Human Rights Act and feel the government have discriminated against the businesses run by our members. There is a series of bungles, incompetence and even indifference as far as we are concerned Ian Mitchell, Powys Rural Business Campaign "They have deprived them of their ability to use their property and make a living by their handling of the disease. "They shut down the countryside without any thought of the consequences to the businesses involved deeply with the countryside. ..... Solicitors believe the Powys-based group, which represents 500 businesses, can sue the government for exceeding their powers by allegedly closing off roads and giving bad advice. News of the Welsh business group's legal case coincided with protest action in Gloucestershire on Saturday. Farmers marched on Shire Hall in Gloucester to demand a full inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic. They are unhappy with government imposed movement restrictions, which they claim are forcing them to slaughter animals which are ready for market. During the demonstration, the Marquess of Worcester gave a defiant speech urging the government to change its global policy that she claims is killing Britain's small farmers. The marquess, known fomerly as TV actress Tracey Ward, said: "Britain's small farmers are under the strangle hold of major supermarket chains, who buy in food from abroad rather than using the healthy produce grown on their doorstep." She claimed 80% of government subsidies to aid foot-and-mouth recovery was going to 20% of the largest farmers as they were the only ones deemed capable of competing globally. Devon pig farmer Hector Christie said: "Small farmers are being crushed beneath globally-centred economics and loaded legislation." .....
Oct 27

Beckett slammed for blaming farmers over foot and mouth
News Wales

Rural affairs Minister Margaret Beckett was strongly criticised by the Farmers Union of Wales today for blaming farmers for prolonging the foot and mouth outbreak yet refusing to hold a public inquiry into the crisis. "It really is a bit rich for Mrs Beckett to suggest that farmers are to blame and, at the same time, ignore mounting demands for her to hold a public inquiry," said FUW President Bob Parry. During a two-hour grilling, Mrs Beckett told the Commons committee on environment, food and rural affairs last week delays in slaughtering were the main cause of the outbreak being prolonged. She accused farmers of arguing over the level of compensation and resisting culling - leaving animals alive too long after the 24-hour deadline set by experts to prevent the spread of infection. "If Mrs Beckett truly believes that is the case then, surely, she would want the facts to be out in the open for the entire agricultural industry and the general public to see for themselves who really is to blame for these delays. "The FUW is perfectly happy for all these matters to be considered at a public inquiry so what is the motive behind Mrs Becketts support for three independent inquiries, all held in private?" said Mr Parry. "Her explanation that a public inquiry will take too long is just not good enough. She says she wants answers now. So does the FUW and all those affected by the outbreak. "But there is not much point holding inquiries behind closed doors and bringing out carefully-worded reports which, for all we know, will not get to the heart of how the Government handled the crisis," added Mr Parry. He also complained about Mrs Becketts negative attitude towards the future of the industry when she addressed the Commons committee. "She said it would be a miracle if the Autumn and Winter pass without more cases of foot and mouth. "She predicted restrictions would continue for a very considerable time even without new outbreaks and that it will be months before meat exports could resume. She certainly gives the impression that there is more doom and gloom still to come. "That is not the attitude of the FUW and the industry as a whole who are looking far more positively to the future. Its a shame that the person in charge of promoting this recovery does not share the same optimism."
Oct 27

Water authority to end sheep farming
BBC

The authority is reviewing its non-core operations One of Scotland's largest sheep farms is to be cleared of its 8,000 livestock because of a cost cutting drive by a water authority. West of Scotland Water, which owns the Loch Katrine farm in the Trossachs, said the move would also reduce the risk of infection to Glasgow's water supply. The water authority said the 9,500 hectare farm and another smaller neighbouring farm, at Craigdarroch near Afton, had both failed to make a profit in recent years and were no longer viable. West of Scotland Water said it was also concerned about the risk of contamination from sheep droppings - the authority was fearful of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, an infection of the intestines which can lead to diarrhoea, cramps and vomiting.
Oct 27

BSE tests.."total confusion" says Cambridge professor Ferguson-Smith
Farming Today

Listen to the last section of the Farming Today summary today in which Professor Ferguson-Smith reveals the utter confusion surrounding the tests on sheep - both those that have already been carried out that he describes as "flawed" in ways that go beyond the obvious muddle over samples and those that it is proposed to carry out now. As it is explained on the programme, using the so-called threat from possible BSE as an excuse to eradicate sheep not showing scrapie resistance is a nonsense - since it has been shown that resistance to scrapie makes no difference to a sheep's susceptibility to artificially induced "BSE" infection in the laboratory. In addition, Mrs Beckett has said that Professor Collinge's test is unvalidated and too difficult: Professor King says it is already being used. Where can the truth be found in any of this?
Oct 27

EU set to lift curbs on British lamb exports
Western Daily Press

THE European Commission is to lift the ban on British lamb exports - to stop the Continent running out of meat. With lamb prices rocketing across the Channel, officials are desperate to see British carcasses shipped to Europe again. They fear the market could shrink permanently if the shelves stay empty. All meat exports from Britain were halted within days of the foot-and-mouth outbreak being confirmed in February. Some pork and bacon is now being sent abroad from areas which have remained clear of the disease. And Commission officials are currently dismantling restrictions even further to allow meat to be exported from previously infected areas, which have now been cleared under the latest blood tests. Beef was given the theoretical all-clear on Wednesday, though carcasses still cannot be sent to France, which is maintaining its unilateral ban. The European Court is expected to rule this illegal in the next few weeks. However with the only plant in England approved for the export trade isolated by foot-and-mouth controls in Cornwall, just one abattoir - in Scotland - will be able to start shipping. But the impetus now is to restart the lamb trade to ease chronic shortages on the Continent. Deprived of supplies from Britain, lambs are fetching anything between £80 and £100 each  but stocks are now running dangerously low....... EU vets and scientific advisors are being called to a meeting early next month to decide whether to give British lamb exports clearance. EC officials fear that unless supplies to the shops can be restarted either customers will get out of the habit of buying and eating lamb, or importers will look to poor-quality meat from third-world countries with the attendant risk of importing disease at the same time.
SEE ALSO

Big step forward for beef exports
Journal

British beef exports to Europe have been given the all clear to start again and the list of counties able to export pigmeat has been extended following a decision by the European Standing Veterinary Committee. The decision follows pressure by the Meat and Livestock Commission, Defra officials and other British industry organisations to get exports fully reopened for British pigmeat, beef and lamb following the foot-and-mouth outbreak However, the beef still has to be processed under the Date Based Export Scheme, part of the UK's BSE controls This means there will still be no exports from England and Wales because of the location of the current DBES facilities
Oct 27

RURAL RECOVERY CASH DISAPPOINTING SAYS MP
Hexham Courant

TYNEDALE community leaders have slammed Government chiefs after a recommended £40 million package to aid the country's rural recovery programme was slashed to just £2 million for the North-East. The sum is the lowest to be granted to any area of the country following the announcement of the latest round of Government aid packages in the wake of foot-and-mouth. The £40 million recommendation to extend the Business Recovery Fund was made by the Government's own rural recovery co-ordinator Lord Haskins in a report published last week. However, the figure was cut to just £24 million by rural affairs secretary Margaret Beckett, meaning the North-East will be left with just £2 million to aid its beleaguered economy. Just £1.5 million is being contributed by Central Government funds, with the rest coming from regional development agency ONE Northeast.......
Oct 27

"Free DEFRA guide to help the confused"
Farmers Weekly

To help puzzled individuals and their scientist colleagues, who cannot tell the difference between the brains of cattle and sheep. FW are providing a free guide and hope our handy hints will help them distinguish between the key farm animal plant species commonly found in the British countryside. But why not give DEFRA a helping hand yourself and post or fax our guide to its regional offices throughout the country? The dept obviously needs all the help it can get....
Oct 26

Cull `may have aided spread of the disease' Oct 26 2001

Cull `may have aided spread of the disease'
Journal

A controversial decision by the Government to cull millions of healthy animals may have aided the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, it was claimed last night Instead of halting the spread of the disease, farming leaders say the huge increase in the number of carcases as a result of the "firebreak" cull created a bottleneck in the system and actually slowed down the process The volume of animals meant that Maff officials working on the ground were unable to meet the 24-hour/48-hour deadline for the slaughter and disposal of animals Robert Robinson, chairman of the National Beef Association, said: "There is clear evidence that the number of cases had already peaked when cattle were suddenly included in the contiguous cull "We think the industry needs answers on whether this slowed down diagnosis and pushed the culling of many infected animals outside the 24-hour target limit, extending the life of the epidemic.......Speaking during an MPs' investigation into the crisis, Mrs Beckett dismissed long-suffering farmers as "never a happy bunch of bunnies" obsessed with blaming their woes on the Government Attacking calls for a public inquiry, she claimed farmers had prolonged the epidemic through their awkwardness in resisting the cull and for "arguing" over the valuation of stock David Smith, a farmer at Haydon Bridge and chairman of the National Sheep Association, says people are furious at what Mrs Beckett said "This is typical of today's blame culture," he said. "The bottom line is the Government was in charge. Since when have they ever listened to the farmers? What the industry needs right now is support and action, not to be blamed for a disease which has devastated our livelihood.....
Oct 26

Wide-ranging support for public inquiry into FMD crisis Oct 26 2001
The Journal

The Journal's call for an independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis has wide-ranging support. Conservative Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean is among a clutch of politicians from all parties who wants to see a public inquiry He said: "I have called for a full, free and independent inquiry into all aspects of foot- and-mouth. We cannot have a whitewash job that pins the blame on an individual and takes the focus away from Maff.
Robert Foster, chairman of the National Beef Association and based in Northumberland, said: "......... A public inquiry is vital to make sure we learn from our mistakes and ensure they don't happen again.
Newcastle North Labour MP Doug Henderson said: " ... I don't think the public will be satisfied with an internal inquiry and I wouldn't be either.
Peter Atkinson, Conservative MP for Hexham, said: "Are they afraid there will be serious criticism of the Government for moving too slowly at the start of the epidemic?
Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick, said: "I think a fully independent public inquiry is essential to establish what happened and learn some lessons, particularly in terms of the mistakes that were made..
.......... Ponteland farmer Ian Williamson wants to know how foot-and-mouth got on to his farm when there have been no animal movements on to his land for more than a year "There are just so many questions that still need to be answered," he said
Oct 26

Action call on illegal imports
The Journal

Experts are warning that the UK could be hit with another foot-and-mouth-like disease within five years unless action is taken over imported meat. Thousands of tonnes of illegal meat is smuggled into the country every year, hidden in luggage or in one of the 2.5 million food containers that enter the UK each year. Despite the size of the problem, health inspectors at air and ferry ports have no powers to search people's bags or confiscate any illegal products that are handed over to them. Mike Young, of the Association of Airport Health Authorities, said the Government must address the problem or face yet another national crisis.

Ministers plan ram cull in scrapie fight
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver RAMS susceptible to scrapie will be culled or castrated under government plans to regain confidence after the fiasco surrounding its BSE tests. Ministers have prepared an Animal Health Bill which aims to accelerate the National Scrapie Plan and breed the disease out of the national flock. The Bill, to be introduced within weeks, would give the government powers to remove genotypes of sheep susceptible to scrapie from the national flock. Scrapie eradication started this summer on a voluntary basis open only to registered pedigree-sheep flock owners. But only 4700 farmers - 30% of those eligible - have signed up, and the government is considering opening it to non-registered pedigree flocks. The intention is to force farmers to have sheep tested for scrapie resistance, said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A spokesman for the department added: "Any rams that are susceptible will be castrated or slaughtered." John Thorley, chief executive of the National Sheep Association said it would be a mixed blessing if every susceptible sheep were eradicated. "It will have some advantage as long as it does not take out too many sheep that have important merits for commercial purposes."
Oct 26

NOT THE FOOT AND MOUTH report
Private Eye

"Everything Tony Blair didn't want you to know about the biggest blunder of his premiership." Extract: ..the inside story of how the Blair government's handling of this crisis became a chapter of maladministration without parallel, involving: * the illegal destruction of millions of healthy animals * handing over direction of strategy to scientists without any expretise in animal diseasea * lawbreaking by government officials on an unprecedented scale * the massaging of official figures to support Tony Blair's election plans ( - but please buy a copy.)

Had the government heeded advice from the world's top foot and mouth experts, the epidemic could have been halted within weeks, restoring the UK's export trade sooner, saving rural communities from despair and britain's counytryside froma financial, social and environmental disaster.
On sale from 26th October at UK newsagents. Overseas customers may order direct on +44 (0)20 7228 0425.
Oct 26

BSE test on sheep to be used after 5-year delay
Telegraph

A 48-HOUR test for BSE in sheep which was first recommended to the Government five years ago by one of its most distinguished independent advisers is to be used to establish once and for all whether the disease is in the national sheep flock. Prof David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said that molecular strain typing tests would be used on large numbers of sheep. "I am rather confident that using this fast technique we will be able to gather a significant amount data in a short time," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The decision follows the Government's attempt to establish whether BSE had crossed into sheep, which was abandoned after four years when it was discovered that scientists had been testing cattle brains. Prof John Collinge of Imperial College, London, director of the Medical Research Council's prion unit, who discovered that variant CJD was the human form of BSE, recommended that the Government used his test method as long ago as 1996. When nothing happened, Prof Collinge wrote to Labour ministers in 1999 urging them again to test the national sheep herd using his method. He said yesterday: "It sounds like they are now using it." (warmwell note: so where are the rapid reaction tests for foot and mouth that have similarly been languishing in the wings? It seems as though the excuse that validation takes so lang can be abandoned when it suits the government to do so.)
Oct 26

Epidemic of human BSE 'may be at its peak' By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Telegraph

THE epidemic of "human BSE", which has killed more than 100 people, may be at its peak, according to an analysis published today. Since 1996, when variant CJD was first linked to eating BSE-infected beef, the public has worried about the size of the resulting epidemic. (warmwell note: linked as an idea, not proved as a cause. Our old friends, the modellers, are making very expensive guesses here and dressing them up as serious science) The answer has been elusive because, although almost one million infected animals were eaten between 1980 and 1996, no one knows how many people became infected or how long it takes for symptoms to develop. Prof Peter Smith's team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine predicts today that there will be no more than "several thousand" cases. Four years ago, the team predicted more than 100,000. Uncertainties plague this projection. Prof Smith's reassuring conclusion is questioned by Prof Roy Anderson and colleagues at Imperial College who believe the number of victims will be substantially higher......
Oct 26

Virus rules to be further relaxed
Farmers Weekly

A FURTHER relaxation of foot-and-mouth regulations is expected to prevent the collapse of the autumn breeding programme. The government is set to announce a series of changes to the autumn movement controls in England and Wales early next week. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was unable to say when the changes will be introduced. But some or all of the changes are likely to be announced on Monday or Tuesday (29-30 October), she added. The government plans to allow male breeding animals to be moved into designated high-risk counties and infected areas from lower-risk counties. Cattle, sheep and pigs will be allowed into high-risk counties outside infected areas, but only to restock farms that have been culled out. The government also intends to allow cattle and pigs to move between a group of adjoining high-risk counties outside infected areas. Movement between counties will be allowed within infected areas. Pigs will be allowed into infected areas from elsewhere within the same county. The relaxation of the rules will be a boost for farmers in the north of England after more than three weeks since the last case of the disease. They will be a step towards normality for producers in the high-risk counties of Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Lancashire. The National Farmers' Union said being able to move male breeding animals into high-risk counties will help prevent the collapse of the breeding season. Producers trying to rebuild their businesses have been given hope by the move to allow them to source animals from outside their county. NFU deputy president Tim Bennett: "These changes will by no means solve all the problems of producers but this is certainly a significant step forward."
Oct 25

Congress considering ways to safeguard food supply from possible terrorist acts
San Francisco Gate (10-25) 17:24 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- After attacks from the air and the mail, officials worry the nation's food supply could be next. The government considers potential targets to be fruits and vegetables that people eat raw and cattle that could be infected with fast-spreading foot-and-mouth disease. To deter potential terrorists, Congress is considering proposals to hire hundreds of new food inspectors and lab technicians and empower the government to seize or recall tainted products and inspect food makers' records. The Agriculture Department has put veterinarians on alert and wants more guards to protect its labs around the country that work with food pathogens. "Food security can no longer be separated from our national security," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said Thursday.....
Oct 25

October 25, 2001

Food agency tightens securityCanada National Post

Bioterror fear: Extra employees to monitor products entering Canada The threat of a bioterror attack against Canada's food supply or agricultural industry has prompted a federal agency to substantially beef up its inspection team and increase vigilance at airports, harbours and border points. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added the equivalent of 52 full-time employees to keep an eye on agricultural and food products coming into Canada, an agency spokesman said yesterday.
Oct 25

NEW SCRAPIE TEST PROJECT LAUNCHED
PA News

An urgent new project to establish whether sheep have contracted BSE has been launched by the Government's chief scientific advisor, it was disclosed today. Professor David King said they would be using cutting-edge scientific tests which can establish within 48 hours whether an animal has the disease. "I am rather confident that using this fast technique we will be able to gather a significant amount data in a short period of time," he told BBC Radio 4's today programme. The move follows the debacle over the Government's previous attempt to establish whether BSE had crossed over into sheep, which had to be abandoned after four years when it was discovered scientists had been testing cattle brains.

Although sheep have been infected with BSE under laboratory conditions (warmwell note: it should be emphasised that this artificial infection was brought about by injecting the unfortunate sheep with infected brain material), there is no evidence to date that it has occurred naturally. The difficulty for scientists is that it is very similar to scrapie which does occur naturally in sheep and unlike BSE does not pose any health threat to humans....
Oct 25

Farming industry must seek forward stimulus
The Scotsman

DONALD Biggar, who farms near Castle Douglas and is also vice chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, lost 1,000 cattle and a similar number of sheep to foot-and-mouth on 23 March. He is now in the process of restocking, but warned the "Beyond foot-and-mouth" conference yesterday that the industry as a whole must change. .......... "There is a clear danger that the industry will revert to type if there is no stimulus." The forward strategy means concentrating on real markets. If farmers don't act, then restructuring will happen by default and those who cannot meet the challenges will be forced out. Biggar suggested that a thorough review of the subsidy system is needed. It is, he said, distorting trade while at the same time being needlessly time consuming and costly. John Cameron, a former president of NFU Scotland with a substantial farming empire, also accepted that the industry must alter course - but not too dramatically . "The time has come when the present criteria for injecting additional funding must change. I believe that the rural livestock subsidies have been a sound agricultural and social investment over the years. But as an industry we have not made a good job of explaining to consumers and taxpayers why we need them. Not surprisingly, subsidies are not popular." He is keen to see land management contracts introduced instead of the existing area based schemes for support in the hills: "Farmers and stockmen are best suited to implement these because we are on the spot. We must undertake those new roles seriously and responsibly, but we should receive remuneration for doing so." Contrary to suggestions that livestock numbers should be reduced, he said: "I am certainly going to increase my breeding stock numbers".
Oct 25

Devon's foot-and-mouth report to be published Monday online.
Onlinenews.com

The preliminary report of Devon's foot-and-mouth inquiry will be published on Monday, the county council said today. The week long Devon county council-organised inquiry ended on October 12, after the panel heard 360 submissions from the public and organisations. The inquiry's preliminary report has been published so quickly because it is being sent to the British Government's Policy Commission on the Future of Farming - one of the government's three inquiries into the outbreak. The inquiry chairman, Professor Ian Mercer, is currently studying written evidence from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michaels sent a four page letter following a series of written questions submitted by Devon county council.
Oct 25

Vaccination should have been used
The Scotsman

Fordyce Maxwell Rural Affairs Editor THE government should have used vaccination to help fight the foot-and-mouth epidemic one of Scotland's most eminent scientists said yesterday. Professor Sir William Stewart, president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said that the Ministry of Agriculture should have tackled foot-and-mouth in the same way that the Department of Health fights 'flu. He told a conference in Edinburgh: "Some people have said there are so many variations of foot-and-mouth that a vaccine would not be effective. But there are many strains of 'flu. Are we seriously saying that vaccination has no part to play in foot-and-mouth when the Department of Health is giving thousands of patients 'flu jabs?" Sir William, chairman of the Microbiological Research Authority, was chief scientific adviser to the government 1990-95. Making the keynote address at the conference "Beyond foot-and-mouth" organised by the Edinburgh Centre for Rural Research - .......... Without pre-empting his own society's inquiry, he added: "Vaccine must be a tool ready for use. They can not make the same mistake again."
Global horizon-scanning alerted the Department of Health to the incidence of 'flu throughout the world and which strains were likely to reach Britain, allowing it to take effective vaccination action using a well-defined protocol. Exactly the same methods could be used, and should have been used, against foot-and-mouth, said Sir William. Robert Balfour of the Scottish Landowners Federation told the conference that his organisation had argued for ring or "firebreak" vaccination in March when the epidemic was raging in Dumfries and Galloway. ......... Balfour said: "We need a single public inquiry without delay. .......
Oct 25

Welfare costs, here's where you start to payWestern Daily Press

British consumers have been accused of operating dual standards - supporting better welfare on farms but refusing to pay for it. In a blistering attack, a group of leading academics claim shoppers' reluctance to buy higher welfare-standard foods is simply piling up more animal health problems for livestock farmers. Leading the assault on buying habits is John Webster, professor of animal husbandry at Bristol university, who says shoppers are inadvertently condoning poor welfare. Consumer survey after consumer survey has shown that the vast majority of British shoppers claim they want to buy welfare-friendly products - but when it comes to the supermarket check-outs they are simply not putting their money where their mouths are,  he said. This leaves many high-welfare farmers high-and-dry, having invested heavily in good welfare practice, with no marketplace for their products. He said although consumers often perceived welfare-friendly products as being more expensive, increasing sales would bring prices down. Despite massive investment in better welfare standards, the academics say levels of animal suffering are still unacceptably high. They cite lameness in dairy cows and crippling leg disorders in broiler chickens. The criticism comes just weeks after leading agricultural economist Sir John Marsh warned that British farmers will soon find it impossible to compete on world markets, as a result of welfare pressures. But farmers say the real problem lies with supermarkets levering prices down by importing huge amounts of cheap meat from across the world.
posted Oct 25

Plague Tests Prove Negative
The Journal

More than 300 cattle were culled at Wedholme Farm, Kirkbride, after a farmer reported a suspected case to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Government officials confirmed that blood tests taken from animals belonging to farmer, Alan Todhunter, had all come back negative. There hasn't been a confirmed foot and mouth case anywhere in the country for 23 days. Farmers now have a sense of optimism that the outbreak, the worst since 1967 in this country, is at last coming to an end after a terrible year which has seen millions of cattle and sheep slaughtered. If the case had been confirmed the fears were that the disease could continue throughout the winter, with the virus thriving in cold conditions. A Defra spokesman said: "It is always a relief when a case proves to be negative. But this one has even more significance because it means we haven't had a confirmed case for more than three weeks now." Neighbouring farmers are breathing a sigh of relief because their animals will not have to be slaughtered. Some restrictions in that area had just been lifted before the scare. The last confirmed case of foot and mouth in Britain was at Little Asby, Appleby, on September 30.
Oct 24

£24m is not enough, Haskins tells Beckett
The Journal

Countryside tsar Lord Haskins last night called on the Government to deliver on his recommendation for £40m to revive Britain's beleaguered rural economy. The Northern Foods chairman said Defra minister Margaret Beckett's pledge of £24m to the recovery fund was not enough and called on the Government to more than double the amount. ........ Lord Haskins said: "I considered £40m to be an appropriate figure when I submitted my report, so in that sense the sum announced by the Government is not enough. However, the Government has promised to look at it again. "There are also 11 other short-term recommendations, which I feel are very important to the recovery of the rural economy, that the Government has not yet responded to. But they will have to make a formal response in the next week or so and I'm interested to hear what they've got to say. Defra has so far responded to only one short-term proposal. According to Lord Haskins, businesses suffering most are farmers who still have animals but are tied up by movement restrictions and businesses relying on agriculture. Trevor Hebdon, chief executive of H&H Group in Carlisle - which runs agriculture-related operations, including a livestock mart - said the company was disappointed by the Government response to the report. "I think Lord Haskin's report was a very pragmatic report," he said. "Defra's response needs to be swift because there are a lot of businesses in the North that won't last the winter without the help outlined in this report. "We are awaiting the Government's response to the other recommendations with interest because if something isn't done quickly to enable animals to move from unsuitable farms, then we are going to face a serious animal welfare problem." ....... .......... "In areas such as Weardale and the Cheviots, many small businesses will not come back. They will take down the vacancy sign and it just won't go up again," he said. "Any money that could be made available to help the industry is welcome undefined But of course £40m would be better than £24m.
Oct 24

North Powys free of foot-and-mouth
icWales

... From midnight last night North Powys, the worst hit area in Wales, became classed "foot-and-mouth free", with South Powys, Monmouthshire and the South Wales Valleys downgraded from "in-fected area" to "at risk" status. Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said it was excellent news for the farming community in North Powys, and praised those who have had to endure the heartbreak and financial hardship of seeing their animals destroyed. The down-grading of the other counties to "at risk", he said, was "an important first step in moving these areas of South Wales towards achieving disease free status." But he warned the disease could still be lurking. "The advice from the State Veterinary Service is that there is a possibility that there may be as yet undiagnosed disease in some sheep flocks and the risk that disease may spread from them," he said. For this reason, he said, restrictions would continue in place on sheep movements but cattle and pigs would be able to move out of the areas. Cattle, pigs and sheep from other "free" and "at risk" counties would be able to move into the areas from today. "These areas of South Wales will be regarded as a single move-ment zone for the purposes of sheep movements. In addition prior serology testing will be required before sheep can be moved within this area." "With Cardiff and Newport local authority areas also classified as "at risk", the priority now is to complete an extensive blood testing programme with the aim that all areas of Wales achieve FMD Free status at the earliest opportunity." Farmers' Union of Wales spokesman Alan Morris said, "This is excellent news, another step in the road to recovery for Powys after what has been a devastating year." National Farmers' Union Cymru Wales president Hugh Richards said, "The farmers of North Powys have suffered for such a long time and to have finally achieved disease-free status is testimony to their hard work, co-operation and vigilance in eradicating the disease. (warmwell note: Mr Richards here sounds a little like a pompous schoolteacher.... disease-free status?..does he really imagine that other countries are going to believe that the UK is disease-free without the certainty of vaccination? We hope so indeed but we wait to see whether the unnecessary slaughter of so many healthy animals really has been "worth" the farmers' heartache and financial hardship so glibly spoken of by Carwyn Jones.) Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates said, "It means that normal service can be resumed and we will be able to get the stock moving again this autumn."
Oct 24

Beckett denies any attempt to mislead
Scotsman

Fordyce Maxwell Rural Affairs Editor A GOVERNMENT minister yesterday denied trying to mislead the public about the BSE brain-testing fiasco. Margaret Beckett, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, insisted in a Commons statement that her department had been "open and transparent" about research into the possibility of sheep being infected with BSE. It was discovered last week, after four years of tests on brains collected from animals in the early 1990s by the Institute of Animal Health, that the samples being used were from cattle not sheep. To derisive Tory jeers she said: "The finding that there was no sheep material in the samples sent to the DNA laboratory was a totally unforeseen development." Opposition spokesman Peter Ainsworth branded the whole episode a fiasco and accused the minister of "a staggering display of complacency" in the face of the findings. Insisting that the mix-up "beggars belief", he said it was yet another "humiliating embarrassment" for DEFRA, successor to the Ministry of Agriculture, and already under fierce and continuing criticism for its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The four-year study into whether sheep could contract BSE - which had already produced a warning that 40 million sheep might have to be slaughtered if it was found that they could - was abandoned after the contamination was discovered. But news of the crucial mistake in testing came in a vague late-night press release which a spokesman for the Prime Minister admitted yesterday could have been a mistake.
(warmwell note: the article ends with Chris Bostock's refusal to accept responsibility and his attempt to lay blame elsewhere, and with yet another repetition of the unproved assertion that there is a link beween BSE and CJD)Professor Chris Bostock, who headed the study by the Institute of Animal Health, denied that the mix-up was his fault. The Veterinary Laboratory Association, he said, had given the samples the all-clear last December. That assurance had left open the possibility that sheep can get BSE, but that this danger has been masked by the symptoms of scrapie, a disease known for two centuries which has no effect on human health - unlike BSE, now linked with the human brain disease variant CJD.
posted Oct 24

Brussels steps in over BSE sheep
Farmers Weekly

(warmwell note: So suddenly there are "BSE sheep"? Is no one going to blow the whistle on this fabricated scare story?) BRUSSELS is considering tighter food safety measures after Britain's tests for BSE in sheep ended in fiasco, officials said on Tuesday (23 October). More must be done to help counter the theoretical risk that BSE is present in UK sheep, warned European food safety commissioner David Byrne. "To date our approach has been precautionary," he told farm ministers in Luxembourg. "We now need to consider if further measures are necessary." Mr Byrne said European officials had hoped research results from the UK would shed important light on the need for extra precautions. But British scientists mistakenly worked on cattle brains rather than sheep brains for the past four years, rendered the research results useless. Mr Byrne said: "This is very disappointing and the continued uncertainty leaves us in a very difficult position." The European Commission is already planning to introduce random tests in sheep from January next year. The aim is to improve the epidemiological picture of the incidence of scrapie which could be masking the presence of BSE. But Mr Byrne said the time had now come to consider further measures and the commission would be making proposals shortly. These are expected to include full traceability and an extension to the BSE-risk material which must be removed from sheep for human consumption.
(warmwell note: All this surrealism has been brought about by madness in scientists jumping the species barrier into politicians. There is no BSE in sheep. There is no indication that scrapie has any implications for human health. There is no evidence that scrapie "masks" BSE. But sheep farmers are now more than ever in the power of those who use fear about health to take measures for motives of their own: more restrictions, more rules and regulations, more power to impose "scrapie resistant sheep" )
Oct 23

Gill writes to Beckett on sheep fiasco
Farmers Weekly

FARMERS' leader Ben Gill has written to Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett to express concern at the fiasco over BSE in sheep. Mr Gill said he feared the botched experiments and subsequent headlines had inflicted needless damage on an already weak sheep industry. Other on-going experiments on recently collected sheep brains confirm there is no evidence of BSE in the national sheep flock, he added. But the controversy over the flawed research has obscured this and could have hit public confidence in sheep. Action to eradicate scrapie from the national flock must be speeded up and the testing of sheep for BSE-type disease redoubled, said Mr Gill The way the government revealed the botched experiments had led to a controversy which had been bad for the sheep industry, he added. "Every effort must be made to ensure that we have an orderly presentation of any results into the public domain in future. "My priority - and that of every sheep farmer - is to ensure that public confidence in UK lamb and mutton is maintained." An open meeting should be held at which full reports are given on the work being undertaken on the question of BSE in sheep, said Mr Gill.
Oct 23

Don't destroy farming, urges Evans
Lancashire Evening Telegraph

RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has warned the government not to destroy the farming industry and demanded a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Responding to Lord Haskins report on rural recovery following the virus outbreak, Mr Evans welcomed the calls for more short term help for farming and tourism recommended in the document. But Mr Evans, a member of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet, told Goosnargh Farmers' Club in Chipping he wanted action not words. Mr Evans said: "Many farmers throughout my constituency have been badly affected by foot and mouth. The last confirmed case in the country was September 30 and although I have concerns over a possible outbreak, further assistance is needed for our farming communities urgently." He added: "Environment farming and rural affairs secretary Margaret Beckett must not let this industry be destroyed by stealth." "We need a full public inquiry into the outbreak and we are desperate there should be a future for farming otherwise the devastating effect will see the disappearance of our farmlands which will be felt for generations and throughout many industries."
posted Oct 23

OFT to be challenged over livestock pricing
icWales

THE Welsh Affairs Select Committee is to scrutinise the Office of Fair Trading over livestock pricing and the prices supermarkets have been charging customers for meat during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Brecon and Radnorshire MP Roger Williams has secured agreement from the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that it will call in the OFT to give evidence about its investigations into supermarket power. Mr Williams said he was delighted that his colleagues had agreed to his proposal. "I wrote to the director general of OFT some weeks ago to ask that he instigate an investigation in to why, as the foot-and-mouth outbreak has gone on, prices paid to farmers for their animals have fallen ever further, while supermarket meat prices have remained so high. .......
Oct 23

Welsh farmers in hunting call
icWales

... The row over fox hunting died away when the General Election was called ... .... Now members of the Welsh National Farmers' Union say all counties in the Principality are reporting an increase in fox numbers and predation since the voluntary ban started on February 22. But farmers say the right balance needs to be struck between the very real need to control foxes and eliminating the risk of any potential spread of the virus by hunting activities. Land Use Officer of the Welsh Farmers' Union Mrs Rhian Nowell-Phillips said: "The union hopes the Defra Risk Assessment will be published imminently and that a resumption of hunting in clean areas at least will be allowed in the very near future. "Obviously the final decision of whether to allow hunting will be left to individual land owners, but feedback from members demonstrates a growing concern about the rising fox population which needs urgent action before next year's lambing season." But a coalition of the RSPCA, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the League Against Cruel Sports is urging the Government to put hunting back on to the parliamentary agenda as soon as possible. It says there is a need to uphold the will of the majority of MPs who want to see the sport banned. A spokesman for the Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals (CPHA) said: "There are clear moral and animal welfare grounds for banning hunting with dogs and no compelling reasons for allowing it to resume. "With the country still under the shadow of foot-and-mouth disease, hunting poses a completely unnecessary risk to the countryside.
"Hunting with dogs has been completely banned for six months. The economic impact of that ban has been insignificant compared to what foot-and-mouth has cost tourism and agriculture.
"There is also no credible evidence that the countryside is overrun by foxes, but that is hardly surprising considering mounted hunts account for only 6% of annual fox mortality."
(warmwell note: There are "clear moral and animal welfare grounds" to control FMD with means other than a knee-jerk slaughter policy too. Where was the voice of these humanitarians over the issue of the cruelty to livestock and family farmers? Incidentally, do they really not realise that foxes will be trapped, poisoned and inexpertly shot when hunting is banned?) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) officials have been carrying our veterinary risk assessments before making a decision on the resumption of hunting. The CPHA is urging Defra to spend the time instead on enabling the Government to follow through on its commitment to resolve the hunting issue.
Oct 23

Two more years for sheep BSE probe
Farmers Weekly

By Alistair Driver
FARMERS face more uncertainty after food safety officials admitted it could take two years before it is known whether BSE is present in sheep. Food Standards Agency chairman Sir John Krebs called on the government to speed up its efforts to find out whether the disease has jumped to sheep. His comments follow a four-year testing programme which collapsed because scientists had been studying cow brains rather than sheep brains. It could take two years before fresh experiments are completed, Sir John told an agency board meeting in London on Monday (22 October). "We have made it clear that more definite action with a definite timetable needs to be taken by the government," he said. Sir John said the government should fund more work on developing tests to distinguish between BSE and scrapie in sheep. During a lively board discussion, he admitted that it was still unclear what exactly went wrong with the botched experiments. The study of samples what were thought to be 3000 sheep brains had indicated that up to 1% of the national flock was infected with BSE. But a press statement published on a government website late last Wednesday (17 October) admitted that the tests had been botched. Scottish farmer and Food Standards Agency board member Michael Gibson said it was fortunate officials had been told to cross-check the results. "If we had not recommended these tests, we might have been pushing the panic button on the entire national sheep flock," he said.
Oct 22

Union denies backing Haskins
Farmers Weekly

By Isabel Davies
FARM leaders have denied that they recommended that Lord Haskins should be given the job of devising the government's rural recovery plan. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett made the suggestion as she addressed the House of Commons last Thursday (18 October). "I should also like to share with the House a piece of information of which I have just been reminded," she told MPs. "Lord Haskins was in fact recommended as the person to conduct the study by the NFU in Cumbria." A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman insisted that the union had not recommended any one person for the role. But she admitted that a list of around 10 names - including that of Lord Haskins - had been discussed on an unofficial basis. However, the spokeswoman added: "We were never asked and never officially recommended anyone." The appointment of the Northern Foods chairman as "countryside tsar" in the summer prompted fury among the farming community. The FARMERS WEEKLY letters page was filled with correspondence from producers angered by his suggestion that they take part-time jobs. They also claimed it was wrong that their future had been placed in the hands of someone whose company stood to profit from cheap food.
Oct 22

No store worth organic award'
Farmers Weekly

By Adrienne Francis
THE Soil Association has withheld its Retailer of the Year Award, claiming that British supermarkets don't buy enough local organic food. Soil Association President Jonathan Dimbleby said supermarkets should overhaul their buying practices and source more organic food. Mr Dimbleby, who is also a farmer and well-known broadcaster, said he wanted to see an improved relationship between retailers and producers. His attack on supermarkets came after a poll by NOP Research showed that consumers saw no significant difference between the big retailers. The results of the survey, commissioned by the Soil Association, led to the organisation withholding its Retailer of the Year Award for 2001. Mr Dimbleby said: "I would like to see less price discrimination. Instead of forcing down the grid price, supermarkets should look internally." He continued: "We live in very difficult times, trapped by anxiety and the devastation that has afflicted British agriculture. "On the upside, the advent of foot-and-mouth disease has stimulated a great need to re-examine the way we produce food." Mr Dimbleby added: "We must promote the common good locally, to create a sustainable society and organisation, locally, nationally and globally."
Oct 22

No BSE in sheep, says Beckett
Ananova

Margaret Beckett says no BSE has so far been found in sheep. (warmwell note: are we being unduly paranoid in noting that " so far"?)
Her comment follows last week's admission from the Government that scientists had mistakenly been testing the brains of cows instead. She has defended her department's handling of last Wednesday's announcement about the problems. Mrs Beckett has told MPs she had decided to make an announcement as soon as possible rather than arrange a press briefing the next morning. The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Secretary told the Commons: "I was convinced that the information would leak, I didn't want the slightest hint of a cover-up." Mrs Beckett said there was embarrassment and dismay about the mistake, it was not the Government which had been embarrassed as the research, though commissioned by the former Agriculture Ministry, was not carried out by that department. (warmwell note: does this make grammatical or any other kind of sense?)
The Environment Secretary acknowledged there had been complaints that some of the phraseology was obscure but argued that in the circumstances it had seemed right to say only that the validity of the sample had been called into question. "There was no intention to conceal or mislead," she said. Mrs Beckett said the Food Standards Agency saw no reason not to eat British lamb and added: "We have been throughout open and transparent in all our research into BSE." (warmwell note: ..an assertion that we find quite mind-boggling in its bare-faced impertinence - see BSE fiasco)
Shadow rural affairs secretary Peter Ainsworth denounced Mrs Beckett's statement as a staggering display of complacency, adding: "Her handling of this issue has been appalling."
Oct 22

Controls lifted at 1,500 farms -
Yorkshire Post

GOVERNMENT vets say it is too early to claim victory over foot and mouth disease, but 21 days without any confirmed cases has allowed them to relax severe restrictions on parts of North and West Yorkshire. The high biosecurity "blue box" which was extended when the virus threatened to spread out of Cumbria was contracted back to the county boundary yesterday - removing the strict controls from 135 farms in North Yorkshire. Originally the cordon extended from Penrith to Kirkby Stephen, but was enlarged after foot and mouth disease was confirmed on September 26 in the village of Barbon, a previously clean area close to the North Yorkshire boundary. In total, more than 1,500 farms in Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire will benefit from the reduction of the so-called Penrith Spur in which the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has enforced a rigorous cleaning and disinfecting regime since August 10. ....The weekend's relaxation comes after Defra was able to confirm that cultures grown from samples taken from 300 animals slaughtered on suspicion of having foot and mouth on Wednesday at Wedholme Farm, Kirkbride, west of Carlisle, were negative. Vets have taken blood samples from animals slaughtered on suspicion at another farm near Carlisle and those results are still awaited. But a Defra spokesman said they were optimistic of another negative result. (see Elaine's comment)
Oct 22

Beckett seeks to calm fears over lamb
Telegraph

MARGARET BECKETT has sought to reassure consumers alarmed by the collapse of tests to discover whether BSE was in the national sheep flock by saying that she still ate British lamb. The Environment and Food Secretary said no evidence had been found that BSE had been present in British lamb, though it was a theoretical possibility in the early 1990s. Thousands of tests had been carried out to see if BSE was present, disguised by scrapie. The experiments, designed to show whether BSE was present in the national sheep flock in the early 1990s and which were revealed to have gone disastrously wrong last week, were only part of the picture, Mrs Beckett said. Meanwhile, it was disclosed that David King, the Government's chief scientist, had been asked by Mrs Beckett's department to review all the research on BSE and sheep. Last night, Mrs Beckett was seeking a slot in the Commons today to explain that she was responsible for deciding, against the advice of officials, to publish a statement at 10.30pm last Wednesday........ The Tories have demanded a Commons statement today on the fiasco.
Oct 22

The real British disease We must learn lessons of post-war failure, says Simon Caulkin
The Observer

A Guardian reader wondered how Tony Blair's government could save the world if it couldn't build a new athletics stadium at Picketts Lock. That may sound a cheap shot, but it's not. The management gap - chasm, rather - between aspiration and achievement, between wishing the end and willing the means, has been the real 'British disease' for more than two generations. And the strain shows no sign of dying out. The clanking shambles of the railways, Rover's cul-de-sac, the chronic sickness of the NHS and the C-plus performance of British education are not individual one-offs, surprising interruptions in an otherwise continuing story of improving efficiency. On the contrary, they are of a piece with - and a logical outcome of - common management shortcomings going back at least 50 years. .......
posted Oct 22

Another food farce
Sunday Times

anybody listening to Margaret Beckett defending her reaction to the latest mix-up, in which cow brain samples were mixed up with those from sheep, would imagine she was dealing with an issue of unfortunate news management instead of a matter of vital concern to consumers. Parents were specifically told they had nothing to worry about because British baby food contained no British lamb. Next day, they were told by food manufacturers that it did, and when the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was told so earlier this year, it said there was no need to stop the practice. What are the FSA and its uninformed chairman, Sir John Krebs, playing at?
Oct 21

YOUR LETTERS: READER'S LETTER
Sunday Mirror

AFTER a succession of politicians have proved incapable of dealing with BSE and Foot and Mouth Disease, why should we accept assurances that they would be able to handle the introduction of anthrax or other germs into Britain?
Maurice Williams Blackwood, Gwent
Oct 21

NEW CALL FOR TESTS ON SHEEP
Sunday Mirror

A LEADING expert on Mad Cow Disease has called for urgent tests on the brains of tens of thousands of sheep. (warmwell note: unusual for Prof Anderson to appear in person. He usually prefers to do his stringpulling out of the public gaze. Perhaps it is a measure of his desperation that all those funds will be withdrawn and his credibility called into question that he is so savagely whipping up public fear in this way - we would rearrange the first few words of this credulous report.
See BSE fiasco- bovine spongythinking myopathy) Professor Roy Anderson warned yesterday that without a nationwide survey there could be no certainty lamb is safe to eat. His remarks follow the Government's admission that scientists had bungled a three-year experiment to find out whether BSE had spread from cows to sheep, by testing the wrong kind of brains. Prof Anderson, a key Government adviser, said a new survey of lambs should be "immediate" and tests should cover 10,000 animals instead of the "tiny" sample of 180 the failed research used. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett refused to give an assurance that another survey would be carried out and said there was only a "theoretical" risk BSE had spread to sheep.
Oct 21

'Very good day' for spin that shames New Labour
Magnus Linklater in the Scotsman on Sunday

THE crime of Jo Moore was not just an error of judgment - though it was certainly that. It was not just tasteless - though she stands condemned for that too. It was not even that her attitude was "inconsistent with any notion of public service", as one of her principal accusers put it last week. Her gravest sin was to shed light on the inner workings of modern government. And what we saw was not a pretty sight.

That may explain why, five weeks after the event itself, the row continues to rumble on. Indeed, it has grown from one woman's base offence into a battle for the soul of New Labour. The facts are straightforward: Ms Moore, an adviser who works for Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, was, like the rest of us, watching the terrible events of September 11 on television. As the terrorists' planes slammed into the Word Trade Centre in New York, she chose to send an e-mail to her colleagues, suggesting that it would be "a very good day" to put out any inconvenient announcements the department might have to make, since they would be "buried" by the cataclysmic events taking place in America.
Oct 21

How lunacy by officials has betrayed farmers
Sunday Telegraph

FOR four years I have followed with amazement the desperate efforts of various publicly funded scientists to prove that sheep can get BSE. At regular intervals they have produced new scientific papers, dutifully publicised by the BBC, claiming that "new evidence" is bringing them ever nearer to their goal, and that, if they get there, this would justify killing all the 40 million sheep in Britain.
Now it emerges, as the Department for the Elimination of Farming and Rural Affairs shamefacedly sneaked on to its website at 10.30 last Wednesday night, some of these scientists had all along been looking, not at sheep brains but at those of BSE-infected cattle. As further evidence of the kind of lunacy farmers must live with every day of their lives, Margaret Beckett's boast last week that she was kindly providing "an additional £24 million" to compensate farmers and other businesses hit by foot and mouth might seem to pale into insignificance. But it may not be surprising to note how that £24 million, announced in a week when it was reported that damage cause by foot and mouth to rural tourism has amounted to £2 billion, is not new money at all. Most of it has been reallocated from spending under the EU-sponsored Rural Development Fund, of which Britain has applied for by far the smallest percentage of any country in the EU (Irish farmers are proportionately receiving eight times as much).
Any money handed out in foot and mouth compensation will therefore simply be taken away from other farmers. At the same time, Mrs Beckett's ministry sneaked out an announcement that, because of the costs of "terrorism", it will not be applying to Brussels, as promised, for £57 million due to compensate British farmers for the collapse of the euro (because subsidies are calculated in euros).
This means that, yet again, British farmers will be heavily penalised against the other EU farmers with whom they have to compete. But it also means that while Mrs Beckett tries to claim credit for handing out £24 million, most of which is likely to be swallowed up in red tape and consultants' fees anyway, she is much less keen to advertise that she has simultaneously taken away more than twice that sum. It is hardly surprising that farmers feel this Government views them with total contempt.
Oct 21

Anger as Government offers struggling firms £14m
Western Daily Press

TONY Blair last night offered businesses hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis just £14 million to survive the winter. Experts claim the cash is just a fraction of the amount needed to prevent tourism and countryside companies folding this Christmas. Yesterday Government advisor Lord Haskins unveiled a rural rescue package costing up to £100 million. But the Government announced that only 14 per cent, or £14 million, in new money would be made available. Experts claim Cumbria alone needs £150 million after its tourism and farming industries were devastated by foot-and-mouth. And despite being one of the worst-hit regions, the South-west is not expected to receive more than £3 million. Rural recovery co-ordinator Lord Haskins published his long-awaited report on the impact of foot-and-mouth yesterday morning. He recommended injecting an extra £40 million into the Bus-iness Recovery Fund to help distressed firms and a raft of additional measures costing up to £100 million. These included reinforcing the message 'the countryside is open for business' with Government advertising; no restraints on the movement of rural visitors; a continued sympathetic approach by the Customs & Excise and Inland Revenue, and a Government assurance the countryside will be back in business by April 2002. He said footpath closures had failed to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth, which had nothing to do with ramblers and hikers.
Oct 20

Tourism chiefs welcome Two Moors music festival initiative
BBC Devon

The biggest classical music festival ever held in the South West kicks off today in Dunster. The Two Moors Festival has been organised to help rebuild confidence in rural communities following the foot-and-mouth crisis. The festival has been hailed by tourism chiefs in Devon as an "example of the kind of 'out of season' tourism needed to give the local economy a boost in the wake of foot-and-mouth". Each of the concerts is taking place in village or town of historic beauty The Festival stretches from Dartmoor to Exmoor and includes 14 concerts in rural churches over the next two weeks. The aim is to celebrate a return to the moors following foot-and-mouth and is part of the Devon County Council campaign "Devon Is Open All Year Round".
Oct 20

Environment Agency calls for environmental management standard for farming
Edie.net News

British farming may soon have environmental management standard The call follows the publication of a report by Lord Haskins, the Government's rural recovery co-ordinator, into the state of the Cumbrian rural economy following the disease outbreak, which outlines measures required for the recovery of tourism and other small businesses in the region. The Environment Agency's proposed environmental management standard for farming is intended to be a core part of whole farm management plans that include business, welfare and environmental needs, with strong emphasis given to natural resource - soil, water and air- conservation. The standard needs to be both effective and flexible, permitting farmers and land managers to take the actions that are best suited to their land, says the Agency. For practices with minimum pollution risk, the Environment Agency will provide support and advice, but higher risk practices would be more tightly regulated, an Agency spokesman told edie. Currently, pig and poultry farming are being prepared for regulation under Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), which is due to come into effect in a couple of years. Successful adoption of a basic environmental management standard could allow farms to demonstrate regulatory compliance without the need for inspection, says the Agency. This means that the Agency could then focus its resources on providing technical advice and on regulating the small number of farms that present issues such as a history of pollution offences. The Environment Agency is critical of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which encourages farming practices that cause damage to the environment. There are also fears that foot-and-mouth disease, BSE and collapsing farm incomes are pushing farmers towards short term survival measures which may have longer term implications for the environment.
Oct 20

Ovine waffle
Yorkshire Post

A FAIRLY disastrous error - that is how Government scientists described the revelation that their colleagues had spent the last four years testing the brains of cows instead of sheep.
Had the mistake not been spotted by quizzical fellow investigators, it is possible that the Government would have recommended the slaughter of the entire national flock, since it appeared that the deadly BSE prion had been found in sheep brains. Millions of animals would have been killed and countless farms brought to the brink of ruin. Indeed, the talk in Westminster last week, when the interim findings from the Institute of Animal Health Laboratory in Edinburgh were first published, was that farming would soon be in the grip of another crisis.
Imagine the Government's relief, therefore, when it discovered that the four-year-long inquiry had been examining the brains of cattle, not of sheep. But that relief will have soon been tempered by another kind of panic. It would not look good that a publicly-funded scientific experiment had been so badly bungled. So, once again, the Labour spin machine went into whitewash mode....... So much for open government. .......Mrs Beckett had the perfect opportunity to present these findings to the House of Commons on Thursday, but chose instead to have them posted, late at night, on a computer site. This was a double error of judgment. ....

Once again, public trust in government and its scientific advisers has been eroded. ......If scientists can mistake sheep brains for cow brains, maybe they could make other mistakes. And if they did make mistakes, perhaps the Government would prefer to "bury" these awkward facts rather than air them in public? For their part, Britain's farmers, who have long been sceptical about the alleged link between BSE in cattle and new variant CJD in humans, will see this latest sad episode as yet another reason for being distrustful of scientists and their political masters. Whatever Mrs Beckett eventually says in her belated defence, down on the farm it will be heard as nothing more than the murmurings of ovine waffle.
Oct 20

Six key questions
Telegraph

Are there "mad sheep" out there, like "mad cows"? BSE has never been found occurring naturally in sheep. Scientists have been looking for it in two recent studies. 163 brains from sheep which recently had scrapie, a disease which is thought to have similar symptoms but is harmless to humans, have been tested for BSE by injecting mice to see if they develop it. All were clear. 465 similar brains have been tested by Prof John Collinge's molecular method, which is not yet validated. These were clear too.
So can sheep get BSE at all? Around 20 sheep have been deliberately given BSE in experiments by injecting BSE material into their brains and feeding sheep fragments of mad cow brains. It has never been done by feeding them meat and bone meal.....
Were sheep fed meat and bone meal too? Some sheep are believed to have been given infected meat and bone meal after BSE developed in cows. Those sheep fed it would have received very much smaller quantities than cattle, and for much shorter times.
Surely if there were "mad sheep" they would have been spotted? .....t a survey in 1998 did not show a leap in scrapie in sheep when BSE was rampant.
Wouldn't they all be dead by now anyway? Almost certainly. Meat and bone meal was banned from feed in 1988.
Could ewes have passed it down to lambs? No one understands how scrapie is passed around flocks, let alone how BSE, if it existed in sheep, would be transmitted. ...........
Oct 20

Taken to task
Yorkshire Post - Comment

LORD Haskins may not be the most diplomatic of political figures, but the candour of his views, and the passion with which he expresses them, are a breath of fresh air from a Government obsessed by spin doctoring and media manipulation. A farmer and food producer himself, Lord Haskins argues that, unless the industry consolidates, small-scale agricultural production will provide neither an income for the farmer nor food for consumers at a price they are prepared to pay. Yet, he also recognises that farming provides more than foodstuffs for the public. Over the centuries, the farming community has created a rural landscape which now acts as a recreational magnet for so many urban people. If subsidies are to continue to be paid to uneconomic smaller farms, he argues, these tax transfers should be used to support farming methods which improve the quality of, and access to, the landscape. Sadly, his all too brief report fails to show how this might happen. .....As yesterday's debate in the House of Commons illustrated only too clearly, the Labour Party remains instinctively hostile to farming. Its newly pro-euro MPs resent the subsidies paid to agriculture, yet they fail to point out that it was not farmers who invented the Common Agricultural Policy, but politicians and bureaucrats. It is the farmers, however, who have to live with its consequences. Until the CAP is either reformed or scrapped, the market-distorting system of payments to farmers will continue to skew agricultural production in ways which are neither beneficial to consumers nor to the farmers. But Britain has no way of forcing the pace of change on a Europe that seems content to keep the status quo. Lord Haskins knows this, of course, but he is so strongly in favour of the European Union that he can barely bring himself to admit its failures
Oct 19

Cumbria kicked in the teeth
Cumberland News

FURY erupted yesterday as the Government slashed a £20 million Cumbria foot and mouth aid package proposed by its own rural recovery tsar. Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett waited just two hours after Lord Haskins unveiled his eagerly-awaited report before slapping down one of its key recommendations. .....NWDA chief executive Mike Shields said that would leave Cumbria with £8.5 million to replenish a £5million recovery fund for rural businesses which was exhausted two months ago with£15 million worth of claims still outstanding. It is less than one-fifteenth of the £130 million the county's rural task force claims is needed to head off an economic crisis this winter. Cumbria Tourist Board chief executive Chris Collier said Mrs Beckett's announcement guaranteed a stream of businesses would go bust over the winter.
Oct 19

Readers demand public inquiry
Farmers Weekly

THE government could be forced to hold a full public inquiry into foot-and-mouth if FARMERS WEEKLY and three other titles force a judicial review. West-Country solicitor Clarke Willmott and Clarke has written to Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett requesting a public inquiry into the crisis. .... The costs of the legal action will be met on a no-win, no-fee basis by the Western Morning News, the Western Mail, FARMERS WEEKLY and Horse & Hound. The letter sent to Mrs Beckett insists: "The general public has a legitimate interest in there being a full inquiry into all aspects of foot-and-mouth. "The law requires this legitimate interest be achieved through a thorough and vigorous public examination of the issues. ..... Tim Russ, head of agricultural law at Clarke Willmott and Clarke, wrote the letter to Mrs Beckett on behalf of farmers and other business people. The names were supplied by the titles supporting the legal action. "If we do have a full, open examination of the issues, we should learn a lot of valuable lessons for the future, which we may not be able to if we have three separate inquiries," said Mr Russ. Mr Lissack, who will represent the complainants if the review goes ahead, runs a 100ha (250 acre) farm on the Wiltshire/Somerset border. He took part in inquiries into the Ladbroke Grove train crash and the running of the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Each editor pledged to do all in their power to support the legal action. "Our readers are already very familiar with the vigour of our campaign on this issue," said Barrie Williams, editor of the Western Morning News. "Our commitment to underwrite the costs of a judicial review was a natural step for us." Alistair Milburn, deputy editor of the The Western Mail, said: "We have serious reservations about how the government has handled the inquiry." He added: "After the outbreak more than 30 years ago, the government vowed it would never happen again. But sadly it has." Arnold Garvey, editor of Horse & Hound, said: "The 101,000 signatures we have collected bear testimony to the strength of feeling across the country." FARMERS WEEKLY editor Stephen Howe said the magazine received many messages of support after it launched its Public Inquiry campaign. "Our office has been inundated with telephone calls, faxes and e-mails all backing our campaign for a public inquiry. Too many people have suffered too much to allow the government to escape with three inquiries that will not be held in public." .......
Oct 19

Storm over Government 'burial' of brain blunder over BSE tests
Telegraph

FARMING bodies and MPs were asking yesterday how a Government that ordered a #26 million inquiry into its predecessor's handling of the BSE epidemic came to post its own BSE blunder on its website at 10.30 on Wednesday evening. It would have been embarrassing to explain in the usual daytime manner that four years of tests intended to discover whether BSE was present in sheep was carried out on cows' brains by mistake, invalidating the results. .... the apparently furtive announcement of the blunder caused a furore. David Curry, Conservative chairman of the Commons select committee on the environment, food and rural affairs, demanded to know why no minister wanted to be associated with the announcement and why he was informed too late to put down a question for Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, in the Commons. Mr Curry said Mrs Beckett, who appeared before his committee on Wednesday, did not tell him anything significant about the results of the tests, which cost the taxpayer £217,000 and which are expected to be considered by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee at its meeting this morning. "She took me on one side afterwards and told me that the results were not looking good. No wonder. They were cow brains," said Mr Curry. "Then I heard on the Today programme that all hell had broken loose. "This is about a little bit more than the Government getting its results mixed up. We are talking about the great worry that is hanging over the countryside at the moment that sheep might have BSE, the consequence of which, the Government says, is that the entire national flock would have to be slaughtered." ....... Elliot Morley, rural affairs minister, said: "The problem was the story was all over the place around Whitehall. Ministers in the Welsh Assembly seemed to know. The only thing to do was to put it in the public domain." (warmwell note: poor hapless Mr Morley. He must have been flustered to allow himself such revealing words)......
Oct 19

Scientists in vital BSE experiment tested wrong animal brains
By Steve Connor Science Editor
Independent

An inquiry has been launched into how a crucial experiment into whether BSE has infected sheep fell apart in disarray after an astonishing mix up in which scientists discovered that they have been testing the wrong animal brains. The discovery, leaked on Wednesday night by embarrassed government officials, calls into question the quality of some of the science on which Britain's anti-BSE strategy is based. Scientists at the government-funded Institute for Animal Health in Edinburgh discovered that instead of testing sheep brains for BSE they had inadvertently been testing cattle brains for the past five years, making the entire£217,000 study null and void. The results of the experiment were about to be made public and it is understood that civil servants were bracing themselves for an announcement that BSE had been found in sheep. But three days before the results were due to be made public today - demonstrating that the cattle disease had jumped the "species barrier" into sheep - DNA tests on the material showed that it was composed entirely of cattle brains with no detectable sheep tissue. "Extraordinary is a fair description of this," said Professor Peter Smith, chairman of the Government's Spongiform Encepthalopathy Advisory Committee. "Everyone who's seen these results has been taken aback. It is amazing." Professor Chris Bostock, a member of Seac and the director of the Institute for Animal Health, said he was also surprised when he was told on Wednesday that another government laboratory had failed to find any DNA material that could have come from sheep brains in the samples undergoing the tests for BSE. "I was completely flabbergasted when told yesterday morning of what they had found. I've taken steps to set up our own independent audit into the tissue samples and I'm told that Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] will establish its own audit," Professor Bostock said. "We were certainly of the view that the samples were fundamentally of sheep origin. I'm not prepared to discuss the results of the [BSE in sheep] experiment because they are now uninterpretable," he said.
However, Professor Smith said that although the experiment was not simple to interpret, some of the features of the results that he is aware of indicated that a "BSE-like" agent was present in the brain tissue. "But that now goes out of the window," Professor Smith said. (warmwell note: does this paragraph make sense?)
The experiment began in early 1997 and involved testing for the presence of BSE in what was then believed to be a pooled collection of 2,860 brains of sheep that had died of scrapie, a related brain disease to BSE, between 1990 and 1992. If BSE had spread to sheep during the late 1980s, when sheep were fed the same contaminated feed that infected cattle, there was a strong possibility that the pooled collection of brains would indicate the presence of BSE. (warmwell note: if indeed the cause of BSE was "contaminated feed", another assumption) The complicated experiment was carried out by scientists at the Institute for Animal Health's Neuropathogenesis Unit in Edinburgh. It involved injecting the brain material into different strains of laboratory mice which would incubate the disease in a precise pattern if BSE was present. Professor Bostock said that two tests early on in the experiment indicated that the material was at least predominantly sheep brains as there had always been a concern of cross contamination given that the brains were collected for another experiment at a time when scientists used the same instruments to collect both sheep and cattle brains. (warmwell note: No. Can't follow this sentence either)
However, early in September samples of the brain material were sent to the Laboratory of the Government Chemist for DNA analysis. It is these results that demonstrated unequivocally that the brain tissue came only from cattle, with no traces of sheep tissue present.
Oct 19

Rural groups 'want a full public inquiry'
Telegraph

THE Tories called on the Government yesterday to hold a full public inquiry into foot and mouth because every rural body wanted one. Ann Winterton, from the shadow agriculture team, said: "The outbreak has cost taxpayers almost £2 billion and surely they have a right to learn the truth and how the Government proposes to prevent infections from being re-imported into the United Kingdom in the near future? "Bearing in mind the millions of animals slaughtered as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak, why has the Government set its face against holding a full, independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the outbreak?" Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, brushed aside the call and said a full public inquiry would be costly and time-consuming. "Whenever anybody wants an inquiry into anything, everybody always says that what they want is a full public inquiry and very rarely do people define what they mean by those terms," she said. The Government had proposed an inquiry structure with three independent components. The call in the Commons yesterday during Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs questions followed a similar plea in the Lords on Wednesday.
Oct 19

£24m farm aid package 'too little, too late'
Telegraph

BOTH Tory and Labour backbenchers criticised the Government announcement yesterday that it would provide £24 million to help businesses affected by the foot and mouth outbreak. One Tory MP described the money as "too little, too late" while a Labour MP said he was disappointed about the size of the amount. ........
Tim Collins (C, Westmorland and Lonsdale) said the people of Cumbria had been through a terrible time during the past nine months and he accused the Government of offering "too little, too late". He also warned that businesses in the area could go bankrupt. Eric Martlew (Lab, Carlisle) said he was impressed by the report but Lord Haskins had recommended that £40 million should be made available for business recovery in Cumbria and Mrs Beckett had only announced £24 million. He hoped that she would have talks with the Treasury to make more money available. "I am rather disappointed that you have announced only£24 million," he said. "Will you have discussions with the Treasury to see if that extra money is available because, without extra money soon, good businesses in Cumbria and throughout the country will go bankrupt?" Mrs Beckett said that she accepted his concerns and his disappointment "that I'm not, at once, able to give the full sum Lord Haskins has identified" although it was a "step in the right direction". But Peter Ainsworth, the new shadow environment, food and rural affairs spokesman, said the Cumbria foot and mouth task force estimated that at least £150 million of assistance was needed. "There are many businesses in Cumbria that will not survive the winter without very urgent extra help." Mr Ainsworth said farmers were very dependent on livestock markets and urged ministers to reaffirm their support for them, despite the report's recommendations that they needed to be better regulated. "The main opponents of livestock markets are the big food processing companies such as Northern Foods run by Lord Haskins." Mrs Beckett said other bodies had made a range of recommendations on aid, some running into hundreds of millions of pounds. "My understanding is that one of Lord Haskins's observations is that he has urged those making such recommendations to be more realistic." She said the recommendation on livestock markets would be examined. Archy Kirkwood (Lib Dem, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) wanted to know whether the £24 million was specifically targeted at Cumbria. Mrs Beckett said it was for Cumbria and other areas but that the "lion's share" would go to Cumbria. Nicholas Winterton (C, Macclesfield) criticised the choice of Lord Haskins as the report's author. "He is not a particularly successful farmer himself and his company isn't very friendly to the farming industry. Does it come well from a man like Lord Haskins to hector livestock farmers who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 12 months in the year?" he said. Mrs Beckett replied: "As to your contention that Lord Haskins is not popular in the countryside. I think a succession of ministers of agriculture would like to know how that is to be achieved." .... (warmwell note: we think we can help the Minister here. Instant popularity could be gained by the removal of absurd restrictions, of meddling, interference, red tape and incomprehensible form-filling exercises.)
Oct 19

BSE scientists spend five years testing wrong brains
Anaova

The Government has admitted scientists trying to find out if BSE has infected sheep have mistakenly been testing the brains of cows instead. The government-funded Institute of Animal Health in Edinburgh had been conducting tests on what was believed to be sheep tissue for the past five years. The blunder was only discovered after DNA checks by the Laboratory of the Government Scientist. Inquiries into how the mix-up happened have now been launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the institute. The results of the testing, which looked like they proved that BSE had crossed over and infected sheep, were due to be to presented to the Government's Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (Seac) on Friday but were withdrawn. Defra made a brief announcement on Wednesday saying only that there was a possibility the sheep material had been "contaminated" by cattle brains but a spokesman now says it is true that the tests had been carried out on cow brains and not sheep brains. "As to how it happened, that is the question we are asking," the spokesman said. "What the cross-checking showed was that the samples came from the wrong animal." Professor Peter Smith, chairman of Seac, told The Daily Telegraph he was "amazed" by the mistake. He added: "It is a fairly disastrous error. It is an amazing result that no one expected."
Oct 19

Hopes raised as farming holds breath over tests
Yorkshire Post

................. One possibility is that it hides in sheep, which do not always show obvious symptoms. Mass testing of sheep is still going on and any which have foot-and-mouth antibodies are slaughtered as a precaution, even though they have probably come through to a non-infectious condition. An additional test, involving a tonsil swab, reveals whether the sheep is still actually breathing out the virus and none of those has been positive recently. And in the Carlisle case now under investigation there have been no sheep near the farm since the last outbreak in that area, which was stopped at the end of March. There are suspicions that deer and hedgehogs have caught the virus but Defra has so far taken the view that it is unlikely to be passed back to farm stock from wildlife.
Oct 19

£15,000 needed to fund legal fight against cull
icWales

A TEACHER appealing against refusal of a judicial review of the Government's foot-and-mouth cull policy says she is in desperate need of money to continue the action. Janet Hughes has received more than £9,000 in donations and has spent £13,000 of her own money. But she needs at least another £15,000 after she learned she was not eligible for legal aid. She is also appealing against a High Court Judge's refusal of her application for a judicial review of the National Assembly's handling of the crisis and an application for an injunction to stop the cull. .... "But donations seem to have totally dried up. I haven't had any money in since October 8. People probably think it is all over, but it's far from over. I have to see this thing through," said Miss Hughes. She explained that if she were to stop the appeal she would have to pay Defra and the Assembly's court costs of £16,800. "It's an impossible situation. I'm really hoping that more donations will come into the Save Our Sheep Appeal either direct to me or at the Nationwide Building Society. "If they don't, I may end up having to represent myself at the appeal hearing, which won't help my case. "I really need to be represented by a QC to have the best chance of success," said Miss Hughes.
Oct 19

'Overkill' on sheep cull attacked
icWales

FOOT-AND-MOUTH experts claim that more than half the sheep slaughtered in Wales in the foot-and-mouth crisis were killed unnecessarily. Almost 350,000 animals, including 304,847 sheep, have been slaughtered on infected premises, contiguous farms and as dangerous contacts in Wales. But Dr Paul Kitching, who was head of Pirbright Laboratory until May, has said it is impossible to diagnose foot-and-mouth disease in sheep from visual signs alone. And Dr Ruth Watkins, a former head of the diagnostic virology laboratory at St Mary's Hospital, yesterday said she believed at least half the sheep slaughtered in Wales need not have been killed. "I fully agree with Dr Kitching. There are very few infections and illnesses where you can be absolutely sure clinically," said Dr Watkins. She said vets who saw clinical symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease should have sent specimens to laboratories for diagnosis. The suspect sheep could have been kept in quarantine on home farms while the results came. "An attempt should have been made to confirm the diagnoses as there can be a whole number of reasons why sheep can have ulceration in the mouth. "I would like to know how many of the 118 cases in Wales were diagnosed on clinical symptoms in sheep and how many of these were actually confirmed positive by laboratory testing. "I think the answer is likely to be that there wasn't really that much infection and that over half the sheep slaughtered in Wales need not have been," said Dr Watkins. The slaughter policy based on visual symptoms alone had caused untold misery for farmers. "The affected farm was slaughtered, which led to other farms being slaughtered and still more being subject to Form D notices. If more resources had been put into diagnostic laboratories and they had been used properly, I'm sure a lot of this would not have been necessary." A National Assembly spokeswoman said all animals confirmed as having the disease were initially confirmed on clinical signs. She said, "Vets finding symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease contacted the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) veterinary service, which decided whether the disease should be confirmed or not." She could not say how many of the 118 cases in Wales were confirmed on visual symptoms or how many subsequently proved negative.
(warmwell note; and this is one of the most urgent questions that needs to be answered) "The priority has always been to eradicate the disease and the policy that was adopted has proved successful."
(warmwell note: Successful? If over half the animals taken from farmers and killed were healthy? If the statistical data that led to this culling by computer were fatally flawed? If clinical diagnoses by inexperienced vets were not confirmed by testing? When grow men wept with sorrow at seeing their stock perish?) Alan Morris, of the Farmers' Union of Wales, said, "It was a time of severe crisis and difficult decisions had to be made. But we are still pressing for a full public inquiry so all the diverse views can be heard and we can see whether the right decisions were taken." Leigh Roberts, of NFU Cymru, said, "That mistakes were made in dealing with foot-and-mouth disease there is a little doubt. That is why we need a full and independent public inquiry." sue.goddard@wme.co.uk
Oct 18

Farmers 'face winter hardship'
BBC

The government's rural recovery co-ordinator has warned that farmers and tourism businesses will face serious problems during the winter in areas badly hit by foot-and-mouth. Lord Haskins calls for an extra £40m to be put into the government's business recovery fund - about half of it in Cumbria - in a report published on Thursday. The call came as the Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett, announced a £24m extension to the fund for the worst affected regions. Lord Haskins - appointed by Prime Minister Tony Blair in July - also calls for special short-term compensation to be considered for farmers unable to sell their livestock outside their local areas. The National Farmers' Union said the report identified the breadth of support needed to charge the rural recovery, said its effectiveness would depend on how much was put in to practice, and how quickly. .... Many farmers have seen their businesses collapse since the epidemic was discovered last February. The knock-on effects have also been devastating for tourism. The report says that most farmers and businesses have coped better than might have been expected. Commissioned when the disease was at its height, the report focuses on foot-and-mouth blackspots like Cumbria, the South West, North East and North Yorkshire. In Cumbria alone 3,000 farms have lost their animals and 60% of the land is without livestock, while the tourist industry is believed to have lost £200m. Cumbrian farmer John Raine told BBC News: "Next winter is going to be pretty cold, and we are really going to need some short-term measures to help us through that period. "But we are also looking for some answers to the long-term problems agriculture is facing." But Lord Haskins blueprint for the longer term favours removing many farming subsidies to promote a more commercial approach - even if it means fewer farmers. ............. Liberal Democrat agriculture spokesman Colin Breed said the party welcomed Lord Haskins' recognition that farmers needed short-term help. But he said the call for farmers to be more enterprising was an insult. "Lord Haskins should look to government policy in respect of the uncompetitive pound, the lashings of red tape and the appeasement of the greed of supermarkets before criticising the agricultural industry," he said. Lord Haskins is also calling for much greater co-operation between farmers and rural agencies. Foot-and-mouth, BSE and collapsing farm incomes are pushing farmers towards short-term survival measures which may have longer-term implications for the environment, says the Environment Agency. ....http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/rural/taskforce/haskins.pdf To access the Haskins report
Oct 18

Haskins unveils rural recovery plan
Farmers Weekly

LORD HASKINS has recommended that the government sets up a £40 million fund to help the countryside recover from foot-and-mouth. The recommendation is made in the Labour peer's long-awaited proposals for a rural recovery which were published on Thursday (18 October). Foot-and-mouth movement restrictions should be relaxed so that farmers can move stock in and out of high-risk counties like Cumbria, the report says. The government should fund a scheme to get feed on to farms in crisis-hit areas such as Cumbria, it adds. Farmers should receive free business advice. The report also recommends that ministers do more to get European Union aid to businesses which were affected by foot-and-mouth in the farm supply chain. It calls for the introduction of more flexibility with regard to rural planning and urges ministers to "go slow" on future farm regulation. Government help is more likely to be forthcoming if rural businesses and groups make more effort to help themselves by working together, the report says. A number of livestock markets will close, the document predicts. Farmers must be more disciplined if they want to ensure the survival of the remaining auctions. "Playing the markets by taking a few animals from one market to the next must end," Lord Haskins told FARMERS WEEKLY. The government should reduce excess sheep numbers by introducing a one-off scheme to buy sheep quota from farmers to reduce the national flock. "The aim is to cut out overstocking because there are far too many sheep. Nobody can sell them - it's a shambles," Lord Haskins said. The countryside should be completely re-opened after Christmas regardless of the foot-and-mouth situation in a bid to boost non-farming rural businesses.
Oct 18

Rural economy must be restructured'
Farmers Weekly

THE foot-and-mouth recovery plan unveiled by Lord Haskins fails to address issues preventing a restructuring of the rural economy, say organic farmers. Soil Association head of agriculture Phil Stocker said the future of UK farming could not be assured without well-planned, long term measures. "The recommendations will prop up the rural economy in the short term, but fail to address some of the fundamental issues needed to restructure it. "We now need to look at moving towards more local and sustainable farming systems and to decentralise the food chain. Mr Stocker said there was a desperate need for the government to help farmers make a fresh start by converting to organic production.
Oct 18

Peers demand inquiry into foot and mouth
Telegraph

More cases of foot and mouth likely, says Beckett TORY peers pressed the Government to change its mind and hold a full-scale public inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak. Lord Inglewood, who spoke of the impact of the disease in Cumbria, said: "I regret that there is not going to be a full public inquiry. Many Cumbrians believe the Government has something to cover up and, understandably after what they have gone through, that is causing real resentment. "What has occurred in Cumbria is an economic downturn and there has been widescale destruction of assets and wealth." He was speaking during a debate on the need for a strategy for the recovery of the countryside, tourism and rural businesses in the aftermath of the crisis. The Government has strongly resisted holding a public inquiry, but instead will appoint a commission to look into the causes of the outbreak once it is officially over. Lord Judd (Lab), a vice-president of the Council of National Parks and a member of the North West Regional Committee of the National Trust, said farmers complained about the amount of paperwork they had to do. He wondered who would replace ageing farmers to carry out new ideas. Paperwork was a problem: "It takes up at least a day a week and the amount of time they spend on it is obviously increasing. With average subsidies of £30,000 a year and average incomes of some £6,000 a year or less in many instances, this inevitably influences agricultural performance. Lord Ferrers (C) predicted that the countryside would continue to suffer as long as the public believed it was "full of disease and burning carcasses". He pressed for a full public inquiry, not to conduct a witch-hunt against the Government, but to learn lessons from the outbreak. Lord Mackie (Lib Dem) called for help for farmers who needed to fight competition from those abroad who used agricultural practices that lowered the price of their produce. "It puts our farmers at an unfair disadvantage," he said. In the aftermath of the foot and mouth outbreak, he told the Government: "We have to spend more money for a more competent and a larger official veterinary body looking after the health of the cattle, sheep and cows of this country." Lord Skidelsky, who this week decided to leave Tory benches and become a Crossbencher, said the country could not safely rely any longer on foreign imports to meet food requirements. The case "for growing as much of one's food as possible" had also been strengthened.
The Rt Rev Ian Cundy, the Bishop of Peterborough, said in his maiden speech that the effects of foot and mouth disease, although devastating, had only accelerated processes already under way. "The economic shape of agriculture will inevitably change and the pattern of subsidy has already changed to encourage a lower level of stocking and to promote an environmentally friendly approach. "I believe farmers deserve our thanks more than our criticism for their care of the environment. "So-called green farming must be profitable if it is going to survive and farm gate prices must reflect more closely the price we pay in our supermarket-driven economy." Farmers have received more than #1 billion in compensation for the foot and mouth outbreak, Elliot Morley, the junior environment, food and rural affairs minister, said last night. The figure included £26 million for items seized and destroyed, such as hay, feed and fodder, stated the Commons written reply.
Oct 18

Minister resists foot-and-mouth public inquiry call
Anannova

The Government has come under renewed pressure from the Tories to hold a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. Shadow agriculture minister Ann Winterton told the House of Commons every single rural organisation has called for the inquiry. Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, said a full public inquiry would be costly and extremely time-consuming. Mrs Winterton said at Question Time: "Bearing in mind the millions of animals slaughtered as a result of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, why has the Government set its face against holding a full, independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the outbreak?" "The outbreak has cost taxpayers almost £2 billion and surely they have a right to learn the truth and how Government proposes to prevent infections from being re-imported into the United Kingdom in the near future." Margaret Beckett said: "Whenever anybody wants an inquiry into anything everybody always says that what they want is a full public inquiry and very rarely do people define what they mean by those terms." The Government had proposed an inquiry structure with three separate independent components.
Oct 18

Foot-and-mouth peril 'not over yet'
Yorkshire Post

Fears of a foot-and-mouth resurgence were raised yesterday by Government farms supremo Margaret Beckett, amid reports of a new outbreak of the disease. ........ ..her department said there was "verbal confirmation" of a new case near Carlisle, in Cumbria, and said epidemiologists would issue a full report today. But Mrs Beckett swept aside disquiet even from Labour MPs over Prime Minister Tony Blair's refusal to call a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic. And she came close to excusing officials from blame during the nine-month crisis, hitting out at the "growing modern culture that if anything goes wrong, someone must be to blame and we have to find that person to blame and pillory. ...... She told the Commons' environment, food and rural affairs committee that Mr Blair's decision to set up three separate behind-closed-doors inquiries was "actually a better and more effective way" to approach the problem. But East Yorkshire Tory MP Greg Knight later told the Yorkshire Post of mounting demands from local farmers for a public inquiry, and declared that "justice has to be seen to be done". Foot-and-mouth peril 'not over yet' Mrs Beckett also risked the wrath of farmers by describing them at one point as not a "happy bunch of bunnies" even before foot-and-mouth struck. ...... .. She also effectively denied that animal vaccination had been any alternative to the controversial slaughter programme, even though Carlisle Labour MP Eric Martlew warned her that Cumbria would not tolerate a repeat of the mass cull. But chief vet Jim Scudamore confirmed that a contingency mass vaccination had been considered "very seriously" to protect the huge pig herds of Humberside and East Yorkshire following the Thirsk outbreaks of the disease. The plan had now been stood down following the lack of new cases over the last two weeks, he said.
Oct 18

Paper goes to court over F&M
icWales

THE Western Mail is taking legal action against the Government over its refusal to hold a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. The legal challenge will be headed by a leading barrister and farmer, Richard Lissack QC, who has played a part in several high-profile inquiries, including those into the Bristol Royal Infirmary baby-parts scandal and the Ladbroke Grove train crash. Backing up the legal move is a 100,000-signature petition calling for a full public inquiry spearheaded by The Western Mail along with the Western Morning News in Plymouth and Farmers' Weekly, which have agreed to underwrite the costs should the legal action fail. A legal letter written on behalf of farmers and businesses who have suffered because of the disease and expressing the need for a public inquiry has been sent to Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It states that if the Government refuses to grant a full public inquiry, Mr Lissack and his legal team will start proceedings for a judicial review. The letter also says that the three separate inquiries announced by the Government would not be public or independent. Should the Government continue to refuse to hold a full public inquiry, then a judge will be asked whether or not a judicial review should go ahead. If the judge decides a judicial review is necessary, the case could be heard in court within a matter of weeks. A Defra spokesman said last night that the three independent inquiries would "report back in a speedier fashion than a full public inquiry, which could take up to 18 months to two years to complete".
Oct 18

Beckett warns of further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth
Independent

The foot-and-mouth epidemic is far from over and it would be "a miracle" if there was not a further outbreak this autumn, Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, warned yesterday. After 16 days without a recorded case, which has raised hopes that the epidemic may be on the wane, Mrs Beckett said livestock movements around the country could create a "real danger" of a resurgence of the epidemic. But giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee yesterday, she said MPs should not be overoptimistic, and that lifting restrictions on animal movements was still a danger. "It will be a miracle if we get through the autumn and winter without seeing a resurgence. We fully recognise that it is by no means over and biosecurity measures will continue for a very considerable period of time," Mrs Beckett said. The Secretary of State risked angering farmers by blaming them for prolonging the epidemic. She said that government vets and civil servants had made a "heroic" effort to stamp out the epidemic. But she said that farmers' reluctance to kill their animals had meant that targets for slaughtering infected stock and animals in surrounding areas were not always met. The Rural Affairs Secretary expressed her sympathy with farmers and rural businesses who had suffered in the crisis. However Mrs Beckett said that further cash handouts, on top of the £1bn of compensation for foot-and-mouth cases, were unlikely. Mrs Beckett rejected calls from MPs for a public inquiry into the outbreak and said that she did not agree individual ministers and civil servants should be taken to task. "It is extremely important that we learn the lessons of how it was handled," she said. Mrs Beckett said a report would be published today by Lord Haskins, Tony Blair's rural recovery co-ordinator, on measures to revive the economy of Cumbria.
Oct 18

No sign of BSE in sheep - Defra
Ananova

(warmwell note: we would be happier with this headline if the government had not merely "postponed" the release of test results. The term "government scientists" no longer reassures us) Tests to discover whether BSE is affecting currently sheep have so far shown no signs of the disease, according to Government scientists. But further research to establish whether it was in the UK flock in the early 1990s may be flawed, according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Samples taken from sheep at the time may have become contaminated and the release of the test results, scheduled for Friday, has now been postponed. Scientists have previously expressed fears that BSE may have been passed between cows and sheep because it behaves like the sheep disease scrapie. Lucian Hudson, director of the communications directorate at Defra, said: "Research has been under way for some time to see if it can be established whether BSE might have been present in the sheep flock in the early 1990s and masked as scrapie. "Some work has also been undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. They have been seeking to establish whether BSE might be in sheep now. "The results so far on about 180 TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy) affected brains have not shown BSE. "The work on material from the early 1990s has been conducted by the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) and it was anticipated that some results would be ready to present to the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) on Friday. "However Defra, who commissioned the work, also commissioned cross-checking to guard against the possibility of material being contaminated by cattle brains, not least because it had been collected for entirely different experiments. "This cross-checking has indeed raised doubts about the viability of the original sample and the SEAC chairman decided that Friday's meeting should be postponed."
Oct 18

Phoenix the calf's owners to give up farming
Ananova

The owners of Phoenix the calf are giving up farming because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The animal made world headlines by surviving a cull in east Devon. She will remain at the farm with her owners. The calf was just five-days-old when she survived the contiguous cull in which other healthy cattle, including her mother, were slaughtered at Clarence Farm in Membury. Her owners, Philip Board, 42, and his 35-year-old wife Michaela, twice refused to allow vets to cull the Charolais. Phoenix was finally saved by a change in government policy which allowed her to live after coming through a 21-day quarantine period. Now Mr and Mrs Board, who had raised 70 cattle and sheep on 35 acres which has been in the family for 60 years, have decided they have had enough. "We are just fed up with it, all the red tape and the filling in of forms," said Mrs Board. "We are just going to have a few animals to keep Phoenix and the pony Teddy company, and cut silage on the land," said Mrs Board, who works with children with special needs. Mr Board will continue to run his heavy plant contracting firm from the farm.
Oct 18

Virus could return, warns Beckett
Farmers Weekly

... Mrs Beckett was responding to a question from the House of Commons Agriculture Select Committee on Wednesday (17 October). "It will be a miracle if we get through the autumn movement period without a resurgence of the disease," she told MPs. Committee chairman David Curry had asked Mrs Beckett when it would be possible for farmers to say that the epidemic was over. Chief Veterinary Officer Jim Scudamore said the government was working out the criteria for when England and Wales could be declared disease-free. "When we have had no disease in the country for three months, will be one criterion, and when all counties are disease-free will be another," he said. Mr Scudamore warned that there may have to be more blood tests of livestock in some areas to demonstrate that the virus has disappeared. Sixteen days have now passed since the last case of foot-and-mouth on 30 September. However some animals have been slaughtered as a precaution. More than 100 counties and unitary authorities were now disease-free. Only two counties have had outbreaks in the past four weeks.
Oct 17

MP launches Bill to legalise cannabis
Ananova

A Labour MP has launching a Private Member's Bill to legalise personal use of cannabis. Jon Owen Jones argues that beleaguered British farmers could grow it as a cash crop. He says the measure will remove criminals from cannabis production and could provide a hardy cash crop for British farmers. The Cardiff Central MP's Legalisation of Cannabis Bill is due to be debated in the House of Commons next week, but is highly unlikely to become law. However, it comes after a noticeable shift in public attitudes to the drug. The Bill would legalise the personal cultivation of cannabis and its use for therapeutic and recreational purposes. A Government licensing system would also be set up for commercial cultivation of cannabis and for international trade in the drug. Mr Jones said: "All over the world it is becoming clear that cannabis use is a fact of life and trying to deal with it through the criminal justice system is absurd. ....... (warmwell note: why has the word "soma" suddenly occurred to us, along with the words "Community, Identity, Stability"?) "Our drug laws are arcane and outdated. As the Home Secretary himself has hinted, they need urgent review.". .......
Oct 17

Court Action Threat
Press Association

Farmers across the country are preparing to take the Government to court if their call for a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis is refused, it was revealed today. A letter calling for a public hearing has been sent on their behalf to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett. If the Government refuses to grant a full inquiry, legal proceedings for a judicial review will begin, headed by leading barrister and farmer Richard Lissack QC. Solicitor Tim Russ said today that a dozen farmers who had suffered in the crisis - from Devon, Cumbria, Northumbria and North Yorkshire - were involved in the initiative and others from Wales were also expected to join in. Devon-based vet Wendy Vere, who gave evidence to the county's own recent week-long public inquiry into the crisis, was also involved, said Mr Russ. The letter sent to the Secretary of State from Mr Russ' firm, Taunton-based Clarke Willmott and Clarke, pointed out that 2,030 cases of foot-and-mouth were recorded in the world's worst outbreak of the disease. "The general public has a legitimate interest in there being a full inquiry into all aspects of foot-and-mouth.
Oct 17

Japan attempts to calm mad cow fear
CNN

TOKYO, Japan -- In a bid to restore consumer confidence, the Japanese government will withhold details of suspected cases of mad cow disease until they have been confirmed, an official has told the Associated Press. Since authorities confirmed the first case of mad cow disease in September, sales of beef have plummeted, even after reassurances and extensive screening of cattle by health officers. A second suspected case, found recently in Tokyo's central wholesale meat market which supplies meat to the whole country, eventually resulted in a negative test for the disease. .....A nationwide survey of more than 1,100 people released by the mass-circulation Asahi newspaper has found that one in four Japanese has stopped eating beef. The sales slump in Japan has also had a knock on effect in Australia, a major exporter of beef to Japan. "The effects of confirmation of BSE (mad cow disease) in Japan and the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11 have led to (beef) price reductions of up to 20 percent in recent weeks," Rob Anderson of the New South Wales Farm Association told Reuters. (warmwell note: this news story also says, as if this were scientifically proved fact, which it is not, "Scientists have found links between beef infected with mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is fatal to humans." We find this assumption alarming. One single case of "BSE" in Japan has resulted in a huge sales slump, not only in Japan, but also in Australia, a major exporter of beef to Japan. It raises all sorts of questions.)
Oct 17

Ministers 'ignoring Exmoor'
Western Daily Press

TWO West MPs have accused ministers of ignoring a looming crisis on Exmoor farms. Conservatives Ian Liddell-Grainger, of Bridgwater, and Adrian Flook, of Taunton, say they plan to make a plea to DEFRA secretary Margaret Beckett to break a deadlock which means calves are not being processed by the livestock market at Cutcombe.
Oct 17

Virus will bring end of world
SMH.com.au

The human race is likely to be wiped out by a doomsday virus before the millennium is out, unless we set up colonies in space, Professor Stephen Hawking has warned. The world's best known cosmologist said in an interview that biology, rather than physics, was throwing up the biggest challenge to human survival. .......... "In the long term I am more worried about biology. Nuclear weapons need large facilities, but genetic engineering can be done in a small lab. You can't regulate every lab in the world. "The danger is that, either by accident or design, we create a virus that destroys us. ...... "But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars," said Professor Hawking,....... See yesterday's Telegraph article: Colonies in space may be only hope, says Hawking
Oct 17

EU schemes to preserve wildlife 'failing'
Financial Times

European Union projects to make farming more sensitive to wildlife and the environment, a crucial part of plans to reform the common agricultural policy, have largely failed, Dutch scientists have said. A study of EU agri-environment projects in the Netherlands showed they had no beneficial effect on protecting birdlife and other forms of biodiversity, said ecologists from Wageningen University. Their conclusions, published on Tuesday in the science magazine Nature, could undermine efforts by the Commission and member states such as Britain to replace production subsidies with payments to farmers for environmental projects. About 4 per cent of CAP revenues - E1.7bn ($1.56bn) a year - are spent on such schemes. This is to rise to 10 per cent soon as production subsidies are reduced. The scientists said problems implementing the projects, including lack of scientific supervision, meant many had failed to achieve their objectives, particularly that of increasing bird populations. Bumble bee populations, however, had increased. The scientists said the motivation and expertise of the farmers might have a crucial role. "The primary concern of farmers is to secure an income. As a result, nature conservation will be of secondary importance to them, and will be fitted into a farming system that, owing to economic pressure, is still increasing in intensity."
However, the findings were strongly disputed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Europe's largest wildlife charity, which is introducing such schemes in Britain. .....
Both the Dutch scientists and RSPB agreed the success of projects depended upon their proper evaluation. The Dutch said: "It is imperative to evaluate current schemes in all participating countries and to ensure any new scheme is accompanied by a scientifically sound evaluation plan." Dr Gibbons said: "We have had this argument with the British government. The Treasury wants action on the ground, not long-term monitoring. Governments want to promote systems and don't want to go back and see whether they work or not."
Oct 17

Fiddling While The UK Industry Burns
appliederivatives.com

While continental European farmers were busily covering what livestock price exposure they could, farmers in Britain, where the outbreak was most widespread, were and still are struggling to keep up with government edicts about closing off their land, restrictions on movement of animals, culls, and disinfection. There are no derivatives markets for livestock in the UK, although lamb and live pig and cattle futures were tried on London's FOX exchange without success some years ago. The only method of transparent price discovery for cattle, pigs and sheep is the open auction system where animals are transported to markets around the country and sold off. With restrictions and some outright bans on moving livestock, farmers resorted to the direct delivery, or "dead weight" method of sale which involves buyers sending a representative to view livestock before it is bought. Where buyers and sellers have an existing relationship, they often just deal over the telephone. "The live auction system accounted for 45% of cattle sales in the UK before the crisis, dead weight sales made up around 52%, and the remaining 3% was traded electronically. Now most trade is dead weight," says Robert Foster, chief executive of the National Beef Association in the UK. Electronic livestock trading has surprisingly not caught on even with the onslaught of foot and mouth. "Electronic trading systems for cattle have been around in the UK for about ten years, but they have never really taken off, possibly because it is really no cheaper than dead weight trading, and also because the industry is slow to accept change," Foster adds. "You would be hard-pressed to find a more disorganised market than the prime stock market in the UK; and with restrictions on live auctions, the cattle trade is in even more disarray than it was before the crisis happened. There is no price transparency and no pricing mechanism," Foster says. In fact, many farmers are selling their cattle for less than they cost to produce, a situation that is clearly not sustainable. The pricing problems result partly from producers not knowing their own costs and partly from processing companies and retail outlets pushing prices down, Foster explains. If farmers were to charge on a genuine "cost plus" basis, prices would rise by around 30%, he adds, and there are farmers and even some meat processors campaigning for a cost plus pricing system. But while the underlying market is so disorganised, livestock derivatives in the UK will not help the meat industry control its costs. And the prospects for electronic trading in the UK at least still look decidedly grim.
Oct 17

Cumbrian sheep in precautionary cull
Farmers Weekly

ABOUT 100 sheep at farm near Whitehaven, Cumbria, have been slaughtered after blood tests uncovered foot-and-mouth antibodies. The animals were slaughtered as a precaution against the disease. Further blood test results are awaited later this week. Tests are continuing in a bid to determine whether foot-and-mouth had broken out on a farm near Pica, Cumbria, reports the Guardian.
Oct 16

Villagers complain to Blair over Defra
The Journal

Liaison members `not informed'... Villagers caught between two fronts in the foot-and-mouth disposal effort have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair to complain about Government "incompetence". Widdrington Village Parish Council in Northumberland has slammed the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), saying that the problems of foot-and-mouth have not been solved just because no new cases have been discovered in the last two weeks. Widdrington Village lies in between a foot-and-mouth burial site and a pyre where thousands of animal carcases were burnt earlier in the year. Errors in cleaning up the burial and burn sites over the last few weeks have revived tensions with Defra. The parish council's letter says: "....... "In the past few weeks, Defra has totally disillusioned other members of the committee by neglecting to inform them of problems that have arisen. "The ash, we were led to believe, had been totally removed and disposed of, yet it appears that approximately 600 tonnes had been forgotten about and was discovered by the local farmer as he commenced restoration of the site. "The stringent safety measures, which were in place for the original removal of the ash, were totally disregarded as this residual ash was removed. Contractors were observed working on the site without protective clothing and with no regard to disinfectant procedures. "Also, problems occurred on the burial site as rotting carcases were coming to the surface. They were buried in new pits adjacent to the existing ones with the consequent disgusting smell. Defra did not think it necessary to inform residents or the liaison group that this was happening." The parish council also demanded a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak, backing The Journal campaign for an inquiry. ...... A spokesman for Defra said that it was important to the department to maintain its links with the Widdrington community, though this did not mean that it could always do everything villagers wanted. He said: "We're extremely keen that we keep people involved in the Widdrington area because we know there have been issues there. We want to keep people informed, but that doesn't mean that they can have carte blanche on everything they want." (warmwell note: Another amazing comment from Defra. Doing anything at all that the villagers wanted might be a start. How has this government Ministry been allowed to get away with eight months of incompetence and lofty arrogance?) ....... The last confirmed case of foot-and-mouth was diagnosed at Appleby, Cumbria, on September 30, while there has been no spread in the Northumberland blue box zone since September 29 ............. He (Morley) acknowledged that lessons had to be learned from this year's experience, and added: "We will have to look at the whole issue of our contingency plans for an outbreak on this scale and this size. There was now an opportunity to re-examine the size of national flocks, he said "It would certainly be useful if we could look at where there have been problems with the livestock sector in terms of the size of the national flock. (warmwell note: deeply worrying that this is the sort of comment we get abou "lessons to be learned". The systematic eradication of the healthy breeding ewes from the hillsides of Britain suggests that the government has already been attempting to solve, in its own chilling way, " problems with the livestock sector in terms of the size of the national flock". )
Oct 16

Buying local food 'will nourish regions'
Ananova

Buying food that is grown and processed locally could help generate millions of pounds for struggling rural and urban areas of the UK, according to a new report. Local Food Routes, published by the Soil Association - a charity which promotes organic food - calls on consumers to support local organic delivery schemes and buy from farmers' markets. Schools, councils and catering businesses are also encouraged to source local produce where possible. The organisation wants the Government to formulate national policies to help stimulate the production and distribution of food at a local level. Research in Cornwall has shown that for every £10 spent on food sourced locally, £26 is ploughed back into the area but £10 spent at a supermarket sees only £14 reinvested in the local economy. The county's finances would rocket by £1 million a week if every consumer, tourist and business pledged 1% of their spending to Cornish products. The report highlights the supply of good quality local vegetables to residents of high rise estates thanks to a producers' co-operative in the Forth Valley, the food grown for community cafes by allotment gardeners in east London and the transformation of the food culture on Skye in Scotland. Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, said: "Local food must be at the heart of rural and urban regeneration and Government strategies are urgently needed to develop regional and local infrastructure to support local food production and marketing. "There is growing support for local, organic produce but in order to decentralise the food chain, policies must be developed to ensure that sustainable supply and demand are stimulated simultaneously." The report, launched during Organic Week, summarises three years' work by Food Futures coalition of 160 UK groups working towards sustainable local food economies. It also marks the start of the Soil Association Eat Organic, Buy Local Campaign. (free organic chocolate if you register during this week)
Oct 16

Fears of foot-and-mouth flare-up
Farmers Weekly

TEST results from sheep in the first suspected case of foot-and-mouth for two weeks are expected to be known on Monday (15 October). About 100 sheep on a farm near Whitehaven, Cumbria, are suspected of having the disease. If so, it would be the first new case since 30 September. A Cumbrian spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the suspect case came to light on Saturday (13 October). Meanwhile, a half-year report from the English Tourism Council forecasts that the epidemic will cost the industry £2.7 billion this year. UK tourists spent £1.4bn less in England than last year, it says. Countryside minister Elliot Morley is cautiously optimistic that the disease is dying out. But it should be no surprise if the odd case is still found. "We can't rule out altogether that there might be the odd outbreak, but generally all the indications are very positive," he told BBC Radio
Oct 15

SIR WILLIAM STEWART BEHIND VACCINE
Dundee Courier

AS THOUSANDS of frantic Americans besiege chemists and doctors for antibiotics they hope will protect them in the event of large-scale anthrax attacks by terrorists, a UK team led by a scientist formerly influential in Tayside's NHS has developed the world's first effective vaccine against the disease. Sir William Stewart, former chairman of Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, led the team in an intensive two-year programme to develop the vaccine after fears during the Gulf war that troops might face biological weapons. Now, the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, a special health authority responsible to the Department of Health and based at the Government's Porton Down germ warfare scientific centre, is to supply the vaccine to the Ministry of Defence. The vaccine production unit at Porton Down was refurbished at a cost of over £2 million and has the requirements of a modern pharmaceutical plant. Speaking of the success of the team, Sir William, president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Microbiological Research Authority chairman, said, "I'm delighted that a British laboratory has developed this hugely important vaccine, the only lab in the world to do so. "It should help to act as a safeguard for the future, ensuring that anyone who might be exposed to anthrax will be protected." In early September, just over a week from the events which shattered America's faith in its home defences, Sir William spoke prophetically in an address to the British Association Festival of Science in Glasgow when he warned that the UK was vulnerable to future threat from biological warfare. Although referring to the foot-and-mouth outbreak, Sir William said, "At least 30 known microbes in the world could potentially be misused as biological warfare agents. This raises the question of whether Britain is adequately prepared should they ever be unleashed on the country." He called for greater Government emphasis on long-term measures to reduce the risk of biological attack, adding, "We only have to look at the foot-and- mouth episode to see what can go wrong if we are not properly prepared and when a bug is not adequately contained." Sir William warned there was a growing threat on a global scale from microbes, including an increasing pool of man-made genetically modified microbes. He said containment facilities and ready access to world-class experts were essential. (warmwell note: we recall that Sir William Stewart told the Today Programme that Britain should have vaccinated against Foot and Mouth.)
Oct 15

Businesses sue over cost of farm virus
Independent

15 October 2001 Hundreds of businesses are suing the Government for billions of pounds in compensation for revenue lost in the foot-and- mouth crisis. The owners of rural businesses ranging from pubs to coffee shops and hotels to horse trekking have launched the first joint action to recoup losses caused by the disease's catastrophic effect on tourism and the rural economy. The Government has ruled out paying compensation for "consequential losses" as an indirect result of the disease. It has compensated farmers directly affected by the cull, in effect buying animals to destroy them, but there has only been indirect relief for non-agricultural businesses. Powys Rural Business Campaign, which alone represents more than 300 businesses, has instructed London solicitors Class Law to act on its behalf. The firm already represents shareholders in a group action, claiming that the true state of the rail network was hidden from them on privatisation. The move comes as hopes are mounting that the disease may be beaten, with no new cases reported for a fortnight. The legal action would be based on claims that councils closed roads they were not entitled to shut and discriminated against businesses. The group also claims the Government has deprived businesses of their right to property.
Oct 15

Fears of new foot and mouth case
Guardian

Ministers are awaiting results expected today of tests on 100 sheep on a Cumbrian farm. If foot and mouth is confirmed on the farm near Whitehaven it would be the first new case in the the country since September 30, and would dash ministers' cautious hopes that the outbreak has finally ended. "The possible case came to light on Saturday," said a Cumbria spokeswoman for the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs yesterday. "It was highlighted in our normal surveillance and blood test procedures." Since foot and mouth emerged in Essex in February, 2,030 case have been confirmed, 892 in Cumbria, the country's worst affected county. Almost 4m cattle have been slaughtered, with around 2,000 still waiting to be killed. (warmwell note: we find it incredible that journalists in nearly all the media are still obediently quoting this ludicrous figure. The true total must be well over 10 million and it is time it came to light.) No new cases have been recorded for two weeks. The most recent confirmed case in Cumbria and the country was at Little Asby near Appleby, an area known as the Penrith spur. ......... On Saturday, many Cumbrian farmers attended a conference near Penrith to discuss the future of farming in the county. "Problems are as bad now, if not worse," said the Rev Bob Wilkinson, one of the organisers. "Farmers who have not had cases of foot and mouth have not been able to move stock or fodder - sometimes not even on their own land. "Those farmers whose cattle have been infected have received compensation. But these others have received nothing at all."
Oct 15

Hopes rise over foot-and-mouth
The Times

NO NEW cases of foot-and-mouth cases have been recorded in the past 14 days, prompting hopes that the epidemic is over, a government minister has said. Infected animals normally show signs of the disease within a fortnight, although the incubation period can be longer. Elliot Morley, a junior minister at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that the signs were good.......
Oct 15

NZ-Iran deal good news for exports
New Zealand Herald

Agriculture officials have signed a breakthrough agreement with Iran which is likely to boost New Zealand exports. MAF executive Tony Zohrab said tension between Western and Islamic countries following terrorism in the US and America's retaliation did not appear to have affected the trade relationship between New Zealand and Islamic Iran. "We were there last week and they were absolutely friendly, and they want to send people over here to be trained and learn about our systems," he said. Dr Zohrab, director of MAF's animal products group director, said the Iranians also saw the signing of the memorandum of understanding as a significant breakthrough. The document will mean simpler and more secure access to Iran for New Zealand animal products including meat, dairy products, fish, wool, skins and hides. "Very few people are visiting that part of the world right now. The Iranians were extremely appreciative of our determination to press on with this work in the face of what's been happening in the region. "It's been a very good development for our exporters, because it means their access to Iranian markets is now much more secure." Iran is among many countries examining import control regimes following a spate of food scares including outbreaks of BSE and foot and mouth disease, and food contamination by E-coli bacteria. Dr Zohrab said importing countries from the US to Iran wanted to understand better the regulatory and food production systems employed by exporting nations such as NZ. Officials of the Iran Veterinary Organisation contacted MAF in January and officials visited Iran in February, May and, finally, last week. ...................... Dr Zohrab said Iranian authorities were also interested in New Zealand's E-Cert electronic certification system. The electronic system is a New Zealand Government guarantee that exports meet the health and food safety conditions of importing countries. It is replacing a cumbersome paper-based system. Canada is the first country to hook up to E-Cert, and Dr Zohrab said Iran would be the second. The system meant that in the event of a problem, such as a food recall, it was possible to trace the product to its origins in minutes, he said. The Iran Veterinary Organisation people were especially impressed with the way E-Cert helped to combat fraudulent use of export certificates.
Oct 15

Hear the CJD/BSE link discussed again on Farming Today
Farming Today

Farm virus policy was chaos
Sunday Telegraph

A FORMER senior vet with the old Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has produced statistical evidence for the first time to highlight the shocking contrast between the Government's handling of the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic and that of Britain's last epidemic 33 years ago. In 1967-8 the average time from first reporting a foot and mouth case to final disinfection of the farm was 19 hours. In 2001 this rose to an astonishing 235 hours, thanks to the incompetence with which Maff interpreted new rules that had been introduced by the European Union. This was a serious factor in allowing the disease to run out of control.
This devastating exposure of Maff's mishandling of the 2001 epidemic comes in a paper by Alan Richardson, a former director of the Sir William Hamilton veterinary laboratory in Australia, who worked for Maff through the 1967-8 epidemic and came out of retirement last March to volunteer his services in helping to deal with the crisis in Cumbria, where he lives.
He paints a hair-raising picture of the bureaucratic chaos he found when he arrived at the Maff regional office in Carlisle, when he and two American volunteers had to buy their own protective clothing, boots and buckets from a local store, while "dozens of computers were being unloaded from a lorry".
However, the centrepiece of his paper is the light it sheds on one of the great puzzles of the 2001 epidemic, which was how the recommendations of the official Northumberland report on the 1967-8 epidemic were stood on their heads. Why were there now such delays at every stage, from diagnosis to slaughter to disposal to disinfection, often allowing days to elapse? Why were carcasses no longer buried on the spot, as Northumberland urged was essential? The answer to these mysteries, as I revealed last March, was that foot and mouth rules had been changed under various EU directives. The significance of Mr Richardson's paper is his confirmation of just how grotesquely these new bureaucratic rules created delays. Thirty years ago, to deal with a suspected outbreak which proved "clinically negative", took two hours on average. In 2001 this was 37 hours. More seriously, in "positive" cases, Mr Richardson shows how the time rose from 19 hours to 10 days or more, giving much greater opportunity for the virus to spread.

Mr Richardson is excoriating about those aspects of the handling of the 2001 epidemic where Maff came up with its own additions to the EU rules: notably its "slaughter on suspicion" policy and the "contiguous cull" under which millions of healthy animals were unnecessarily slaughtered just because they were on farms within "three kilometres" of an "infected premises". These refinements, not included in EU directive 85/511, were introduced in March to conform with the computer model for handling the epidemic devised by Professor Roy Anderson. Mr Richardson concludes that the "contiguous cull" was the idea of "mathematical modellers", who seemed to have no idea of the logistical problems or the distress it would create.
The "slaughter on suspicion" policy, under which vets were "bullied" by Maff headquarters into ordering animals to be destroyed when there was no direct evidence of disease, was "in every respect in breach of the professional code". Should anyone wish to read why Mr Richardson hopes the various official inquiries will have the courage to challenge terms of reference "couched so as to preclude criticism of the Maff/Defra mandarins who have been responsible for this catastrophe", his paper is available on www.warmwell.com.
(warmwell note; we are grateful that this excellent paper by Mr Richardson (and also the warmwell website) have been given coverage by Mr Booker and the Sunday Telegraph)
Oct 14

Pyre spread foot-and-mouth: Vet
Western Daily Press

FOOT-and-mouth was spread by a carcass pyre lit on an infected farm, a vet told a public inquiry yesterday. Unburnt hair and skin from the pyre fell on land around the village of Knowstone, Devon, where a number of cases of the disease were later confirmed, said vet Wendy Vere. Mrs Vere, from Morchard Bishop, Devon, said she had "big bags" of unburned skin and hair, which had also fallen on cars travelling up and down the north Devon link road. Pyres were used to dispose of carcasses despite a report into the 1967-68 outbreak saying that fires should not be lit, she told the inquiry co-ordinated by Devon County Council in Exeter. Inquiry member Eric Ley asked her: "They took no notice of it?" Mrs Vere replied: "Yes." She said she was "horrified" that the Government was not holding a public inquiry. "As taxpayers we are paying for all this blundering. We deserve to know why we are paying so much for it," she said. .........
Oct 14

Computer maroons livestock
Western Daily Press

A COMPUTER meltdown has left furious farmers unable to move their livestock. Despite promises the system for issuing movement licences would be working by now, farmers say they still cannot get hold of the all-important documents. Trading Standards officers across the West have borne the brunt of farmers' anger - but the problem has been caused by the national computer system. Officials in Herefordshire have dumped the electronic equipment and resorted to pen and paper to clear the backlog. DEFRA has repeatedly pledged to solve the problem, but farmers claim there appears to be no end in sight. Autumn Movement Licensing is intended to allow stock to be moved without fear of spreading foot-and-mouth. But a massive backlog has built up in parts of the West, including Herefordshire, and DEFRA is under fire from both farmers' leaders and local authorities. Animal welfare officer Mike Higgins said: "This really is the final straw. The DEFRA computer system should allow us to process applications. "It has been nothing short of a disaster. We have had to refuse applications to move cattle for no good reason - no wonder farmers are angry."
Oct 14

No mad cow link?
Megastar.co.uk

GOOD NEWS, perhaps, for burger eaters. A new investigation into Mad Cow Disease claims there may be no link to Variant CJD - thought to be the human equivalent of the disease. Public Health Medicine expert Dr George Ventners has suggested that CJD has not spread quick enough to be connected to eating infected meat. His theory is that vCJD, which was around long before the BSE epidemic in cows, is just a rare condition that was not documented properly at the outset. He told Radio 4: "When you have a food-born infection you expect the rate at which cases occur to run parallel to the rate at which the population is exposed to infection. That doesn't seem to be happening."
Oct 14

Ministry says 2nd 'mad cow' suspect tested BSE-negative
Daily Yomiuri

...... The initial test on the brain sample that indicated the possibility of BSE infection was conducted Wednesday as part of a ministry-sponsored in-service training program held at its animal quarantine station in Yokohama for workers of local governments' meat inspection centers. The participants conducted the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, which is due to be launched Thursday, on the obex--a mass of nerve fibers in the medulla oblongata, or the brain stem--where prions of an abnormal type that cause BSE are believed to be the most concentrated, ministry officials said. For the training program, body parts believed to be susceptible to invasion by the BSE-causing prions were supplied by the Tokyo market. Body parts from about 26 heads of cattle dressed Wednesday were provided on the day of testing. Initial ELISA tests found that the result for one out of the 26 samples fell in a "gray" area, the officials said. According to the officials, a subsequent ELISA test, which was conducted the next day and applied stricter standards, again turned up inconclusive results. As a result, Prof. Morikazu Shinagawa of the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, who had been invited as a guest lecturer to the training program, on Friday conducted a more accurate procedure, the Western blot test, which gave a negative result, the officials said. According to the officials, the second ELISA test was delayed a day as there was concern that inspectors inexperienced in conducting ELISA tests may obtain more positive readings.
Oct 14

Minister `cautiously optimistic' over foot-and-mouth
Ananova

The Government is cautiously optimistic about the progress of the battle against foot-and-mouth disease. Two weeks after the last confirmed case was recorded, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Elliot Morley said the signs were good. "We are cautiously optimistic. But we would not be surprised if there wasn't the odd case yet," he said. "So therefore it is very important that farmers don't drop their guard, that they keep good standards of biosecurity and regularly inspect their animals ... "We can't rule out altogether that there might be the odd outbreak but generally all the indications are very positive," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. He acknowledged that lessons had to be learned from this year's experience, and went on: "We will have to look at the whole issue of our contingency plans for an outbreak on this scale and this size." There was now an opportunity to re-examine the size of national flocks. "It would certainly be useful if we could look at where there have been problems with the livestock sector in terms of the size of the national flock ... and if we can take the opportunity of the re-stocking and restructuring which will have to come of tackling some of these issues then that will be to the benefit of everybody," he added. ( ' " to the benefit of everybody, Comrades..", said Squealer')
Oct 13

Pyres fallout spread disease, says vet
The Times

FOOT-AND-MOUTH disease was spread by debris from burning carcasses, a vet told a public inquiry yesterday. Wendy Vere described how unburnt hair and skin from one pyre fell around the village of Knowstone in Devon, where several cases of the disease were confirmed later. She said she was 100 per cent certain that the virus that causes foot-and-mouth could be spread by contact with hair from infected animals, despite the Ministry of Agriculture's view that there was no risk.
Mrs Vere, who has a practice in Morchard Bishop, Devon, said that she collected bags of "great big lumps" of unburnt skin and hair from pyres and that similar debris had fallen on cars on the North Devon link road. She told the inquiry being held by Devon County Council that over-zealous civil servants had been responsible for "carnage by computer" when they ordered contiguous culls without taking local conditions into account. The result was the unnecessary slaughter of tens of thousands of animals on farms that bordered infected premises, but were, in reality, separated. In one case, a farm was ruled to be contiguous even though it was six fields and a road away from the nearest infection.
Mrs Vere said:"Each farm has a holding number and the farms around it have holding numbers, but in reality the animals could be many miles away and separated by arable fields, woods or rivers. "The person in London will just see the numbers and say they have to be taken out. That was why it was carnage by computer. They were taken out without any local knowledge and in some cases there was no more disease risk than if they had been on the other side of the county." She added:"In the past six months I have seen more animal welfare issues and more distressed colleagues and farmers than I ever dreamt possible. It has been a horrific experience."
Oct 13

Foot-and-mouth nears end
Westmorland Gazette

TIM Bennett, deputy president of the NFU, said that with every passing day he was growing more confident that foot-and-mouth was coming to an end.......In spite of his upbeat assessment, Mr Bennett recognised there were pressing problems which needed to be addressed. The weather has gone now and we have got too much stock that cannot be moved. The welfare problems are here and if we do not get stock moved in the next two weeks, preferably in the next week, it is going to get very, very bad, he said. ........ Alan Middleton, from Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, who has animals on land close to the recent Barbon outbreak (warmwell note: what oubreak would that have been? An outbreak of negative tests? An outbreak of cynical cover-ups?) said something had to be done to relieve the growing welare crisis facing stock trapped by movement restrictions. With the onset of winter, he said, the problems were starting to get severe. In ordinary times we would all be in court facing prosecution for animal cruelty, he said. Andrew Sutton, from Longsleddale, said that even if there were no more outbreaks after today, it would take him and most farmers at least 12 months to get back to normal. Harry Hutchinson, from Kirkby Stephen, said he would not feel confident until the auction marts were open for live auctions again. ....
Oct 13

Disease inquiry could impact research funding
Guardian Education

A call for evidence is being issued today by the independent inquiry into foot and mouth and swine fever outbreaks. The Royal Society's independent inquiry into infectious diseases and livestock is trying to assess what lessons researchers and scientists need to learn from the recent farming crises. Conclusions from the inquiry could have real implications for research or university funding, even though the Royal Society is independent of government, because officials including Labour's chief scientific advisor are deeply involved in the process. The inquiry's committee, headed by Sir Brian Follett, completed a detailed description of its aims earlier this week. Today it is asking for suggestions and comments about their main areas of interest: diagnosis, surveillance, prediction, prevention, epidemiology and vaccination. Although there are two government inquiries now looking at farming policy after foot and mouth, the secretary of the Royal Society inquiry, Geoffrey Findlay, says this one will be answering different questions. The government is seeking to work out who should take the blame (warmwell note; is it?) and what policy reactions are best. The society is looking at two questions close to academics' hearts: how many new vets must be trained and what new vaccines need to be developed to prevent future outbreaks of the diseases? "We will look at the short-term questions as well, saying if there is an outbreak now, what should you do? But the most important questions are about what you can be doing on research and training that can help in 10 years," Dr Findlay said. The inquiry is also looking for evidence from livestock farmers about their personal experience, and yesterday received a detailed submission from the Llama Breeders association of the UK, said Dr Findlay.
Oct 13

Protest march postponed
Westmorland Gazette

A MARCH to protest about the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis has been called off because of security concerns in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in America and Britain's involvement in retaliatory strikes in Afghanistan. Hundreds of Cumbrians were expected to join others from Yorkshire, Wales, Devon, Worcestershire and the rest of the country in the march from Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park to 10 Downing Street on October 20. Thousands of people had been expected to join the march, during which a nationwide petition in support of vaccination was to be handed in at Downing Street. Regional organiser Viscountess Liz Lowther said the march had been stopped after advice from police in London, but she stressed that it had only been postponed.
Oct 13

Rumours quelled
Westmorland Gazette

(warmwell note: The headline is one of those that are not borne out by the subsequent story. Rumours that the Barbon sheep slaughtered had been negative were not quelled but confirmed) THE man leading the fight against foot-and-mouth in Cumbria has spoken out to quell rumours that the most recent cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the county were not, in fact, foot-and-mouth. Ray Anderson of DEFRA spoke to the Gazette after rumours following the Barbon case on September 26. He confirmed that the Barbon case, an earlier one at Kirby Stephen, and the county's most recent case at Little Asby on September 30, had all returned negative results for blood tests. But he explained the test, which looks for active virus in samples rather than for antibodies, could not be taken as proof positive that the disease was absent. While the test is robust in establishing the presence of virus it is not sufficiently robust to say there is definitely no virus there, he said. We do not test every animal and the test will not always detect a very low level of virus. Although [the results] are encouraging from the point of view that we have failed to isolate virus and we can say there is not a very high level of active virus, we cannot go all the way and say there is no virus there. (warmwell note: in other words, if one interprets this Orwellian Newspeak, these tests were for virus nor for antibodies. None was found. Not a "very low level" but none at all. Just as those for thousands of other healthy animals killed were returned negative. Anderson seems to be saying - "just because we didn't find any virus doesn't mean we were wrong to have killed them" On that lunatic basis DEFRA could feel itself justified in killing all the animals it wants to ) The animals involved were slaughtered as a result of confirmed clinical diagnosis ( warmwell note: according to Dr Paul Kitching last week in Belfast at the BVCA conference, no clinical diagnosis for FMD is foolproof in sheep. Blood testing is essential. But a negative result would seem to make no difference to Defra now. ) in a small number of animals in each case. Mr Anderson said it was not yet clear how the disease had reached Barbon, ( WHAT??? NO evidence of the disease was found at Barbon at all.) but was satisfied that it was an isolated outbreak. He said DEFRA would be making a special effort to lift the 3km restriction zone around Low Bank House Farm as soon as possible. That will depend on blood testing and inspecting susceptible animals in the 3km zone which began on October 19, 21 days after initial cleaning and disinfection. Mr Anderson said in the best case scenario, where all blood tests proved negative, restrictions could even be lifted by the end of October. But he stressed the success of the plan depended on co-operation, not only of farmers, but also of anyone with a pet belonging to susceptible species, including lambs, goats, llamas and cattle. Anyone with a pet which needs inspection or blood testing should call DEFRA at Carlisle on 01228-591999. (warmwell note: This is one of the most extraordinary stories we have read. Also one of the most disturbing)
posted Oct 13

Virus spread by burning carcasses, inquiry told
Ananova

Foot-and-mouth was spread by a carcass pyre lit on an infected farm, a vet has told a public inquiry. Unburnt hair and skin from the pyre fell on land around the village of Knowstone, in Devon. A number of cases of the disease were later confirmed, said vet Wendy Vere. Mrs Vere, from Devon, said she had "great big bags" of unburned skin and hair, which had also fallen on cars travelling up and down the north Devon link road. ....... Mrs Vere said in future contingency planning should be "gold plated", adding that it should have been "sitting on a computer programme waiting to be sent out as required". Better use of local vets by the Ministry of Agriculture could have speeded up decisions on which animals presented a real risk of developing the disease. Instead there was the "terrible computer carnage" which was instigated by MAFF - in which livestock on farms contiguous to infected premises were culled. "It is incredible that farmers were bullied into having perfectly healthy animals slaughtered on the basis of pseudo-science. "All decisions must be accountable scientifically - after all this is not a new disease," said Mrs Vere. She said one farmer told her: "I did not feel in control of my destiny." Mrs Vere put before the inquiry some notes on the crisis, one of which related to MAFF asking if they could borrow her fibreglass horse for vaccination teams to practise on. She said when she pointed out that not only could they not inject it, it was a horse, she was told by MAFF it did not matter because they needed a life-sized model so personnel could "get used to moving round an animal".
Oct 12

Devon virus inquiry enters final day
Farmers Weekly

THE final day of the Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry is set to hear how red tape hampered animal welfare work during the crisis. John Tressider, RSPCA south-west superintendent, was due to give evidence to the inquiry at County Hall, Exeter, on Friday (12 October). There was an initial reluctance by the now-defunct Ministry of Agriculture to involve the RSPCA, according to his written evidence. Mr Tressider said MAFF's reluctance limited the amount of help the animal welfare charity was able to offer in the early stages of the crisis. Roger Rivett, head of Devon's Trading Standards service, is likely to criticise MAFF's unwillingness to share essential information. At the height of the crisis, one-third of RSPCA staff in Devon were working full-time in an effort to deal with welfare problems. More than 750 farmers were helped with licence applications and feed and bedding in an operation which helped more than 103,000 animals. The fifth day of proceedings at the inquiry will also hear evidence from representatives from environment and wildlife organisations. Nick Atkinson, chief executive of Dartmoor National Park, believes footpaths should never again be closed en masse because of the disease. Mark Robins and Frances Winder of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are expected to call for an urgent re-evaluation of the local economy. They are set to voice concern about the loss and decline in quality of Devon's biodiversity and call for an ambitious recovery programme.
Oct 12

Doubt cast on BSE-CJD link
BBC

The link between "mad cow disease" and vCJD - commonly thought to be its human equivalent - has been disputed by an expert. Dr George Venters, a consultant in Public Health Medicine in Lanarkshire, Scotland, claims evidence linking the two conditions is weak. The variant form of CJD may simply be a rare type which existed long before the BSE epidemic in cows - but was simply not diagnosed and catalogued properly until the 1990s. If his theory is correct it would mean victims of the condition did not get it by eating infected meat. I believe the evidence now available casts serious doubts on the case for a causal link But other CJD experts say the evidence is strong enough to firmly suggest humans contract vCJD by eating meat from cattle with BSE containing infectious "prion" proteins. (warmwell link: of course they do. Their reputation - and other things - depends on the public believing it to be more than mere theory.) Dr Venters bases his opinion on the fact that the rate of growth in the number of confirmed cases is much less than might be expected from a food-borne source. He suggests the rate of growth in the number of vCJD cases is more consistent with a previously misdiagnosed but extremely rare disease being found. Advances in the detection and reporting of suspected cases through the CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh could account for an apparent rise in the number of cases, none of which would have been officially recorded previously. He wants a public debate on the evidence supporting a link between the two diseases..... (See also Today programme (Listen)
See the warmwell article on Dr Venters' call for a public debate here)
Oct 12

Farmers call for easing of animal movement curb
Telegraph

...autumn restrictions on moving animals because of foot and mouth fears were causing a crisis in the industry. They said more must be done, without risking the virus's spread, to allow animals to be moved to avoid cruelty and bankruptcies. Les Armstrong, head of the National Farmers' Union livestock committee, said sheep farmers unable to take their rams to their ewes would not have lambs next spring and faced losing next year's income too. But farmers were under such pressure that they were on the verge of carrying out illegal movements. Tenant farmers said the day of reckoning was now, with banks pulling the money in. No new cases were reported yesterday.
Oct 12

Scots frustration over meat export ban
The Times

ROSS FINNIE, Scotland's Rural Development Minister, yesterday expressed his exasperation with the European Commission over the lack of progress in resuming meat exports to Europe. Although the Commission has agreed partially to lift a ban on the export of pig meat from the UK, the ban on export of sheep meat from Scotland remains because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak earlier this year. Today Mr Finnie will meet Commission officials in an attempt to impress on them the importance of resuming exports for Scottish farmers. Regions that have not had a case of the disease, and which do not neighbour high risk areas will be able to export pork and bacon from October 22 after a decision earlier this week by the European Union Standing Veterinary Committee. Mr Finnie said he would be impressing on the Commission the need for urgent action to help Scotland's meat export industry. He added: "Scotland has been disease free since May 31. It was the Standing Veterinary Committee that regrettably rejected the case for sheep meat and I share the farmers' despair and sense of anger that they came to that decision. We must get a timeframe for getting the ban on sheep meat lifted." Jim Walker, president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, claimed yesterday that devolution had failed the country's farmers. They had fulfilled all the EU prerequisites for lifting the export ban but had not been given any acknowledgement that the country had a separate case. "The devolved settlement as far as exports are concerned has completely failed this country," he said.
Oct 12

Cattle 'were infected by Defra blunder'
The Times

OFFICIALS from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) helped to spread foot-and-mouth to five uninfected farms when they bungled the slaughter of cattle, an inquiry into the epidemic was told yesterday. Villagers from Knowstone, near South Molton, Devon, were threatened with action by riot police, who were sent into the area to control anger caused when the 24 infected cattle escaped while being rounded up for a cull. The operation got off to a bad start when the slaughter team ignored advice not to use a narrow lane, in which the lorry became stuck, the independent inquiry set up by Devon County Council was told. Remains of the infected animals were spilt across the road as the lorry, stuck in the lane for two days, was freed by tipping out the carcasses. William Norman, chairman of Knowstone Parish Council, said that the problems started when the team tried to put the cattle into a sheep pen. The inquiry will hear its last day of evidence today. Defra is to answer written questions.
Oct 12

Inquiry to hear how RSPCA was hampered by red tape
Ananova

The charity's South West superintendent, John Tressider, is giving evidence at a Devon County Council co-ordinated hearing in Exeter. He says that there was an initial reluctance by the Ministry of Agriculture to involve the RSPCA. According to Mr Tressider, that limited the amount of help the Society was able to offer in the early stages of the crisis. In a report submitted to the inquiry serious welfare problems caused by delays in issuing movement licences, inadequate supervision of slaughter, and delays in issuing guidelines to slaughter teams, were outlined. At the height of the crisis, a third of the RSPCA staff in Devon worked full time dealing with welfare problems. More than 750 farmers in the county were helped with licence applications, as well as supplies of feed and bedding - an operation which had so far helped more than 103,000 animals.
Oct 12

Desperate farmers set to move animals
The Times

FARMERS are so desperate for cash that they are ready to break the law and move animals in areas infected by foot-and-mouth, risking new outbreaks, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser was told yesterday. The warning was given at the National Farmers' Union's quarterly council to David King, who is under pressure to relax the strict movement controls in high-risk counties to relieve welfare problems and allow normal trading. The farmers' desperation emerged as farm income figures showed that even lowland farmers were working for less than a quarter of the minimum wage. The annual report from the accountants Deloitte & Touche shows that the average 500-acre family farm made £2,500 last year, compared with £80,000 five years ago. With most farmers working 70-hour weeks, the average hourly rate is about 70p. The minimum wage for over-21s is £4.10. Hill farmers, in a worse position, have told the NFU that they are running up losses of £15,000 a year. Ben Gill, president of the NFU, said that farmers expected to maintain disinfecting procedures, but he emphasised that they needed to earn money. Farmers attending the quarterly council were optimistic that the disease was on the wane as there have been no new cases for ten days. But Professor King said that he would not consider the epidemic over until three months had passed without a new case. He added: "If there are illegal movements we will be back to square one." He was left in no doubt that further animal movements were necessary to prevent the starvation of hundreds of sheep and cattle trapped in upland areas. Peter Allen, a Cumbrian hill farmer, said that his friends and colleagues were at breaking point: "If we don't allow some movements on farms that are bursting to the seams, you'll soon see sheep with dark glasses and baseball caps sitting in the front seats of cars. ......"
People are in a desperate situation and we need to do something. We also have other farmers who had foot-and-mouth in the beginning and have had their compensation, but they are living on it. We must allow them to restock to survive. Mr Allen said that many farmers had ewes and rams that were usually sold for breeding, not for food, and that disease controls were interfering with the breeding season. There were also serious welfare concerns. Mr Allen said that animals would have to be moved within two weeks or they would perish. .............
Oct 12

Family farm profits 'are down to £50 a week'
Telegraph

......Mr Hill said: "The sad thing is that a professional tenant farmer will go bust before a less efficient owner-occupier." Mr Hill said that a farmer today had three options: "Grow, get together or get out". Mr Hill believed the future did not lie in further cost-cutting, but in combining with other farmers to cut costs, a "pride hurdle" the notoriously independent British farmer had so far faced with great reluctance. If machinery and other costs could be shared between farmers, perhaps in co-operatives, East Anglia and the shire counties could produce wheat as competitively as anywhere in the world without subsidies, he said. Mr Hill said there were opportunities to recapture value from the supermarkets by selling locally and avoiding "food miles". For example, he said it was "absolute nonsense" to send animals to the other end of the country for slaughter. Britain had 350 abattoirs and rendering plants while Austria, which is bound by the same regulations, had 7,000. Despite the bleakest results since the agricultural recession began, the survey of the company's clients found some cause for cautious optimism - because farmers had made a determined attempt to cut costs, by shedding labour and doing the work themselves. Mr Hill said: "Having tracked the downturn for six years, we believe that farming is at the bottom of the cycle. There is scope for some optimism and we predict that net farm income will marginally improve in the next 12 months.".....
Oct 12

Curate tells of foot-and-mouth fear
Farmers Weekly

A LOCAL curate giving evidence to the Devon foot-and-mouth inquiry has painted a disturbing picture of a community at the heart of crisis. "The pain and fear in our community was palpable. You could feel it coming over the phone," said Rev Paul Fitzpatrick, from Okehampton. Night-time searches had to be organised to find farmers, he told the inquiry at County Hall, Exeter, on Wednesday (10 October). "I would get distressed phone calls at night from people whose husbands had gone out and they didn't know where they were. "We actually had to organise searches for farmers because their partners were so worried about them. "It wasn't that they were going to commit suicide, but they needed time to think. It was surprising how many times that happened." Rev Fitzpatrick said his entire ministry during the crisis was conducted over the phone because restrictions prevented him from visiting farms. The foot-and-mouth crisis had taught him the importance of maintaining strong local networks between rural people, he said. "Strangers don't work in the countryside. There is a need for faces to be known and trusted. "The majority of people who phoned me did not attend church regularly, but called me because I was a known face." But Rev Fitzpatrick said there was now an even greater need for befriending people and developing professional psychiatric services in rural areas. "There is a lot of isolation and psychiatric ill-health that exists in the countryside and that is compounded by loneliness and financial worries. "It is almost like having mud shovelled on your head, and sooner or later you are going to go down." A report from the inquiry will be submitted to the government's Policy Commission on the Future of Farming later this year.
Oct 11

Farm vaccine report launched
BBC

UK scientists are to consider whether vaccination should be used to curb future foot-and-mouth outbreaks. The Royal Society, the association that includes many of Britain's most eminent scientists, will consider the benefit of vaccination in its wide-ranging inquiry into how effectively the foot-and-mouth crisis was handled. The controversy over vaccination continued from the first case of foot-and-mouth in February. Early scientific consensus is that of the four million animals killed, up to a million could have been saved had advice on mass culling been implemented more effectively. (warmwell note: ! four million? Do they still really imagine it was only four milion? and do they still really believe that no more than a quarter were wrongly killed?) The society says it will study whether the current system for the diagnosis and reporting of infectious animal diseases is sufficient. And it will consider how, when and whether vaccination should be used in future. The inquiry team will take evidence from farmers and leading experts. They will begin by visiting affected farms in November. The research by the Royal Society coincides with a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Devon.
Tourism leaders have called for an end to mass culling. South West Tourism chief executive, Malcolm Bell, told the inquiry in Exeter earlier this week that vaccination should be considered as a future option. ...... On Wednesday, the inquiry in Exeter will hear from the police, health service and community groups. Last month, scientists said that Britain should initiate an international debate on the use of vaccination to prevent another "inevitable" foot-and-mouth epidemic. The disease could be eradicated globally if all countries adopted a vaccination policy, said Professor Fred Brown, who helped tackle the UK's last serious outbreak of the disease in 1967.
Oct 11

EC agrees £215m foot-and-mouth compensationAnanova

Budgets have been juggled in Brussels to speed through the first slice of what is expected to be a total EU payment of about £600 million. The cash will help cover the cost of the mass animal slaughter ordered by the Government. Officials say the initial payment has been made possible by trimming EU agriculture spending levels in some areas this year. The rest will be drawn from next year's EU budget, and the entire amount from Brussels represents abut 60% of the costs of compensating farmers for the slaughter programme. The commission has an obligation to provide financial support to any of the 15 member states which may face agricultural epidemics on the scale confronted by the UK earlier this year. An EC spokesman said: "The vets have been looking at the bills, and by some redeployments in the agriculture budget and lower spending in some areas, we are now able to offer this advance payment. "The rest will be found from the 2002 budget." About £25 million is to be given to Netherlands, Ireland and France which all suffered relatively minor outbreaks of the disease.
Oct 11

European vets allow exports of UK pork
Independent

Farmers and food exporters welcomed a ruling by European Union veterinary experts on Wednesday night to lift the eight-month ban on the export of pork meat from Britain. The decision will bring relief to the agriculture industry which has been suffering from restrictions imposed on Britain's #600m export market since the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Essex in February. Counties which have not had a case of the disease and which do not adjoin high-risk areas will be able to export pork and bacon from 22 October, provided there are no new outbreaks. The decision was made by the European Union's Standing Veterinary Committee but does not affect beef, lamb and dairy products, which are still subject to an export ban. The National Farmers' Union and the National Pig Association said the news offered "desperately welcome" access to overseas markets. .......
Oct 11

Foot and Mouth inquiry - day three
BBC Devon

Devon's chief constable has accused the Government of using a foot-and-mouth contingency plan more than 30 years out of date. Speaking at the county's public inquiry into the epidemic, Sir John Evans said "the policeman in him wanted to take control of the crisis". In Britain's last major foot-and-mouth outbreak in 1967, the police played a major part not only guarding farms but also taking charge of the overall operation to bring the disease under control. This time, their role was more minor, still guarding farms but leaving the strategic command to the Government's farming department. Among the many victims of foot-and-mouth were children in rural areas whose home and school lives were disrupted. One head teacher spoke of his school's "total isolation" at the height of the epidemic. The criticism came on the third day of the council's public inquiry, being held at County Hall in Exeter.....
Oct 10

Euro-MPs back tractor hours limit
Farmers weekly

PLANS to limit the amount of time farm workers can spend on their tractors to just two or three hours a day have moved a step closer. MEPs at an Employment and Social Affairs committee meeting in Brussels voted in favour of the measure on Tuesday (9 October). The legislation is intended to limit the exposure of workers to vibrations from machinery to protect them from the risk of ill health. But it has drawn widespread condemnation from industry leaders. "These proposals are totally impractical," said Michael Paske, vice-president of the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales.
Oct 10

Devon Inquiry Day 2
BBC Devon

...heard strong criticism of failings in the Government's welfare cull. It heard how some farmers were driven almost to the point of suicide. John Varley, of Clinton Estates, told of how one farmer was left with pregnant ewes and sheep in appalling conditions as they could not be moved under the restrictions. The farmer had to shoot the animals with a 12-bore shotgun from close range. The inquiry is also hearing today of the effect the crisis had on the tourist industry. Among those taking part today are the National Trust, South West Tourism, and Devon County Council. The opening day yesterday heard scathing criticism from farmers and NFU representatives over the way the Government handled the crisis in Devon. During the outbreak, there were 173 confirmed cases of the virus in the county, and 400,000 animals were culled. The inquiry, which will last all week, has received around 400 submissions. Yesterday, the chairman of Devon NFU, David Hill, slammed the way that the ministry handled the crisis. Chairman of Devon NFU, David Hill, speaking at the inquiry He criticised the delayed ban on animal movements, which, he said, helped to spread the virus. And he attacked the policy of the contiguous cull as "the most extraordinary part of the exercise," which led to the unnecessary killing of animals and distress among farming families. He also said the the command and control from the Government was "abysmal." He added:"It was very difficult to obtain information from Maff, especially in the early days of the outbreak and this was a totally unsatisfactory situation." The first day also heard personal accounts from farmers, who were reduced to tears after losing a lifetime's work. The inquiry board comprises the chairman, Prof Ian Mercer, one officer, and seven councillors. The ministry, Defra (formerly Maff), has agreed to submit a written submission and will respond in writing to questions which arise during the hearing.
As well as the webcam during the day, there is a link to listen to a review of the day's proceedings
Oct 10

Pony Cull
The Times

About 500 Dartmoor ponies may have to be rounded up and shot because they are in danger of starving to death during the winter, the RSPCA said yesterday. Foot-and-mouth restrictions have closed several of the traditional pony markets, which means that the Dartmoor commoners, who keep the ponies, have no way of selling their surplus animals. The Dartmoor Commoners' Council said that a cull would be the only option for about 500 ponies, mainly colts. There are about 3,000 ponies on the moor. Maureen Rolls, of the charity South West Equine Protection, said: A cull is morally wrong and I don't think it will resolve any of the problems.
Oct 10

Farming not in terminal decline: CLA
Farmers Weekly

....delegates at the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool were set to be told on Tuesday (9 October). Landowners due to attend a conference fringe meeting said they would urge the Tories to press the government to kick-start a rural recovery. Edward Greenwell, deputy president of the Country Land and Business Association, said the rural economy offered many opportunities. "Agriculture is not in terminal decline," he said. "There are many reasons why all our interests are served by maintaining a viable, sustainable, commercial farming industry." Foot-and-mouth disease had starkly illustrated the interdependence of farming and tourism, said Mr Greenwell. "Without a managed, attractive countryside, provided through farming, tourists would not be visiting the countryside in such numbers. "Landowners and farmers act as guardians of the precious national asset, upon which the tourist industry can thrive." CLA president Anthony Bosanquet has called for a further shift in support away from food subsidies towards environmental and other rural schemes. .....
Oct 9

Foot and mouth inquiry told of 'needless killing'
Guardian

Hundreds of thousands of animals were slaughtered unnecessarily during the foot and mouth crisis as the government rapidly lost control of the epidemic with the former ministry of agriculture playing "catch up" from day one, an inquiry heard yesterday. At the first public hearing into a crisis which will cost taxpayers at least £5bn, the National Farmers' Union spoke of a "disaster from start to finish" with abysmal command and control in Whitehall. .......
Oct 9

Three out of 10 farmers 'ready to leave industry'
Telegraph

David Hill, the chairman of the National Farmers' Union Devon branch, gave a warning of the exodus after highlighting Government errors that he said had exacerbated the crisis. He attacked the "disastrous" contiguous cull policy dreamt up by "mathematicians and statisticians", and the Government's failure to stop animal movements immediately after the first case was discovered. He also criticised the Government's initial reluctance to bring in the Army to organise the slaughter of livestock, and the disposal of carcasses, and he highlighted the poor communication from the Ministry of Agriculture. .....He told the five-day inquiry: "Maff was playing catch-up from day one. We believe there was a total panic." The inquiry, chaired by Prof Ian Mercer and set up by Devon county council, is separate from the Government's three investigations. Mr Hill told the inquiry that the Government's delay between announcing the first case and stopping all animal movements meant hundreds of thousands of sheep were moved, spreading the disease across the country. The NFU also recommended that the contiguous cull should be abandoned. Mr Hill said: "The people who dreamt up the contiguous cull were mathematicians and statisticians who produced a computer model. It led to the unnecessary killing of a huge number of animals and caused extreme personal distress."
Oct 9

Pig farmer appears in court
Telegraph

Robert Waugh, 56, who operated from Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, pleaded not guilty at Tynedale magistrates' court to charges brought by the county's trading standards department. Waugh originally faced 16 charges and a further six charges were brought by Northumberland County Council Trading Standards in August. Waugh appeared alongside Leslie Kenneth Scurr, a self-employed haulier, of Ripon, North Yorks, who faces 16 charges. Five of them are unrelated to Burnside Farm and will be heard by Richmond magistrates later in the year. A pre-trial review date has been set for Nov 19 when a district judge will decide whether Waugh and Scurr will jointly face charges relating to alleged offences at Burnside Farm. Waugh, of St Luke's Road, Sunderland, was originally jointly charged with his brother, Ronnie, 60. Ronnie Waugh's charges were yesterday separated from those faced by his brother, all of which have been adjourned indefinitely due to his ill health.
this story is given a link to an earlier one from August 12 by Christopher Booker and Richard North
Oct 9

Anthrax quarantines Boca Raton office
Miami Herald

Investigators are examining whether anthrax found in two workers at a Boca Raton publishing company may have been ``biologically engineered,'' which would make it unlikely that the men -- one of whom died last week -- were exposed to the bacteria by accident. Teams of specially trained FBI agents from all over the country descended Monday on the offices of supermarket tabloid publisher American Media Inc. to look for clues why a photo editor died from anthrax Friday and a mailroom employee tested positive for spores in his nasal passage on Sunday. The mailroom employee, Ernesto Blanco, 73, has not contracted the disease but discovery of anthrax in his nasal passages heightened U.S. concern over a possible bioterrorism threat and turned what had been a medical mystery into a criminal investigation led by the FBI. Blanco delivered mail throughout AMI, which publishes The Sun, The National Enquirer and The Globe, among other publications -- including on the second floor where deceased photo editor Bob Stevens worked and where investigators found traces of anthrax on a computer keyboard. ............ (warmwell note; See also Elaborations on Anthrax A Biologist's Perspective " A flood of stories hitting the media means the government underworld is behind them. ")
Oct 9

RSPCA calls for farming licences
Farmers Weekly

Mr Bowles said it was crazy that riding schools had to be licensed but farming - one of the biggest industries - was not. "We are not saying that farmers do not know what they are doing. "Of course, most farmers are very good. Therefore they will have nothing to fear from a licensing system where they have to apply certain standards." Mr Bowles said licensing had twice been a recommendation of the Farm Animal Welfare Council, the government's advisors on animal welfare. Foot-and-mouth had shown that there was a "black hole" in terms of knowing the location and movement of farm animals, said Mr Bowles. "If we have farm licensing then hopefully that would plug that hole." But Baroness Byford, the Conservative agriculture spokeswoman in the House of Lords, said she would be cautious before supporting the idea. "I'd actually have reservations on it because I think there are practical difficulties with it," she told FARMERS WEEKLY. Baroness Byford said issues such as costs and policing would have to be addressed before any licensing system could be endorsed. "I think there are many questions that need to be clarified by the RSPCA before you could actually say "Yes" it's a good idea." (warmwell note: we too would be happier to support the RSPCA if we felt they had made any loud protest at the blatant disregard for animal welfare shown by the government and Defra over the past seven months. But, like the vast majority of vets, they have been very, very quiet.)

Freedom bid cow destroyed
The Journal

A Northumberland farmer whose pedigree Aberdeen Angus heifer gave Defra slaughtermen the slip five weeks ago was devastated to learn it was still to be killed despite its five weeks of freedom. A neighbouring farmer who took the animal into his farm after it turned up on Friday now faces losing his cattle and sheep if the heifer is found to be infected with foot-and-mouth. The heifer, which was killed yesterday, disappeared into woodland as the rest of John Rutherford's 40-strong herd was culled on August 30. After weeks of sightings, the heifer was found in a country lane between Allendale and Whitfield in Northumberland on Friday. Mr Rutherford who owns Old Town Farm near Whitfield, called Defra officials after being told it had been let into a field of cows unaffected by foot-and-mouth. Mr Rutherford, who lives with wife Margaret and son Christopher, said: "We kept hearing rumours of a heifer being heard in the woods late at night. "We were told on Friday an Aberdeen Angus had been found wandering on a road and called Defra. They said it had been so long since the infection we could bring her home but we were later told the vets had said the animal had to be slaughtered. "I wish I had never even heard it was still alive."..."The day they came to kill the heifers was terrible," Mr Rutherford said. "We heard they were chasing the animals all over the place and on to the road before shooting them with rifles.."
....A Defra spokesman said yesterday:" Defra understands the farmer's situation but once an animal has been listed for slaughter for dangerous contact then it remains listed." (warmwell note: this is such a totally nasty little story of Defra's stupid and ignorant zealousness that we feel closer than ever to despair. The cow was not infected. Cows are sentinel animals who show symptoms quickly. Seven months of foot and mouth appear to have taught Defra nothing except callousness and a continuing hatred for common sense)
Oct 8

Devon Inquiry latest:
BBC online Devon

..a large proportion of the submissons are from individuals - from farmers, traders, and from people whose domestic lives have been grossly affected." Chairman of Devon NFU, David Hill, speaking at the inquiry The first to give his testimony at County Hall was the chairman of the National Farmers' Union in Devon, David Hill. His strongest criticism was for the appointment of Ben Bennett, the vet put in charge at the outset of the Devon outbreak. Mr Hill told the inquiry:"He was being asked to be the information officer, he was being asked to be a manager at a level he'd never been trained to do, but to leave him there for the first three weeks on his own, a vet, fronting up the entire operation, is one of the absurdities of the way this was handled in Devon." Defra has agreed to submit a written submission and will respond in writing to questions which arise during the hearing. The results of the inquiry will be forwarded to the Government, which is holding three different inquiries into the crisis - but not one of them are public inquiries.
Oct 8

County to find truth about foot and mouth
Telegraph

While the outbreak, which first struck nine months ago, no longer makes daily headlines, and the disinfectant pads and warning signs have been cautiously removed in some areas, the effects of months of misery are still evident in Devon. The county was the second worst hit by the epidemic. There was silence in the empty fields and cattle sheds around the village of Chulmleigh yesterday. Philip Bown, a farmer, said: "We must find a way of ensuring that this country is never again put through a trauma like this." He is one of 350 people who have made submissions for the inquiry that opens in Exeter. Gazing at a large ash tree in his paddock, a favourite congregating place for his cattle before they were slaughtered in May, he hoped that the inquiry would "establish the truth"
......The couple have decided to retire early, and will not be re-stocking.
Mrs Brown said: "Lessons have to be learned. So many stupid decisions have been made. They didn't jump on it at the beginning." The Bowns hope the inquiry will address the key issue of vaccination. They believe it should be used rather than slaughter. They also believe that the Environment Agency should have allowed immediate disposal of carcasses, either by farm burial or rendering. Mr Bown said: "Because they weren't burying the animals immediately they allowed the infection to spread. They were slaughtering them faster than they could cope with.
...........In some cases, it was nearly three weeks before dead animals were moved. When there was a wind they found bits of carcass two miles from the pyres."
Mrs Bown also criticised the "over-eagerness" of slaughtermen, who were paid on a per head basis, and the inefficiency of the cleaning contractors. Devon county council has decided to hold the inquiry, which is expected to last five days, in public. It will be chaired by Prof Ian Mercer, 68, who has lived in Devon since 1959, and was secretary general of the Association of National Park Authorities until his retirement earlier this year. Prof Mercer promised to examine whether vaccination might have contained the disease more quickly than slaughter. He will make recommendations to the Government's three investigations into the crisis. The inquiry will be shown live on the internet and the hearings can be accessed via the council's website.
Oct 8

Euro MP in bid for foot-mouth inquiry
Western Daily Press

A FULL-scale EU-based inquiry into Britain's foot-and-mouth outbreak is a step nearer becoming reality after an intervention by West MEP Neil Parish. He has invoked a little-used procedure to table a petition signed by 200 cross-party Euro-MPs from across the Community calling for a committee to be set up to investigate the epidemic. This will then be a trigger for the Commission and the Council of Ministers to take the proposal for a full investigation seriously. And a defiant Mr Parish, a Conservative MEP and a Somerset farmer, says his action was fully justified, given the intransigence of the UK government. "Labour has ignored the pleas of everyone who is calling for a full independent public inquiry. Therefore, we had no alternative but to force the EU to investigate the matter," he said. "We have to learn everything we possibly can to ensure that something like this never happens again, and sweeping the issue under the carpet is not acceptable."......
Mr Parish said the inquiry should also review current foot-and-mouth control policies which have led to the slaughter of four million British animals. "It is essential to have a mature debate of the merits and practicalities of a vaccination versus slaughter policy. "We have to find ways of alleviating the suffering of the animals and of the farmers and their families affected by foot-and-mouth," he said.
Oct 8

Public Inquiry into Devon foot and mouth starts
Ananova

....The five day hearing, which is to be broadcast live via the internet, is being organised by Devon County Council. There were 173 cases of the disease confirmed in Devon during the outbreak and since the inquiry was announced on August 22, about 400 detailed submissions have been sent to its co-ordinating unit. Chairman Professor Ian Mercer, 68, a leading authority on rural conservation and environmental issues, said a report would be sent to the Government by the end of October. "We can provide them, sitting up there in whatever sterilised atmosphere they are in, with some reality - with the facts of what happened on the ground as the people in the countryside saw it," he said. "We need to let the people of Devon get it off their chests." There was bound to be "considerable opinion" about how things were handled at the outset. "There is going to be, I imagine, considerable discussion about communications, how good or bad it was, and how it broke down within organisations and between organisations," he said. The "constructive stuff" of the inquiry would be about the future and "what you do better next time". The first evidence to be heard will be from the National Farmers' Union. Oct 8

Foot-and-mouth inquiry chief rules out a witch-hunt
The Times

.....We all agree that Devon's most significant asset is the countryside and one of the things foot-and-mouth has shown us is the interconnection of everything out there.We will be flooded with opinions about how the outbreak was handled and what was done and not done and what might have been done differently and how it might have been done better. However, this is not a witch-hunt. We are not looking to apportion blame. I hope we will be factual and rigorous and produce for everybody who will listen a distilled-down and readable account of what is put to us. The five-day inquiry will be the first of its kind broadcast in its entirety on the Internet on Devon County Council's website, www.devon.gov.uk
Oct 8

Foot-and-mouth cost Times letter

FROM MR DOUG MACLEOD Sir, The cost to the rural economy of the UK of the foot-and-mouth outbreak - or rather the cost of the chosen solution to the outbreak - is reckoned by the Countryside Agency to be about £5 billion to date (report, September 8).
In terms of economic damage, the introduction of one infected sheep into the UK is likely to be more efficient for terrorists than flying aircraft into skyscrapers. The perpetrators also preserve their own lives and may repeat the mischief elsewhere.
The concept of a disease-free area relies on all the human population wanting to defend it. One person with the opposite intent may defeat the strategy.
Isn't it time we (and all of the rest of Europe) vaccinated our farm animals?
Oct 7

Farmers angry at ministry foot-dragging
Japan Times

(warmwell note: this article from Japan illustrates the sudden and far-reaching effects on prices of a sudden scare, in this case, confirmation in Japan by a "british government agency" that a five year old Holstein cow had BSE)....News of the case triggered public concerns about the safety of beef and cow byproducts, dealing a serious blow to cattle raisers, the meat industry and eateries. ........ "If the serious slump in beef consumption continues for months, all cattle raisers in Chiba will be forced out of business," Ogura lamented. .... Ogura's farm raises hybrid Holstein/Japanese black cows. Called "table meat" in the industry, they usually fetch around 1,000 yen per kg. However, after the news of the mad cow case, they sold for around 400 yen per kg.......Despite assurances by authorities that meat reaching tables is safe and a recent beef-eating display staged by Diet members for the media, the public remains wary. According to Consumers Cooperative Tokyo, beef sales were down by 40 percent at its 82 stores during the week of Sept. 17, compared with the same week a year ago. ......Critics say the farm ministry's sloppy handling of the matter ignited deep distrust in consumers, who have already had their fill of corruption and coverup scandals involving government bureaucrats in recent years. When the mad cow case was announced Sept. 10, the farm ministry stepped in and said the infected cow had been incinerated. Four days later, the ministry retracted its statement. The bones of the cow had in fact been processed and mixed into meat-and-bone meal (MBM) before being shipped to warehouses.

"Since then, the public does not trust anything the government says....."It is wrong to think consumers are merely panicking. It is their last resort as self-defense in response to the unreliable actions of authorities."

Compounding the problem is authorities' inability to pinpoint the route of infection. While it is believed the infected cow contacted the disease through MBM containing contaminated animal carcasses, the search has turned up nothing.....

.. ..........MBM, rich in protein and mineral, sped up cows' growth and boosted milk production. In recent years, some 400,000 tons of MBM were being produced annually, making up an average of 1.8 percent of the ingredients of mixed feed given to chicken and pigs. The total ban on MBM means increased costs for pig and chicken feeds..... the cost of chicken feed will rise by around 500 yen per ton, which will likely translate into higher meat and poultry prices overall.
Industry people emphasize that MBM, which seems to have become public enemy No. 1 in the ongoing mad cow scare, has in fact played a significant role in Japan's farming industry, providing an efficient means of recycling.
If the use of MBM is halted, the 4,400 tons of livestock scrap produced every day at meat processing plants nationwide will be nothing more than garbage. ......... Shokin Ishihara, who runs Taiseien, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Tokyo's Minato Ward, said he was shocked to see video footage of staggering cows in other countries that has been repeatedly shown in news programs.
"I wouldn't say it's a lie, but is it necessary to show it that often?" said Ishihara, whose restaurant saw sales fall by more than 60 percent since late September. "Nobody wants to eat beef when they are shown that again and again. It is very heartrending if people have to give it up.".......... "Korean barbecue was perfected here by Japanese-Koreans," Ishihara reckoned. "And Japanese beef is the best in the world." (warmwell note: all this as a result of a "british government agency" saying that the cow's remains tested positive. In all the misery and suspicion of Japanese bureaucrats, this fact appears to have been accepted without question.)
Oct 7

Christopher Booker's Notebook:
Interviewer Snow lets "experts" off the hook
Sunday Telegraph

CHANNEL 4 News was used last week to publicise a curious disinformation campaign by the duo who have been running Mr Blair's foot and mouth policy since March. Professor David King, the Government chief scientist, and Professor Roy Anderson, whose Imperial College computer directed the "contiguous cull", which was responsible for the slaughter of three million healthy animals, now predict that the epidemic will last until next spring. The news presenter, Jon Snow, did not remind them how last April the same computer predicted that outbreaks would fall to zero on June 7, conveniently coinciding with Mr Blair's election date.
The scientists also claimed that, had their cull policy been more effectively enforced, "one million animals and 400 farms" could have been saved, working out at an improbable 2,500 animals per farm. Mr Snow failed to query any of these claims, including the most illogical that, if there was ever another epidemic, vaccination would be at "the top of the agenda", but that, if it had been used this time, it would only have made the epidemic last longer. This claim produces gasps of disbelief from genuine experts of world renown such as Professor Fred Brown and Dr Simon Barteling, who have been saying since March that vaccination was the only effective way to bring Britain's epidemic swiftly to an end.
It is one thing for our Government to hand over direction of the crisis to scientists who have no real expertise in animal diseases, but when their policies predictably fail, and they try to pre-empt criticism with such fanciful claims, it is another for the media to be so uncritical in allowing them to peddle what amounts to no more than propaganda.
Oct 7

Gangs 'doctor' rotten meat for the dinner table
Observer

..... There is evidence the mass slaughter of animals due to the foot and mouth epidemic has led to an increase in unfit meat being passed back into the human food chain. Authorities said rotting and diseased carcasses are bought cheaply and then 'laundered' back into the human food chain. Gangs cut off rotting sections of meat, including cancerous growths and abscesses, and sometimes dye the meat white again by soaking it in a bucket of salt water and a non-toxic dose of bleach. The Observer has learnt that police and health officials have launched investigations in Lancashire, Hampshire, Wales, Norfolk and Derbyshire to unmask the gangs behind the trade. The criminals obtain false documentation that will claim the meat is legitimate. They make deliveries at weekends or at night to avoid health inspectors. The unfit meat can contain bacteria such as campylobacter and salmonella, potentially lethal food poisons. Last month police and environmental health officials raided a Norfolk farm and found nine tons of rotting meat, including two dead foxes. The farm had no hot water, the meat still bore traces of fur, and rat droppings littered the floor. The meat was not fit for pet food, but inspectors believe it was destined for the dinner table. 'I have never seen anything like it in 40 years of food hygiene enforcement,' said Granville Smith, chief environmental health officer for South Norfolk. Public health officials believe the trade in potentially lethal meat will become more widespread following government plans to privatise meat inspection.
Oct 7

Small farmers to be given millions in aid
Sunday Times

(warmwell note: the headline is not borne out by the subsequent article) .....Haskins wants subsidies that promote food production to be scrapped. He favours a system in which farms are ranked on a scale of one to 10 according to how green they are. Large " blue" farms that use more chemicals and pesticides would rate a three or four, while Prince Charles's farms, whose methods are wholly organic, would score a 10. Farmers convicted of polluting the environment would lose their accreditation and subsidy entitlement. British farmers receive more than £3.1 billion a year in EU subsidies. Despite this, they made only£1.9 billion net "profit" last year, pushing their average income below £9,000. (warmwell note: many of the farmers we support would be astonished to read this. They are without any income and owe thousands to their voracious banks) Haskins, the millionaire chairman of Northern Foods, who was appointed rural recovery co-ordinator in July, recently upset the farming lobby when he predicted that the number of farms would be halved by 2020. He said farmers needed to be more enterprising and less dependent on subsidies and should take on work outside farming to boost their income. His latest proposals will cause further alarm to the larger farmers, who receive 80% of EU subsidies. They know his views are taken seriously by the government. Haskins's blueprint for the future of British farming is part of his plan for a shake-up of the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP), which he is working on for the Foreign Policy Centre, a Labour-backed think tank. There is growing support among the EU's 15 member states for fundamental reform of the CAP, but all acknowledge it will take years to achieve. Haskins argues that it should occur before enlargement of the union in 2004. .....Baroness Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said Britain needed to halve its 44m-strong sheep flock and enforce strict new environmental standards on agriculture. Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference, she said farmers should be made to draw up "whole farm plans" showing how they would meet environmental targets set by the Environment Agency and the EU ( warmwell note: "should be made to" we're hearing a lot of this sort of language lately. Control, control, control - the death knell to Britain's food producers just as FMD has been to so many of the Baroness' unwanted sheep) .....
Peter Riley, a Friends of the Earth food and farming campaigner, said: "Environmentalists have called for a shift in farming subsidy from production to care of the land for many years. If Lord Haskins can deliver this it will be very welcome." But the National Farmers' Union will vehemently oppose a rapid shift in subsidies. " If you take money away quickly from commercial farms they will collapse," said Martin Haworth, the policy director. ...............A second report by the Rural Task Force, headed by Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, is due out in the next two weeks and is likely to recommend ways in which up to 20% of the money paid through CAP - about £600m - could be legitimately diverted into environmental projects.
Oct 7 ...see also in the USA

Farmers get $240 million in conservation program
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

...Wisconsin farmers will be paid $240 million to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and restore prairie land in a state-federal program of unprecedented proportions, state Agriculture Secretary Jim Harsdorf announced Friday. The program earmarks $200 million in federal funds and $40 million in state money to enroll up to 100,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Included will be about 25,000 acres put into permanent conservation easements and 75,000 acres into 15-year contracts. That allocation will involve more than one-third of the 285,000 acres Wisconsin farmers have sought to enroll in federal conservation programs, but for which funding has not been available......It came a day after many small farmers and conservation advocates alike mourned a vote in the House of Representatives that restricted future funds for the Conservation Reserve Program by eliminating money for the Wetlands Reserve Program. ......Payments to farmers here would be targeted to areas where state and private conservation agencies have identified a need to improve the quality of streams and rivers, and to restore Wisconsin's once vast tallgrass prairie. ......Wisconsin farmers now have 290,573 acres enrolled in conservation programs Harsdorf said the program would help 99% of the state's farms that are family-owned and operated. ......... John Malchine, a farmer from Wind Lake who chairs the citizens board that sets policy for the agriculture department, said the money would be a tremendous help to a farming community hard-pressed to remain profitable while meeting government regulations.
Oct 7

Tenant farmers leaving fells
Westmorland Gazette

...Mr Maurice believes failure to replace skilled farmers could leave large parts of the region's world-famous landscape, which attracts millions of visitors each year, to grow out of control. The problem is exacerbated by predictions that as many as 15 per cent of foot-and-mouth affected farmers in the county are expected to leave the industry, leaving further tracts of land unmanaged. Mr Maurice raised his concerns for the future of the Lake District with Prince Charles and with European Commissioner for agriculture Franz Fischler during their visits to the area last week. ....
posted Oct 6

Illogical Theory
Telegraph letter

SIR - So the mathematical boffins, who of course have no actual experience of the disease, are saying again that if only Defra (Maff) had culled in 24 hours on infected farms and 48 hours on neighbouring farms, a million animals would have been saved (report, Oct 4). What they don't say is that we who worked on the 1967 epidemic defeated it with inter alia professional expertise and speed and that we mostly slaughtered, buried and completed preliminary disinfection within 24 hours. As for their assertion that vaccination would not have had much impact on the course of the present epidemic, why don't they try telling that to the National Health Sevice, which is embarking on an exercise to get the most susceptible people this winter vaccinated against the flu virus? The foot and mouth disease vaccines held in stock confer good protection against the type of virus at present in this country. From Ken Tyrell MRCVS
Oct 6

Farming is honoured at service
Derbyshire Today

A Harvest festival with a difference will be held tomorrow in honour of Derbyshire farmers who have battled to escape the clutches of foot and mouth disease. The service will be held at Derby Cathedral and has been specially written by the city's dean, the Very Rev Michael Perham. During the service, which starts at 2.30pm, eight candles will be lit by members of the farming community. Prayers will also be offered in memory of the animals slaughtered and the farms affected. The cathedral bell, which tolled daily at the height of the crisis as a sign of support for the farmers, will ring out across the city in their honour once again as the service begins. A shepherd's crook will be officially handed over to the cathedral. It will then be dedicated by the dean as a symbol of the close relationship of the church and farming community. Mr Perham said: "Harvest is always about thanksgiving. After what the farmers have been through this year with foot and mouth and its financial consequences, thanksgiving is quite difficult. Any harvest service needs to take account of feelings of anger, disappointment and sadness. ........Joseph Fletcher (79), of Smalley, is a retired farmer who has been working as part of a special Service Committee to help organise this year's festival....Farming is certainly changing now  it will never be the same again. It is good that this harvest service has changed too. "There is a lot to be thankful for, like the beauty of the countryside. The only worry is, will it be kept beautiful if farmers are forced out of business?" From yesterday, visitors to the cathedral have been able to see the harvest festival decorations that have been created by the Derbyshire Farmers' Thanksgiving Service Committee. The service is open to everyone.
Oct 6

Farmers quizzed over foot-mouth
Worcester Evening News

AN independent probe into the Government's handling of the foot- and-mouth crisis has invited submissions from Worcestershire and Herefordshire farmers. The National Audit Office said it was now ready to begin taking evidence from the farmers - as well as vets and rural businesses. The Parliamentary watchdog will spend the next six weeks gathering information before publishing its findings in the middle of 2002. NAO spokesman Barry Lester said it would report to Parliament on the "economy, efficiency and effectiveness" with which Ministers had used their resources. In particular, it will examine whether the Government was prepared for the crisis and whether cash has been squandered in dealing with it. Mr Lester said people affected by the crisis are being asked to respond to four broad questions. These are:
1 Contingency planning. How well prepared was the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now part of DEFRA) to deal with a major outbreak of the disease?
2 Handling of the crisis. How effectively were contingency plans put into effect and how well were changes to the plans coped with? How well did the Government departments and other agencies, in particular DEFRA, cope with the outbreak?
3 Cost effectiveness. Was action taken in a cost-effective manner, taking into account the conditions under which the departments and agencies were operating? How were levels of compensation determined? Have there been adequate controls against irregularity?
4 Cost. What has been the cost of the outbreak in terms of both public expenditure and of wider economic or environmental costs?
The NAO investigaton is separate to the three commissioned by the Government in the place of a full, public inquiry. The House of Commons Public accounts Committee is also holding an investigation.
Submissions to the NAO should be e-mailed to fmd@nao.gsi.gov.ul or posted
to: Foot and Mouth Study, Room C122, National Audit Offce, 157-197
Buckngham Palace Road, Victoria, London SW1W 9SP by November 13.
Oct 6

Mrs Beckett, we're farmers, so why are you blocking our sideline to keep us in business?
Western Daily Press

MARGARET Beckett's advice to farmers was stark and unequivocal this week - change or you die. And that is exactly what Wiltshire farming family the Howards did with great success - until they came up against Mrs Beckett's own department. Now a last-minute change of rules by DEFRA is jeopardising the family business of selling second-hand tractors to America. DEFRA has changed the system of ensuring machines are clean enough to comply with strict U.S. controls against foot-and-mouth disease, and handed responsibility over to its animal health division. That means the job of checking tractors are fit to travel is now the responsibility of the Howard's own vet. But with eight tractors due to be shipped out today DEFRA officials still cannot tell the Howards whether the certificate of cleanliness the vet issues will be accepted by the U.S. authorities. "We are already doing what the Government says farmers must do - diversifying," said Jill Howard. "But the only thing holding us up now is Mrs Beckett's own department." Mrs Howard, husband Colin and four sons Robert, Richard, Charles and Jason have built up the business on their 130 acre farm near Devizes. They buy, overhaul and respray tractors before shipping them, in container loads of eight at a time, all over the world. Mrs Howard said: "I'm a proud mother, proud of the fact that we are managing to support all of us on a farm this size and that we have done it all without any grants or aid at all.

"But it annoys me when we hear the Government telling us what farmers should be doing. We know what we are doing, we have a business that works. But it's fairly clear DEFRA does not."

A DEFRA spokesman was unavailable for comment.
Oct 6

PROTEST OVER DISINFECTING CAUSES CHAOS AT LOWGATE
Hexham Courant

A PROTEST staged by two Tynedale women to demand a return to "both ways" disinfectant spraying caused traffic chaos at Lowgate on Tuesday afternoon. Queues of vehicles formed when nurses Beverley Kenworthy and Angela Chomse blocked the B6305 between Hexham and Allendale at the Lowgate disinfectant point, to protest at Defra's "ridiculous" roadside disinfecting policy. Both women wielded placards bearing demands for a return to "both ways" disinfecting, and for a public inquiry into the source of the British foot-and-mouth outbreak. As the queues grew, one angry driver attempted to ram his way through the road block, and used his car to push Mrs Kenworthy backwards along the road. The car then headed towards Hexham. The protest began at 5pm when Mrs Kenworthy drove her Land Rover to the Lowgate disinfectant station and used it to block the carriageway leading east into Hexham. Simultaneously, Mrs Chomse parked her estate car opposite Mrs Kenworthy's Land Rover, to block the lane leading west into Allendale. The disinfectant crew watched as both nurses stood in the road and raised placards which demanded: "We want the truth", and "We want a public inquiry", and "Disinfect don't re-infect". .....
Oct 6

Labs work overtime to find anthrax source
New Scientist

Frantic laboratory work is underway in the US this weekend, as scientists try to find out how a 63-year-old man developed a rare form of anthrax. The tests should reveal whether the bacteria were left by a dead animal half a century ago, escaped from a laboratory - or even formed part of a terrorist attack that might claim more victims. The anthrax genome is among the least variable known. Only a few US labs can tease apart subtle genetic variants, compare them to strains from around the world, and say whether it is a strain common in US livestock, used in US labs, or suspected of use in weapons development. A 63-year-old resident of Lantana, Florida, developed headache and fever on Sunday while visiting Duke University in North Carolina. Doctors testing for meningitis in Florida found anthrax bacilli in his spinal fluid. An X-ray revealed an enlarged space under the breastbone. This is unique to the pneumonic form of anthrax, which is almost invariably fatal if antibiotic treatment begins after symptoms start. The US Centers for Disease Control confirmed the diagnosis on Thursday. .... Anthrax is primarily a disease of animals. Humans get it mainly from infected meat or wool. Bacteria from animal carcasses can also lurk as spores in the soil for decades. But animal anthrax has been eradicated east of the Mississippi River in the US. The last cases in Florida were in 1956. The Florida man may have inhaled dust harbouring spores from a long-dead animal - or spores that strayed accidentally from anthrax research labs at Duke. He could also have inhaled them from imported wool. But he is extremely unlucky. Most human anthrax cases are skin infections. Of the 234 human cases in the US between 1955 and 1991, only eleven were pneumonic. The fear is that the bacteria were deliberately released. US health secretary Tommy Thompson said there was no evidence that such an isolated case resulted from terrorism. But health authorities in the US are on heightened alert in case there are more. The Al-Qaeda group suspected of the 11 September terrorist attacks is allied to Iraq, and to Chechen rebels in the former Soviet Union. Iraq and the Soviet Union both developed anthrax weapons consisting of aerosolised spores that would cause pneumonic disease. The group is also known to be interested in bioweapons.
Oct 5

FARMERS DISMISS FOOT AND MOUTH CRITICISM
Isle of Man news

......Given the ineptitude shown by the UK Government, coupled with a lack of information ensuing, Mr Marsh appears to know more than most if he can categorically state that none of the outbreaks can be associated with walkers while blaming the agricultural industry for the whole debacle. Should the various inquiries recently announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs culminate in other than a whitewash of the UK Government's handling of the situation then possibly some questions may finally be answered. If Mr Marsh feels inclined to castigate anyone in relation to the implications associated with the foot-and-mouth epidemic then may we respectfully suggest that he looks closer to home and to his own UK authorities.'
Oct 5

DEFRA slammed for shambolic' changes to foot and mouth rules
NewsWales

Last minute Government changes in foot and mouth autumn movement regulations have been labelled a "shambles" by Powys County Council. The Council has slammed the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a complete U-turn in regulations for autumn sheep movement licences within hours of the system coming into force. Under original instructions issued to Powys for the licence system which only went live on Monday (October 1), blood testing was only required for animals in an 'At Risk' area within 10kilometres of previously infected premises. But, in a complete U-turn the authority has been told that all licence applications in North Powys for sheep movements will require blood testing regardless of whether or not they are within 10km of infected premises. Chief Executive Jacky Tonge said: "The sudden change, without consultation or proper notification will cause absolute chaos. Our licensing centre is already under huge pressure because of the new autumn movement regulations, but the latest changes will make matters even worse. "The authority has already written to hundreds of farmers applying for movement licences giving information based on Government guidelines which were only issued on Monday. Now because of the DEFRA U-turn we will be forced to write again telling farmers that everything has changed. I have every sympathy with the farmers receiving this conflicting advice. "The introduction of blood testing for animals in the At Risk area will lead to considerable delays in licences being issued. Without blood tests licences can be issued within 2/3 days but with tests that process can take up to a month. "Farmers in the north of the county will understandably feel very frustrated by the latest DEFRA changes. We will be writing to the National Assembly and DEFRA to express our concern at the way the sudden changes have been introduced."
posted Oct 5

Blair criticised for blocking clearer GM labelling
News Wales

Welsh MEP Jill Evans has accused Tony Blair of betraying the public's interests by rejecting EU plans to introduce stricter labelling rules for the sale of genetically modified foods. The leader of Plaid Cymru in the European Parliament has criticised the Prime Minister for ordering his officials to block moves by the European Commission which would require all foods, cooking oils and animal feeds to state whether or not they contain traces of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Currently only foods known to contain more than 1% GM ingredients require labelling. Ms Evans, who is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment and Public Health, said. "In refusing to support more thorough labelling Tony Blair is effectively denying the public a right to choose whether or not to buy food produced from GMOs. Without the new labelling rules people in the UK will not be able to make an informed choice. "This is a clear betrayal of the public's interests and does nothing to restore consumer confidence in food safety." It is understood that the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs backed the proposals but was overruled by Downing Street and the Department of Trade and Industry. The Government now faces a direct clash with Brussels, which is determined to defend the proposals drafted by David Byrne, the consumer safety commissioner, and Franz Fischler, the agriculture commissioner.
Oct 5

Farmers too proud to ask for help
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS in the Yorkshire Dales who have been unable to move their livestock because of foot-and-mouth disease restrictions are now facing a double crisis. They have received no income during the summer through being unable to market their stock and are looking at bills of between £10,000 and £30,000 to buy winter feed for their animals. The Dales Recovery Appeal (DRA), which has raised about £750,000 to help individuals, voluntary groups and small businesses hit by the epidemic, is urging those unable to meet their feed bills to ask for help. So far the appeal fund has paid out £60,000 in grants. Its acting director, Dr Brian Fisher, said last night:"We have been extremely successful in raising money but our main problem now is persuading people to apply for grants. "We suspect that many small farms which have not been culled are caught in this terrible trap, but are too proud to ask for help from charity.
Oct 5

'Last wilderness' to become firing range
The Times

ONE of the country's last wildernesses is to be made into a firing range for multiple rocket launchers and long-range mobile artillery. More than 40 miles of new roads and military car parks will be built within the Northumberland National Park after a ruling yesterday that the Army can widen its use of the Otterburn training area.
Conservationists, the tourist industry, ramblers and residents were dismayed at the provisional decision by Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, to allow the area to be developed.
In his ruling, which followed a planning inspector's recommendation from a public inquiry, the minister said he was "minded to approve" the development and gave the Army six weeks to agree to a series of conditions. However, most of the conditions have already been negotiated by the military and none is expected to be opposed. The development is expected to be completed in 2004 and will cost an estimated £25 million. The Otterburn firing ranges, which date from 1912, cover 23,500 hectares, more than a fifth of the Northumberland National Park, and contain some of the country's most threatened wildlife, including otters, black grouse and merlins. They comprise moor, bog and ancient woodland. Sir Chris Bonington, life vice-chairman of the Council for National Parks, described the area as one of the country's last and most beautiful great wildernesses". He said: "This will irreparably scar the National Park and blight people's enjoyment of it." He was annoyed by the timing of the decision and accused Mr Byers of cynically manipulating concern over the threat of terrorism. He believes public access to the Otterburn section of the park will be reduced and that there will be further damage to tourism to the area, already badly hit by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. .......
Oct 5

Public must be told truth about farming
Western Daily Press

....Mr (Ben)Gill was speaking just hours after Rural Affairs secretary Margaret Beckett bluntly warned farmers to change their ways or die. He said the Government would have to facilitate that change, by removing the obstacles currently placed in the way of farmers by the Office of Fair Trading which stifled attempts to form trading co-operatives. And there was a need to make sure consumers understood what farming was all about. Mr Gill said it was "perverse" that people still regarded food as less safe when in fact it was safer than ever. "The word 'pesticide' has become synonymous with something, bad, something we should not be using,"he said. ......
Mr Gill warned farmers were in danger of being left with their hands tied so tightly by regulation and control that they would be unable to compete in world markets and he said the industry could not afford to ignore the benefits offered by GM technology. (warmwell note: Among the union's investments are holdings in firms experimenting with genetically modified food, as well as supermarkets and banks that have been criticised for putting farmers out of business. )
"If we banned the use of the best technology that is safe, we would be the losers," he said. He told his audience one of the lessons that had to be learned from foot-and-mouth was the need to protect borders. "There are many other diseases we could import - plant diseases as well as the animal variety.
Heaven help us if we get rabies here, because the current policy for dealing with a case is the immediate slaughter of all domestic pets in the vicinity. Can you imagine the reaction to that?" (warmwell note: yes we can; if the government of the day were to propose such a monstrous idea the public would rise up in a body with stones, bottles and pitchforks. They do not share the fervant wish to cooperate with DEFRA in dealing death as the vets and farmers' leaders appear to.)
And, he said, while the Government talked repeatedly of "sustainability" in farming that could only be achieved if there was also profitability in an industry which underpinned the food chain and tourism. Yesterday's show went ahead under the shadow of foot-and-mouth -which meant a complete absence of animals.
An antidote to this story can be found on the Heart of Cumbria website
Oct 5

Tests show sheep exposed to disease
Yorkshire Post

SHEEP are to be slaughtered near Skipton after tests showed they had been exposed to foot and mouth. The animals at Hyles Moor Farm, Wigglesworth, were checked as part of blood tests throughout the Skipton and Settle area, and antibodies to the virus were found in their blood. A spokeswoman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the sheep were not believed to be infectious and were not thought to have had the disease in the past. They may have been exposed to a tiny amount of the virus, causing their immune systems to develop antibodies in the same way as they would to a vaccine. More tests will be carried out on the sheep as there is a chance they have had the disease in the past and recovered from it, but they are expected to prove negative. If they prove positive, culls will be carried out on all neighbouring farms. There have been no outbreaks of foot and mouth in the Skipton-Settle cluster since August 18. Fears that a new case had been found in Horton-in-Ribblesdale proved groundless earlier this week when posthumous tests proved negative. (warmwell note: once again, the killing teams are running amok with the full sanction of an un-informed government department simply on the basis of a few sheep with antibodies. There are viable, quick tests that can determine whether active virus is present or not where antibodies are found or before animals are killed "on suspicion". Pirbright has suppressed them and instead "goes slow", taking three weeks sending back results that ought to be available from the laboratory within a couple of hours. Whole flocks of sheep are killed for reasons that have no scientific or veterinary basis. The reason in a wholly economic one. This is a much greater scandal than anyone appears to realise)
posted oct 4

Foot and Mouth lingers on
Channel Four News

It might be out of the headlines but foot and mouth disease certainly has not gone away. According to Government scientists the epidemic could continue for months - well into the spring. In the biggest analysis of the disaster so far, two teams of researchers say about a million animals - and four hundred farms - could have been saved if officials had acted sooner to control the disease....Farmers in areas free of foot and mouth disease are being warned tonight they're still at risk. According to two teams of leading scientists - one working from Edinburgh and Oxford, the other in London - the virus could jump out of the infected areas. The Derbyshire Dales and south west Wales are named as potential danger spots. Their analyses of the disaster, published in the leading journals, Science and Nature, show the epidemic could continue into next spring - and what happens in the coming months is crucial. Their figures show it need not have been like this: If what was then the Ministry of Agriculture had acted immediately on their advice to slaughter infected farms in 24 hours and neighbouring or contiguous farms in 48 hours, a million of the 4 million slaughtered animals would have been saved, and 400 of the 2,000 outbreaks would have been averted. The figures show the number of cases started falling before the scientists recommended the new strategy - they peaked at 50 a day at the end of March. This, it seems, was partly because many farmers simply stopped moving around - so they stopped spreading the virus. The numbers fell rapidly as the new policy - the 24/48 hour cull - kicked in. But at the end of April came the rumpus over Phoenix the calf: restrictions were relaxed, people became complacent and the numbers started rising again. The clampdown on biosecurity at the end of May kept outbreaks down to less then a ten a day - now there's an average of one a day: but the situation will be critical for months to come. The reports suggest vaccination would have helped if it had been used at the start of the epidemic. And it's now clear that vaccination of all animals against foot and mouth disease to prevent another disaster is at the top of the agenda. Professor Anderson and his team are calling for a central database holding details of all farm animals and where they go - and a contingency plan which actually works.
Oct 4

Farming strategy a battleground
The Scotsman

Fordyce Maxwell - SOME heat and only a modicum of light was generated yesterday as MSPs fought over much old ground while debating the Scottish executive's recently published Forward strategy for Scottish agriculture. Fergus Ewing, the SNP spokesman on agriculture, did not think much of the document, as his party's proposed critical amendment to the debate made clear. But Ross Finnie, rural development minister, dismissed the SNP proposal as inept and "intellectually bankrupt", offering no contribution to solving farming's problems. These problems are deeper and more persistent than had been witnessed for a long time, and dated back to 1996 when BSE was publicly acknowledged as a threat to human life, he said. The strong pound, the weak euro, the foot-and-mouth crisis and loss of overseas markets had made problems steadily worse. Scotland could come through, but there has to be clarity about the direction of the farming industry. That was what the strategy document tried to provide. Land management contracts could have a vital part to play as an "exciting alternative" to traditional production-based support schemes. He warned: "It is imperative that farm businesses find new ways of reducing costs and generating more income from the market." Ewing said the strategy gave no indication of what the executive's long-term view was. Nor did it offer any estimate about how many farmers and farm workers would still be involved in the agriculture industry in the future. He said: "Surely in a strategy document on agriculture, you would expect a projection of where the executive believes agriculture will be in five or 10 years' time. (warmwell note: whenever politicians and advertisers use the word "exciting", one's heart sinks.)

Hexham cancelled over foot-and-mouth fears
The Scotsman

TOMORROW'S National Hunt meeting at Hexham has been called off in the interests of effective foot-and-mouth control. Although Hexham racecourse is more than three kilometres away from infected premises, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has requested that racing should not go ahead. The British Horseracing Board tried to transfer the meeting to another course in the north, but there was not enough time to arrange a fixture for tomorrow. However, efforts are being made to hold the meeting on Monday.
Oct 4

'Early cull could have cut foot-and-mouth slaughter'
Ananova

...If the culling policy at infected and contiguous premises had been fully active from April 1 the number of cases could have been cut by 16%, according to a report by researchers from London's Imperial College. Professor Neil Ferguson, one of the authors of the report in Nature magazine, says there is a need for "a rapid and complete contiguous culling policy for disease control and eventual elimination". Contiguous premises involves dangerous contacts where animals may have been exposed to infection on neighbouring infected premises.......The researchers have composed national risk maps in an effort to explain why some regions were hit harder than others and which sites could also be struck down. Professor Neil Ferguson, told Ananova: "It may appear ruthless to go in so hard but at the end of the day fewer animals in total are slaughtered." He adds: "This is the most thorough analysis yet of the epidemic. It has enabled us to evaluate the different policies in turn and it clearly shows the need for a rapid and complete contiguous culling policy for disease control and eventual elimination." (warmwell note: a "complete contiguous culling policy" might well have eliminated the disease if it had really happened at the start of the outbreak. But before MAFF knew what to do, the virus was all over the place. In such a situation the only way to deal with the situation is either to let the disease run its course or to vaccinate. That remains true today. Dr Ferguson can hardly hope to save the situation - or the reputation of the modelling teams - by saying what "should have happened" now.) See Also

Oct 4 ~ Cull delay 'worsened epidemic'BBC

Gill and Morley clash on subsidies
Farmers Weekly

COUNTRYSIDE Minister Elliot Morley and National Farmers' Union President Ben Gill have clashed over the future of farm subsidies. The controversy came at a fringe meeting during the Labour Party conference, when Mr Morley said subsidies were "done for". "They are going to go, nobody doubts that. They are under pressure within the European Union and because the EU is going to enlarge". Mr Morley said the Common Agricultural Policy dated back to a time of post-war food shortages. Support for reform was led by Germany, he said. "I am more optimistic we will get reform than I was a year ago".
But Mr Gill dismissed suggestions that subsidies would be scrapped. "In my lifetime I do not believe that we will be in a position to get rid of subsidies altogether. A decoupling of support is what we need." Mr Gill accepted that there would be change, but said the number of farmers was at rock bottom and could not go any lower. In order to be sustainable the industry must be profitable, he said.
But Mr Morley insisted: "When I say there will be an end to subsidies I mean it. They have to go and they will go." Payments should reflect land management which incorporate environmental care and bio-diversity, he added.
Barbara Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said the existing subsidy system did not give value for money. "What have we got? Food the public does not trust, foot-and-mouth, BSE, farmers in crisis and environmental damage." The Baroness called for an immediate expansion of funding for agri-environment schemes up to the 20% limit under the CAP. Match funding from the Treasury amounting to £300 million would lead to savings of £1.4bn in other areas of public funding, she said.
Oct 3

Rural sustainability may never happen'
Farmers Weekly

Profitable enterprises are one of three key requirements of a sustainable rural economy, said Allan Buckwell of the Country Land and Business Association. But current elements of policy change on offer are more likely to decrease profitability than build a sustainable rural economy, he added. The warning came at the Home-Grown Cereals Authority Market Outlook Conference on Wednesday (3 October). "Sustainability is the first line in the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs' objectives for the rural economy," Prof Buckwell told delegates. "But all too often just the environmental and social dimensions are considered, while profitability is not a word you see used very often in a sustainable forum. "We must ensure the economic side is included or sustainability will never happen." ................He insisted that the rest of society has a duty to recognise and pay for the rural stewardship that farmers provide and that society enjoys. But the elements of policy change on offer were unlikely to deliver this, with modulation and the erosion of direct payments hitting arable farmers in particular. "With intervention dropping away, European farmers have no safety net, unlike growers in the United States, yet the market is becoming more volatile." With huge pressure to cut the European agricultural budget to make way for integration of Central European countries, further cuts are likely, he said. "Only a small fraction of every billion euros that are cut from direct payments will end up in the Rural Development Fund. "Public support is a vital part of rural profitability, yet we have not yet reached a consensus on the best way to take it forward."
Oct 3

Beckett missed the point' - Alliance
Farmers Weekly

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, Mrs Beckett signalled that farming must change if it is to remain a vital part of Britain's rural economy. But Countryside Alliance chief executive Richard Burge told The Daily Telegraph that she should step up the amount of help for farmers. "The government could have done much more to ensure a switch to more sustainable farming methods, by switching more funds ... to green farming." Mr Burge said that, unlike France, the British Government has made little progress towards improved funding of green schemes, the paper reports. The Guardian reports that Mrs Beckett's speech heralds a much tougher government stand against the farming lobby. The paper reports that ministers are increasingly irritated by complaints from farmers that the government is selling the industry short. One ministerial aide told the paper that lax farming standards had clearly not helped matters - particularly during the foot-and-mouth crisis. "No matter how much we support agriculture, we are criticised - yet still some in the farming lobby never accept their share of responsibility." He added: "Things cannot go on like this."
Oct 3

Foot-and-mouth inquiry to be broadcast live via internet
Ananova

A public inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease being coordinated by Devon County Council is to be broadcast live via the internet. It is believed to be the first time an inquiry in public has been accessible in sound and pictures over the world wide web. A total of five cameras will transmit pictures from the inquiry, to be held over five days from next Monday at the authority's headquarters in Exeter. The internet service will be available on Devon's website. There were 173 cases of the disease confirmed in Devon during the crisis. Since the inquiry was announced on August 22, more than 350 detailed submissions have been sent to the inquiry's co-ordinating unit at Devon county hall. Story filed: 17:44 Wednesday 3rd October 2001
Oct 3

Farmers warned over reform
The Scotsman

MARGARET Beckett warned the farming industry yesterday that it must become more market-orientated if it wanted a long-term future. In a stark message to a sector battered by foot-and-mouth, Mrs Beckett said UK agriculture would survive only if farmers were prepared to undergo dramatic and immediate reforms. "What society wants from agriculture is changing and probably changing irrevocably," (warmwell note: could Mrs Beckett br confusing "society" with "New Labour" here?) she said. "Not least among the changes that agriculture needs to make is to recognise it must become market-orientated and consumer focused." Although the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs paid lip service to the problems caused by the epidemic, she used her speech to call for wholesale changes in the structure and management of the industry. "There is no long-term future for an industry which cannot develop in line with market forces, no matter what the industry, its history, or the wider contribution it makes to its society." Mrs Beckett also insisted there was no "rosy short-term future" for farming if it became "completely out of tune" with its markets and custom. Dismissing calls for a lull while the industry recuperates from the effects of the foot-and-mouth crisis, Mrs Beckett said the epidemic made the need for change more, not less, imperative. She also promised that Britain would play a leading role in the review of the Common Agricultural Policy, as she gave warning that the public would not allow farming to continue to be subsidised through taxation or high consumer prices. (warmwell note: we imagine that "the public" must be pleased to discover here that Margaret Beckett not only knows exactly what it will and will not allow but also appears to be ready to enforce these unanimous public wishes) .....
Oct 3

See also

Farming 'will have to change or die' By Charles Clover,
Telegraph

The article reports Margaret Beckett's speech but adds, The Countryside Alliance responded that Mrs Beckett had "missed the point" about the problems suffered by British agriculture. Richard Burge, chief executive, said: "Mrs Beckett talks about the need for farmers to be `market-led' and `consumer driven' but she must realise that it is the CAP itself that denies farmers proper exposure to and access to free markets. He said the Government could have done much more to ensure a switch to more sustainable farming methods, for example by switching more funds from production to green farming schemes. France had already done this but the Government had made little progress, he said.
Oct 3

Suspect foot and mouth case hits Mid Wales
Newswales

Vets are investigating a suspected new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Powys, Mid Wales. The animals have already been slaughtered as a precaution. No new cases have been found in Wales since 12 August. (warmwell note: "already slaughtered" - and does their owner realise that Pirbright have been aware -since early March - of a foolproof device, the Smart Cycler, for testing within 40 minutes whether suspected cases really are foot and mouth?)
Oct 2

Farmers in protest over illegally imported meat
Western Daily Press

...they are winning support from leading vets, who warn that in the current climate what animal health surveillance there is in Africa and Asia could well be disrupted. Yesterday farmers handed in a 30,000-name petition to Food Chain Minister Lord Whitty as pig farmers unveiled a video of what they say is 'sickening' evidence of the illegal trade in exotic meats. National Pig Association chairman James Black said spot checks had suggested that as much as 230 tons of illegal meat is arriving from Nigeria alone every year. ............... The NPA has been pressuring the Government for tighter port controls since April, so far with no result. It now wants a single authority to be responsible for the control of illegal imports, a duty which is currently shared between the Food Standards Agency, DEFRA and individual port authorities. Last night farmers were picketing ferry terminals in Poole and Portsmouth alerting travellers to the risk of imports even from the continent - one major outbreak of pig disease was traced to a salami sandwich left by a rambler. But, said South West livestock producers spokesman Richard Haddock: "Yet again we are seeing all the signs of the low priority the Government now gives to farming. "How much more evidence does it take to persuade ministers that there is a genuine threat?" Whitehall officials are now being lobbied to introduce sophisticated new X-ray machines which can detect biological material at a port of entry as well as illegal shipments of tobacco and drugs.
Oct 3

Minister: farms vital but must change
Farmers Weekly

Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett has warned that farmers must change if it they to remain at the heart of Britain's rural economy. Speaking from the platform at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Mrs Beckett told delegates that agriculture was at the core of the countryside. But consumers would no longer permit farming to carry on as before, or pay for it through taxation or high consumer prices, she predicted. Mrs Beckett said it was her considered judgement that the world was unwilling to wait for change.Farmers must become more market-oriented and consumer-focused, she added.
Oct 2

Globalization Will Mean More Mergers
Cattle Buyers Weekly

...... Tyson/IBP will also become an international manufacturer, says Peterson. It won't do that to avoid labor costs. Global is where you have to go if you are going to grow. IBP has always gone where the livestock are, he says. Whether it's Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Russia or Mexico, the company should be there. Most of these places don't feed corn to cattle. But most of the world doesn't eat corn-fed beef anyway. Their palate is for grass-fed beef. ....... In a very short time, there will be more production capacity available than cattle. Tyson/IBP will expand their beef and pork facilities in several different ways, he says. They will expand their sourcing of raw material. They have got to continually work on building a bigger base, he says.
Oct 2

Animal movement rules relaxed
Telegraph

The key concession allows farmers with a number of scattered holdings within a 20-kilometre radius to move stock between them under a new "sole occupancy licence". A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the easing of the rules would not be enough to prevent all food and shelter problems this autumn and winter. The move follows months of pressure by farmers and criticism of delays in granting movement licences. It will apply to farms in "high-risk" counties and those within "blue box" areas as well as lower categories. In a second change, blood testing will no longer be needed before stock movements are allowed outside the 10-kilometre surveillance zones in "at risk" areas of the country. A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union in Cumbria, the worst affected county, said that it was "a step in the right direction". However problems in the North were still acute, she said. "About 75 per cent of livestock are normally sold outside the county. Those movements cannot take place. Nor do these changes help farmers in the county who need to restock." A spokesman for the NFU in the North-East welcomed the changes but added that welfare problems were inevitable. Movements needed to be allowed between "high risk" counties subject to risk assessment, he said. Farmers who have not suffered foot and mouth have been unable to move animals since spring, and many now have higher numbers than they can feed or shelter through winter. A ministry spokesman said that widespread blood testing of sheep in England and Wales had not found many hidden sources of foot and mouth as had been feared. (warmwell note: ...but the Defra squads still slaughtered any number of unfortunate sheep because one or two members of their flocks had developed antibodies) "We are cautiously optimistic but it is too early to make any prediction about the end of the epidemic," he said.

There were no new cases yesterday.
Oct 2

Farmers picket ports in protest against illegal meat imports
Western Daily Press

FARMERS will today launch a major campaign to combat a steady tide of illegal meat imports threatening to unleash more animal health problems in the UK. They will picket channel ports, including Poole and Plymouth, as National Farmers' Union leaders hand in a petition at the Labour conference in Brighton. But with attention focused on the response to the New York terror attacks and growing concerns over national security, the farmers' calls will be seen as little more than a side issue at the conference. And there is anger among many livestock producers that it has taken this long for the NFU to respond to the import threat. ................ Many believe foot-and-mouth disease was brought into the country on legally-imported meat from one of the countries where the disease is endemic. But NFU regional director Anthony Gibson said the Government should have acted more swiftly. "Farmers are fed up to the back teeth with being lectured by politicians on biosecurity, while all the time the nation's biosecurity is being fatally compromised by the Government's own failure to police illegal imports of meat," he said. "The first and most obvious lesson of the FMD outbreak is that we must minimise the risk of disease being imported. That could have been acted upon months ago, instead of which nothing has been done........." Despite the farmers' campaign, supermarkets in the West are still selling beef from Zimbabwe and Botswana - both countries where foot-and-mouth is epidemic.
Oct 2

Foot-and-mouth rules eased
Ananova

.....A new licence allowing unrestricted movement within a 20 kilometre radius is to be introduced, coupled with a loosening of rules regarding compulsory blood tests prior to moving animals...The new licence - called a Sole Occupancy Licence - is designed to help farmers who may have land and livestock scattered within a relatively small area and who are currently unable to move their animals. Subject to inspection from a Defra-appointed vet, the licence is applicable to same-category premises, for example high-risk, and comes into effect on October 8.
Also sheep flocks in "at risk" counties now do not require blood tests - or serology testing - before being moved. Defra acknowledge this was in part due to bureaucratic considerations as, under present rules, a delay of seven to 12 weeks is anticipated in issuing "autumn movement" licences. Each county was given either "high risk", "at risk" or "disease free" status under Defra's autumn movement restrictions announced at the end of July and implemented two weeks ago.
Defra also announced that the following areas can be classed as foot-and-mouth free: Worcestershire, Gloucester, south Gloucestershire, Bristol, Birmingham, Dudley, Solihull, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton and the city of York.
Defra has split the region of North Yorkshire allowing the southern most district - Selby - to be pronounced foot-and-mouth free.
Oct 2

Farmers urged to contact ministry
Yorkshire Evening press

STEPS are being taken to lift foot and mouth disease restrictions on farms across North Yorkshire. But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is having trouble contacting all the farms affected by Form D control measures - including farms in Thirsk, Northallerton and Settle. (warmwell note: Why? Do they not know where they are?) So farmers are being asked to contact DEFRA themselves and arrange a visit from a vet who can carry out blood tests on stock as soon as possible. Form D restrictions were imposed on all farms within a three kilometre zone around a farm infected with foot and mouth disease. The blood testing of stock is the first step towards lifting the restrictions and ensures that the virus does not remain undetected within a region. DEFRA is working to contact all farmers under Form D restrictions across the whole of Yorkshire and undertake tests as quickly as possible. The key areas include Yeadon, Ilkley, the Settle/Clitheroe box, Wensleydale, Richmond, Northallerton, Picton, Yarm, Thirsk and Whitby.....
Oct 2

Reopen paths now, demands councillor
Lancashire Evening Telegraph

....Because of the outbreak of foot and mouth cases in the Ribble Valley, parts of the county had to remain out of bounds. A map was drawn and the M65 motorway used as a boundary. Now Coun Marcus Johnstone wants that boundary scrapped. He said: "While I fully understand the reasons for the closure not being lifted in areas such as the Ribble Valley where there have been foot and mouth outbreaks, the use of the M65 as a boundary is completely arbitrary. The situation has left walkers confused. Assistant at the tourist information office, Janet Sheppey, said: "We had about 70 visitors on the Saturday, the majority of whom were dressed for walking and hoping to climb Pendle Hill." Footpaths in Padiham and Ightenhill, which are both in Coun Johnstone's Burnley West ward are closed yet walkers on the other side of the motorway can enjoy open access to the countryside.
Oct 2

More on Blair's pseudo inquiries. The Private Eye
Private Eye

.............Perhaps the one thing on which Ladbroke's would be unwise to lay any odds at all in these uncertain times is the possibility that Sir Brian's committee might come up with any criticism of the part played in cocking up the FMD epidemic by Profs. Anderson and King. FRS, of course.
posted Oct 2

Beckett pledges to be farmers' friend
Farmers' Weeky

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs could become a "critical friend" for the farming industry, she said. Mrs Beckett made the comment during a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference fringe in Brighton on Sunday (30 September). Farming profitability was not necessarily at odds with environmental sustainability, she told listeners. "Both are necessary for the future survival, and certainly the future development, of agriculture." But the industry must work with the government to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Mrs Beckett added. The CAP must be become a framework which allows European Union countries to develop non-distorting policies that suit local circumstances. This process of change has to start now rather than being postponed until better times, Mrs Beckett said. "The wider European public will, I believe, no longer permit farming to carry on as before, let alone be prepared to pay for it," she said. "We can't afford to listen to those who say that, because change will be difficult, we have to postpone it for a year." Mrs Beckett's comments came in response to questions from Ben Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union. Mr Gill had asked to know whether the new department would continue in its traditional role as the "sponsor and promoter" of UK farming. "There is an opportunity now ... for Defra to concentrate much more on promoting the industry," he said. The department had the chance promote the industry for the good of farmers, consumers, taxpayers and the environment, Mr Gill added. (warmwell note: can anyone follow any of this? What did Mrs Beckett actually say apart from referring to agriculture as "industry" and repeating the usual buzz words "sustainable" and "environment"? What are "non-distorting policies"? Did anyone apart from Ben Gill ask any questions?)

Defra loosens virus controls
Farmers Weekly

...Sheep flocks in designated at-risk counties but outside previously infected areas will not now have to be tested before animals can be moved. The rules came into effect on Monday (1 October) when licences enabling sheep movements in high-risk and at-risk counties became available. Ministers had previously declared that all flocks in high-risk and at-risk counties would have to be tested before sheep could be moved. Farmers have also been boosted by the downgrading of some at-risk counties and other authorities to the disease-free status category. The regions in question include Worcestershire, Gloucester, Bristol, the West Midlands and the southern half of North Yorkshire. A further relaxation of the rules is expected to come into effect on Monday (8 October) with the introduction of Sole Occupancy Licences. The licences will replace occupational and local movement licences. They will allow sheep to be moved without veterinary inspection or testing between parcels of land which are owned or managed by the same farmer. The 21-day standstill rule will not apply to movements between these premises, which must be within a 20-mile radius of each other. Records of all movements must be kept and licences will be issued only after vets have visited the premises to check on biosecurity measures. ....
Oct 1

U.S. Government Issues "Declaration of Emergency" for Disease Similar to Mad Cow
NewsMax

........As demonstrated in Europe, once shaken, consumer confidence is very difficult to rebuild. BSE's human form, known as variant Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease (vCJD), has killed more than 80 people in the United Kingdom and 2 in Spain. There is no known cure for this deadly disease, or for any of the other diseases caused by TSE's that affect humans or animals. Although there is currently no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans, or in domestic animals other than deer and elk, a theoretical risk of such a link exists. (warmwell note: there is currently no evidence to link vCJD with BSE either - but it does not suit the current thinking about slaughter to make this clear.) Public perception and consumer fears that CWD from deer and elk could cause disease in humans or in domestic livestock could destroy the markets for elk or deer products. .......additional funds will be used for program activities such as depopulation and disposal, clean-up and disinfection, establishment of surveillance and certification programs, testing, implementation and maintenance of quarantines, surveillance, and training for producers and veterinarians. These additional funds will reduce the spread of CWD in captive elk herds and discourage entry of positive or exposed animals into the human and animal food chains, and should save the Federal Government and farmed elk industry from having to deal with a more costly and widespread problem later. Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of September 25, 1981, as amended (7 U.S.C. 147b), I declare that there is an emergency that threatens the livestock industry of this country and hereby authorize the transfer and use of such funds as may be necessary from appropriations or other funds available to the agencies or corporations of the United States Department of Agriculture to establish a chronic wasting disease eradication program in the United States. Effective Date: This declaration of emergency shall become effective September 21, 2001. Ann M. Veneman,
Oct 1

Deadline nears to offer view of crisis inquiry
Yorkshire Post

THE public has less than two weeks left to shape the way in which one of the three independent inquiries into the foot and mouth crisis examines why the virus spread out of control across Britain. The Royal Society committee, which meets for the first time on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prof Sir Brian Follett, has asked for initial views on its terms of reference no later than October 12. The Government commissioned the Royal Society Inquiry to look at the scientific aspects of infectious diseases in livestock. But it is expected to concentrate on foot and mouth and swine fever. The public is being asked which main diseases the inquiry should cover, what major scientific questions should be addressed and the names of people and organisations whose views should be sought. The controversy over whether the Government should have ignored the National Farmers' Union and used vaccination as a tool to stop the virus spreading instead of relying on culling is one of the main issues the committee is expected to examine. The Royal Society has already said it expects to be looking at early warning and prediction of infectious diseases, preventative measures including prophylactic vaccination, epidemiology and the quantity, speed and scaling up of diagnosis procedures. Secretary of the inquiry is Dr Geoffrey Findlay at the Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG. Tel 020 7451 2569, fax 020 7451 2692. E-mail: geoffrey.findlay@royalsoc.ac.uk

FM all-clear held up by Ministry blunder
Western Daily Press

A MAJOR blunder by DEFRA officials has dashed Somerset's hopes of the county being declared foot-and-mouth-free on Monday, farmers claim. Instead, producers claim they will have to wait another two to three weeks for the results of follow-up blood tests on a forgotten list of 22 farms. The delays will leave thousands of animals locked on farms and farmers facing massive extra feed bills. And now the leader of the West's livestock farmers is calling for the ministry to be sued. DEFRA vets were supposed to have carried out serological tests on 22 farms in North Somerset as part of the process of giving the all-clear. But the list was sent from the Ministry's Page Street headquarters to its Taunton office, while the North Somerset farms actually come under the jurisdiction of the Gloucester office. The list was never forwarded and was only discovered in Taunton earlier this week. Furious Somerset NFU members were told of the ministry's latest foul-up at a meeting in Taunton on Thursday. County chairman Oliver Edwards said: I have been telling people who have been waiting to move stock to hang on because we were going to get the all-clear by October 1st. Now we are told it will be the 15th  and more probably the 22nd.
Regional livestock spokes- man Richard Haddock said farmers would be seeking legal advice over the blunder. Devon farmers are already angry over a letter from DEFRA warning them they will be prosecuted if any animals stranded on farms are not kept in good condition.
And meanwhile the new livestock movement licence system in Somerset is descending into complete chaos.
A spokesman for DEFRA denied the problem had been caused because of the list being sent to the wrong office. He said: It was sent to the right office, but there was confusion over which staff and which office would be carrying out the serological tests.
Oct 1

Vets demand halt to illegal meat imports
Times

ILLEGAL meat imports are threatening animal and public health, Jim Scudamore, the Government's Chief Veterinary Officer, believes. He is urging ministers to authorise routine checks on freight containers arriving at ports. Since the foot-and-mouth epidemic and last year's outbreak of classical swine fever, the need for extra surveillance on imports is considered imperative. .....Joe Brownlie, Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College, said yesterday that he had frequently contacted government vets to express his concern. He believes that the country is vulnerable to a range of diseases, mainly from Africa and Asia. .....A petition of 37,000 signatures will be handed to Lord Whitty, the Food and Farming Minister, who is pressing for action. Tony Blair and all other MPs will be sent a video film highlighting the illegal trade in meat compiled by the National Pig Association. (warmwell note: one wonders why Valerie Elliott implies that this petition comes from "vets". It is, of course, the petition organised by the NFU)
Oct 1

Culled deer may be dumped
BBC

Plans to dump deer carcasses in burial pits because of export restrictions introduced as a result of foot-and-mouth disease are being considered by the Scottish Executive. ....up to 20,000 carcasses require disposal following this year's annual slaughter of hinds. Normally two thirds of the cull is sold in continental Europe but the export ban on red meat has stopped the venison trade from Scotland. In the past 50 years the numbers of red deer in Scotland have trebled to around 300,000 and big herds can destroy young forestry plantations.
Oct 1

News

Wild deer could be carriers of foot and mouth Yorkshire Post

LIVESTOCK farmers in Northumberland are worried that wild deer could be spreading foot and mouth disease as the toll of cases continues to grow  even in areas where cattle and sheep have been isolated. Five days after the last case in Northumberland, another was confirmed at the weekend near Hexham  bringing the total number of animals slaughtered in the Allendale high biosecurity zone to more than 87,000. The latest case, which was confirmed on Saturday at Peacock House in Steel, resulted in the deaths of 267 sheep and 149 cattle. It was the 11th in the Steel cluster. Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs vets say their tests have found no evidence of foot and mouth in the deer population of Tynedale but farmers remain suspicious. Geoff Roddam, who lost 250 cattle and 700 sheep at Humshaugh, north of Hexham, is one of several local farmers worried about deer, foxes and migratory geese seen on their farms.
Sept 30

Nothing is certain except war and higher taxes
Sunday Times

.....Gordon Brown's warning to the cabinet on Thursday, was that this has come at a bad time for Britain' previously robust public finances. This has been a bad year for claims on the reserve - the cash, just £2.5 billion this year, that the Treasury sets aside for unforeseen events. Money has had to be found for, most obviously, foot and mouth, as well as rail safety, coalminers' compensation, military action in the Balkans and the aftermath of such action in Sierra Leone. The cupboard is pretty bare. For the first time in several years the budgetary position is going to turn out worse than the Treasury predicted. ....Tony Blair, in his presentations from the Downing Street rose garden, has told people to prepare for a long campaign against international terrorism. One of the subtexts is that they should also, but not immediately, prepare for higher taxes.
Sept 30

Island rallies to call of the wild
Sunday Times

Environmental and business interests on Islay are now working together to market a natural wonderland. ... visitors will flock to Islay to see the birds. After a summer season blighted by foot and mouth disease and rain, the geese could mean the difference between staying afloat and going under...... The RSPB, in particular, is suspected by islanders of pandering to the fantasies of city dwellers at the expense of those who have to make a living from the land. Some resent the use of scarce public money by the society to protect birds. .....Most of the birds feed on grassland outside the reservation, grassland that previously nourished beef cattle for export. The birds eat so much the farmers have to truck in winter feed from the mainland to make up for their diminished silage. ... For years, the farmers have received compensation for cattle they no longer produce. They say it is never enough to cover the losses caused by the grazing geese who strip the land with their voracious pecking. ...With beef farms in crisis as a result of BSE and foot and mouth disease, the geese and the subsidies they bring are being viewed in a more favourable light. ...The RSPB, in an apparent attempt to alter its image, is not using the Heritage Lottery Fund money on further protection measures but for improving public access to the reserve, a working farm which is supposed to provide a model of best ecological practice. ...RSPB regional manager Tricia Bradley. "It is only more recently that we have begun to channel our energies into tourism and education, but that is something that is important to us." The Islay Community Access Development project is also opening Islay up to walkers and ramblers and will be there to smooth ruffled feathers should any conflict arise between farmers and those who fail to respect their land. ..Local people will be encouraged to report the movement of dolphins and whales and a floating classroom will travel between islands to teach children about the marine life that surrounds them. It is hoped these projects will make the islanders feel they, too, have a crucial stake in the environment and its wildlife (warmwell note: The islanders will doubtless be grateful to the RSPB for this education. The influence of the RSPB and its plans for the country is something to watch with interest.)
Sept 30

Cows could return to the hilltops
Craven Herald

THE limestone areas of the Dales which have been ravaged by foot and mouth disease may resound less to the bleating of sheep in the future, and more to the lowing of hardy beef cattle. A conservation project first mooted by North Yorkshire National Park Authority before the foot and mouth crisis aims to conserve the special environment of the Yorkshire Dales which includes its limestone pavements, wildlife and grassland habitats and upland woodlands. The project, dependent on a successful million pound bid for European funding, will effectively take the areas around Malham and Ingleborough back more than four decades when mixed livestock farming was then the norm. It is hoped the move will help stop the loss in special habitats in these areas which have been extensively sheep grazed.
Sept 29

CULLS CLAIM 86,000 ANIMALS
Hexham Courant

...A further three farms have been hit, the latest at Steel, amid the cluster of earlier infections on farms which was discovered last week. ....A total of 86,732 animals have now been slaughtered in the Allendale Blue Box zone. Catherine Swallow, from Dukesfield Farm, said her husband had discovered the disease and alerted the Defra vet. She said: "Andrew had noticed that two of the breeding ewes did not look quite right, and so he checked in their mouths for blisters. He thought they might have caught the disease, and unfortunately, when the Defra vet arrived, he confirmed that they had. "We had thought we might be spared, and had been preparing for winter. "When the disease hit, it only affected animals which were right at the top of the farm, in the top field. Only nine sheep out of the 1,300 or so animals we had taken out had the disease.

We have no idea how it got there."

Fears that the disease could be spread by roaming wild animals were revived when it spread to Blackcarts Farm, in the North Tyne. Sept 29

Worst case BSE sheep cull 'ludicrous', say breeders
Telegraph

SHEEP breed associations dismissed as "ludicrous" the Government's "worst case scenario" plans to kill the entire sheep flock if BSE is found in it. A spokesman for the Rare Breed Survival Trust said that they were horrified. "It's beyond comprehension. The consequences are unthinkable," he said. The trust represents 28 rare breeds, but such a cull would also wipe out many commercial breeds, he said, including most of more than 50 native breeds and centuries of genetic history. It would also destroy the sheep which have been bred, at great expense, to be resistant to scrapie, which is also thought likely to deliver resistance to BSE. Ralph Waggett, secretary of the Swaledale Breed Society, which has been working to create scrapie-resistant lines since 1972, said: "It sounds ludicrous. They've got very trigger-happy since foot and mouth."
Sept 29

Save us from Morley's crazy sheep
The Times

There is, of course, no BSE in sheep, but Mr Morley and his department, the dreaded Defra, have decided that there might be, and, should the worst come to the worst, all Britain's 40 million sheep may have to be slaughtered. In vain does Mr Morley now claim that this is a worst-case scenario  the damage has been done, and morale among sheep farmers, already rock bottom, sinks into the slurry pit of despair. I do not know if any of this conforms to Mr Blair's idea of defending our way of life. He has doubtless been too busy to consider it. In these circumstances, one might have thought that ministers would strain every sinew to bolster confidence, to stand should-to-shoulder with those who live and work in rural areas, or at least to show some understanding of the problems they are grappling with. This Government, however, has neither instinct nor sympathy for the countryside. (full article - text only)
Sept 29

Landowners asked to help farmers
BBC

The National Farmers' Union is calling on landlords to help prevent tenant farmers going bankrupt. It wants them to bear in mind the difficulties their tenants face when renegotiating rents on Saturday - which is Michaelmas, the day when rents are traditionally re-calculated. .....it says rent rises could put even more farmers out of business, adding to the 55,000 who have left the industry this year. ......The NFU is also calling for increased flexibility in tenancy agreements, to allow farmers to pursue alternatives to traditional farming. Suggestions include farm shops, tourism and organic farming. But the process for organic accreditation takes years, and events in the US have dealt a serious blow to hopes of increasing rural tourism. ......One of the country's largest landlords, the Crown Estates, has already agreed not to raise rents. But many other landowners are pushing ahead with rises. ..About 18% of all full-time farmers are tenant farmers, according to recent figures from the NFU - about 23,000 people. Many are small family farms, while others work temporarily for groups such as the National Trust, which relies on farming to graze and maintain their landscapes. .............. And as they do not own the land or buildings they farm, if they lose their livestock - or if the value of their livestock plummets - they potentially lose everything.
Sept 29

Devon's foot-and-mouth inquiry - deadline for submissions today
BBC

Devon County Council's foot-and-mouth investigation starts meeting in public next month. It will ultimately make make its recommendation to the Government's inquiries into the outbreak after looking at the impact of the disease - both on the environment and the local economy. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says it will take part in the hearings by answering questions. However, the department says it is still awaiting the questions. Defra's part in the inquiry is still unclear A spokesman for the council inquiry said Defra's contribution is essential and it would be strange if it did not participate. A spokeswoman for Defra said: "Ministers have made it clear that Defra wishes to be as helpful as possible and Defra will be contributing by answering questions. However, we are still awaiting the questions." Devon County Council says that the questions have been drafted and sent. Philip Jenkinson, Devon County Council's Chief Executive, said today: "The Devon Foot-and-Mouth Inquiry welcomes the fact that Defra will provide written answers to all the inquiry's questions and also answer any follow up questions. "This offers a pragmatic way for the ministry to contribute what will be a matter of public record and clearly of potentially great significance to the work of the inquiry. "The inquiry recognises that the ministry already has an enormous workload to meet the continuing challenges of the outbreak and respond to the various national inquiries. Devon remains the only local inquiry in which the ministry is participating."
Sept 29

Blood tests message for farms under Form D restrictions
Yorkshire Post

OFFICIALS at the foot-and-mouth disease control centre in Leeds are asking farmers with Form D movement restrictions on their holdings to make contact as soon as possible to reduce the delay in having them lifted. The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs served Form D notices on all premises within a 3km zone around all infected premises. These farms now have to have their livestock blood tested before the restrictions can be removed. DEFRA's regional director of operations, Nafees Meah, said: "We've got five people calling farmers all day to make appointments for vets to visit, but appreciate that farmers are busy people and are not sitting by the phone waiting for us to call. "We are writing to all the farmers we have been unable to contact by telephone, but ideally, what we would like, is for any farmer under Form D restrictions to pick up the phone and make an appointment for a team to visit." Blood testing is an essential requirement to ensure that the virus does not remain undetected in the region. The main areas where Form D restrictions remain in place are around Settle, Wensleydale, Richmond, Northallerton, Thirsk, Whitby, Picton, Yarm, Yeadon and Ilkley. Farmers should contact the disease control centre on 0113 2300 100.
Sept 28

Villagers lift veil of FMD secrecy
Journal

.... Following pressure for public consultation from Widdrington county councillor James Grant and council planning officer Mary Campbell, Defra has agreed to back down. Coun Grant said: "Defra has claimed for some time that the plans were being kept confidential at the landowner's request but when I contacted UK Coal I was told they were happy to go along with whatever the county council wanted to do........

Blue Box movement rules 'driving farmers out of business' By Anna Lognonni Journal (same link)

Under Defra rules, farmers cannot move any animals on or off their farms for 15 days, even if they are going direct to slaughter, if there has been a case of foot-and-mouth within 10km. This means that during this time they cannot make any income and they say the restrictions are increasing welfare problems caused by overcrowding of animals. After 15 days has passed, farmers can send their animals direct to slaughter to an abattoir within the greater infected area but the only local slaughterhouse available to them is Jewitts of Spennymoor. And farmers living within 3km of a confirmed case can only send their animals to an abattoir within the Blue Box. But there isn't a slaughterhouse in the Allendale biosecurity zone so all those farmers are shut down for a month. National Sheep Association chairman David Smith, from Haydon Bridge, said: "They are effectively stopping a large proportion of Northumberland farmers from operating and slowly starving them out of business.........

Liberal Democrats back Journal petition Journal (same link)

...The petition has now received 20,571 signatures calling on the Government to ditch plans for three secret internal inquiries in favour of an open, independent investigation......At the party conference in Bournemouth, Mr Bruce said, "Everyone wants a public inquiry except the Government. There are so many dimensions and questions that people want to ask and havem answered. It is essential that this is done in public...."
Sept 28

Barbon virus cases mystify experts
Farmers weekly

FARMERS and epidemiologists are mystified by the most recent foot-and-mouth outbreak, at Barbon, Kirkby Londsale in south Cumbria. Farmers in the area, on the border of south Cumbria and north Lancashire, had been following stringent bio-security measures. Defra staff had already begun random blood tests of stock in this part of the north-west, expecting to find no traces of the disease. Unconfirmed reports say Defra staff cannot explain how the disease has made the "jump" of over 20 miles from the Penrith Spur area, where the disease was showing signs of abating. Officials say they cannot confirm if the disease has spread southwards from Penrith or whether it is the remnants of the early summer outbreak at Settle in North Yorkshire. So far 320 sheep and 105 cattle have been slaughtered on the farm where the disease was confirmed in two sheep on Wednesday (26 September). The flock was being randomly blood-tested by Defra when the disease was noticed. .............
Sept 28

Infectious diseases inquiry: Royal Society gives details
Royal Society Website

He added, The inquiry will identify the diseases that pose the greatest threat to the UK, as well as the best ways of protecting ourselves in the future and dealing with outbreaks if they do occur, including the role of vaccination. This will be an independent inquiry examining the science. We intend to consult widely and openly to ensure that we address the main issues. Members of the Committee ...issued an open invitation to all interested paries to submit initial views about the scope of the inquiry, preferably before its first meeting, to be held on October 3, and no later than October 12......Any evidence submitted to the inquiry would be made public, usually through the inquiry's website at http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/inquiry - unless accompanied by a request for confidentiality. Initial views should be sent to Geoffrey Findlay, Inquiry Secretary, IDI Inquiry, The Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG email: IDL@royalsoc.ac.uk tel. 0207451 2569 fax 020 7451 2692
Sept 28

Royal visit lifts morale of hard-hit farmers
Farmers Guardian

The Prince of Wales was in Cumbria on Tuesday to show his support for farmers and others most badly affected by foot-and-mouth disease.
His visit came as a new case was confirmed in the county at Barbon in an area clear of the disease since April.
Suspect cases which led to slaughter were reported at Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the Settle triangle in North Yorkshire/Lancashire, at Ross on Wye, Herefordshire and in Devon. A suspect case at Lower Wick, Gloucestershire, was given the all clear on Wednesday.
In Cumbria, the Prince also met a team of business leaders under the auspices of his Business in the Community Rural Action Programme to hear the difficulties facing farmers and to discuss what they can do to help in the regeneration of Cockermouth.
During his visit to Yew Tree Farm, Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, Prince Charles met Joe and Hazel Ralph, tenants of the National Trust of which the prince is vice-president.(full article)
Sept 28

Plan to cull all sheep if BSE is found
Telegraph

ALL Britain's 40 million sheep may have to be killed if BSE is found in the national flock, the Government will announce today. The slaughter would be a "worst case scenario" if research shows the disease is present in sheep.

So far no BSE cases in sheep have been found.

However, a report this summer by the Government's advisory committee gave warning that it was possible that BSE from sheep could have been transmitted to young calves in feed.

Tests are now being carried out to look for BSE in the national flock, and distinguish it from the many strains of scrapie.

Elliot Morley, agriculture minister, said: "Sheep have been given BSE by feeding them infected BSE brain tissue. (warmwell note: what Mr Morley means by this misleading statement is that sheep have been given BSE deliberately in animal experiments. Feeding infected brain tissue to anyone or anything strikes us as an extraordinary thing to do).......Scrapie, which causes staggering and symptoms similar to BSE, is endemic in British sheep. It does not affect human health. It is estimated that there are between five and ten thousand cases of scrapie in Britain each year. The method by which scrapie is passed between sheep is not fully understood, raising worries about how far BSE could have spread should it be diagnosed in the national flock. A programme is under way to breed scrapie out of sheep by selecting genetically resistant breeding lines. It is estimated that it will take around 10 years to remove scrapie from all breeds by these means.A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said he believed that farmers would accept their flocks being killed so long as they were properly compensated.
John Thorley, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said: "The most important thing to remember is that British sheep have not got BSE. "These are contingency plans. I honestly believe that the slaughter of the British flock would never happen. It would be ridiculous. We have the most resistant national flock in the world." In the event of BSE being discovered in sheep he envisaged a more limited cull. ........

Mr Morley said the inquiry had urged Government to show trust in the public, with openness, public access to information and evidence. He added: "That is exactly what we are doing." (warmwell note....!)
Sept 28

BSE threat to sheep tackled
BBC

Measures to deal with the threat of BSE spreading from cattle to sheep are being published by the UK Government. So far no cases of the "mad cow disease" have been discovered in sheep. But the government has published a contingency plan in case it does in the future. The plan includes a worst-case scenario in which the eating of lamb would be banned, and

the entire UK flock of up to 40m sheep would be destroyed.

The whole programme would be 10 times the size of the foot-and-mouth slaughter. (warmwell note: no connection between BSE and nvCJD has ever definitively been established. Nor has any link between scrapie and BSE ever been proved. Nor has any sheep in Britain ever shown signs of BSE - except for those poor unfortunate animals deliberately infected in the laboratory)
Sept 28

Press banned by Defra at meeting
Journal

Furious villagers have accused Defra of hiding behind a shroud of secrecy over repeated blunders at foot-and-mouth disposal sites near their homes. Last night officials threatened to walk out of a meeting with residents unless members of the Press were excluded. The Journal agreed to leave the meeting at Widdrington, Northumberland, voluntarily when officers from Newcastle Disease Control Centre insisted they would not stay to discuss a series of new mistakes if the media were present. Local councillor James Grant argued that all meetings of the liaison committee were public and therefore open to the Press, and called the situation 'deplorable'. "This is just typical of the way Defra has handled things in the past, and it doesn't exactly instil public confidence," he said...........
Sept 27 (posted Sept 28)

Mad Cow Disease Sets Off a Scare in Japan New York Times

TOKYO, Sept. 26  A beef scare is sweeping Japan after British scientists confirmed a case of mad cow disease in a Tokyo suburb, the first case of the disease outside of Europe. Historically a fish-eating people, the Japanese took to beef in a big way only after beef imports, largely from the United States and Australia, were liberalized a decade ago. Since the case was confirmed on Saturday, McDonald's, which has 3,700 outlets in Japan, has posted prominent signs declaring that all its beef comes from Australia. At last count, nearly 2,000 schools had pulled beef off their menus. ...... British government scientists determined that a 5-year-old Holstein at a dairy farm in Shiroi, near Tokyo, carried the disease, formally called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or B.S.E. Although the cow had shown symptoms before it was slaughtered on Aug. 10,

tests performed in Japan on its brain tissue were contradictory.

The disruption of air service because of the attacks in the United States delayed getting the second opinion from Britain. By the time the positive results were in,

the carcass was gone. The government said at first that it had been incinerated.

Later, officials admitted that the carcass had been recycled into bone meal. The original source of the infection was

probably

infected cows or bone meal feed imported from Europe. The newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun estimated that as many as 2,000 cows in Japan could have come in contact with the contaminated feed.

It is believed that

aberrant proteins associated with the disease infected cows when they were fed meal containing parts of sheep with a similar illness. In humans, a similar condition,

believed to be

caused by eating infected meat, causes dementia and eventually death. ........
Sept 28

Two more counties on foot-and-mouth alert after new case
Ananova

Foot-and-mouth restrictions have been extended to cover two further counties neighbouring Britain's worst hit region after a fresh outbreak of the disease. Tough guidelines have been imposed upon farmers in Lancashire and North Yorkshire after another farm tested positive for the disease in Penrith Spur area of Cumbria. Farms as far south as Carnforth in Lancashire and Ingleton in North Yorkshire will now have to adhere to strict restrictions. These will force them to cleanse and disinfect all vehicles visiting or leaving their property. Under the "blue box" restrictions, which came into effect at midnight, they will also have to implement several bio-security measures. The latest outbreak was at Low Bank House Farm in the village of Barbon where five compulsory cleansing and disinfection points have been set up. A further five mobile units are stationed in the area. The village has been declared as off-limits to members of the public unless it is "absolutely necessary". More than 800 animals have been slaughtered at Low Bank House Farm and at three other premises identified as dangerous contacts. Ray Anderson, regional operations director for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Cumbria, said: "This is a very worrying development and we are determined to hit it hard and fast. (warmwell note: "hit it hard and fast"? Isn't this what, for seven long blood-soaked months, MAFF/DEFRA have been saying they can do - and with such tragic lack of success?) "In the meantime, we would request the patience and support of local people for the measures we have put in place and for people from outside not to visit the village of Barbon unless absolutely necessary."
Sept 27

Sheep auction suffers due to foot-and-mouth crisis
Ananova

A video sheep auction has ended in disappointment as sales plummeted in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis. More than 70 animals were up for sale at the Border Leicester Sheep Society Fair in Lanark. The fair was conducted via a video feature so farmers from across the UK could check them out via a big screen from the comfort of a local hotel. But Nesta Todd, secretary of the Society of Border Leicester Sheep Breeders, says the sale was seriously affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Of the animals auctioned, only 26 ram lambs were sold, fetching an average price of £265. Last year 198 sheep were sold - 80% of the total auctioned - for an average of £293.
Sept 27

Virus reappears
The Times

A new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been identified in Lancashire, on a hill farm at Barbon, near Carnforth. It is the first time the virus has been detected in the area for six months, and brings the total number of cases nationwide to 2,028.
Sept 27

Foot and mouth scare hits Wales
Telegraph

FARMERS across Herefordshire and south Wales were in suspense yesterday after 170 sheep and lambs were slaughtered on suspicion of foot and mouth disease. After vets examining stock noticed blisters on Tuesday, a batch of 38 lambs which had arrived at a collection centre at Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, from a farm in Monmouth, south Wales, were killed. Another 132 sheep from various farms, which had arrived at the same time, were also slaughtered. A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union of Wales said the country was now anxiously awaiting blood test results. "Monmouth had been classified a high risk area because of its proximity to the Brecon Beacons, but we had been pressing for that to be changed." The last case in Wales was six weeks ago.....
Yesterday the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food launched its consultation document, asking what is wanted from farming and the countryside, and how it can be improved. Sir Donald Curry, its chairman, encouraged all who cared about farming, the countryside and food to respond.
There was one confirmed new case of foot and mouth yesterday in Carnforth, Lancs.
Sept 27

BSE cow born into 'safe' herd
Telegraph

A CASE of BSE has been confrmed for the first time in a cow born into a herd that is part of the government's Beef Assurance Scheme. The Food Standards Agency sought to reassure the public yesterday that the six-year-old animal, which came from Central Scotland, did not enter the food chain and was not dangerous. There are currently 66 Beef Assurance Scheme herds in Britain, which have 4,000 cattle; the total UK herd has 5.3 million. Seven of these herds are in Scotland. Animals belonging to the scheme, administered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on behalf of the Food Standards Agency, are accepted as having a lower risk of BSE because of safeguards. The cow with BSE was born in April 1995, and its herd became part of the scheme in November 1998. The Food Standards Agency has requested details of the animal's and herd's history. Meat from herds belonging to the scheme, set up in 1996, can be sold for eating if the cows are not older than 42 months when slaughtered. The scheme is exempt from the rule that prohibits the sale of meat from other cattle if they are older than 30 months when slaughtered. A spokesman for the agency said: "Because the animal was six years old it would never have got near the food chain." One new case of foot and mouth was confirmed yesterday, in Carnforth, Lancs.
Sept 27

Virus suspects culled at Ross market
Farmers Weekly

DEFRA veterinary surgeons ordered the immediate slaughter of 170 prime lambs sent from a Monmouthshire farm to Ross-on-Wye market. Farmers in the south-east of Wales now have to wait for the test results to see whether this brings to an end several months without a confirmed case.
Sept 26

Foot & Mouth Outbreak, GM Vaccine and Bio-warfare
Institute of Science in Society

The recent foot & mouth disease outbreak in the UK has been blamed on intensive agriculture, eco-terrorists, and globalisation. Now, evidence has emerged that it may be linked to experimental GM vaccines tested in simulated bio-warfare emergency. .......Just days after the recent deadly terrorist attacks in the United States, lawmakers and experts are predicting assaults by biological weapons besides chemical and nuclear [7]. Representative Christopher Shays, the Connecticut Republican who heads the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, said it's not a question of if there will be a biological or chemical weapons attack, but when, and of what magnitude. Shays, whose committee has held 17 hearings on terror threats, said the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon underscored the need to step up efforts to combat terrorism. This was echoed across the Atlantic. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged immediate attention to the "next threat to our collective security", noting that the people responsible for Tuesday's attacks would stop at nothing. "It should now be obvious to everyone that people who have the fanaticism and capability to fly an airliner laden with passengers and fuel into a skyscraper will not be deterred by human decency from deploying chemical and biological weapons, missiles or nuclear weapons or other forms of mass destruction, if these are available to them," Straw said. But if the foot and mouth disease outbreak in the UK was the result of a bio-warfare simulation or genetic engineering experiments gone wrong, we don't even have to wait for the terrorist attacks. The real lesson for our political leaders is that there can be no end to terrorist attacks with increasingly more deadly means, until and unless they make real effort to end all conflicts, and to bring these deadly weapons and experiments under international peaceful control.

(See text-only whole article)
Sept 26

Dumped clothing sparks new fears
Evening Chronicle

Stunned farmers found bags of foot and mouth waste dumped by the roadside. The shock discovery was made after Defra officials had culled animals on three farms in Northumberland. The waste bags, believed to contain protective suits contaminated with the disease, were found lying by the roadside next to a confirmed outbreak at Rennys Barn, Hexhamshire. It comes after the Chronicle's revelations on Monday that secret Defra documents showed officials were concerned workers were ignoring vital bio-security measures. The waste bags were spotted by Margaret Dodwell, from nearby Longlea Farm. The bags were abandoned on September 21 and only collected by officials four days later, after the Chronicle contacted Defra. Mrs Dodwell said: "I find it absolutely incredible. ............ "How can security be so lax when we are in the middle of a crisis like this? "Anyone could have come along and taken the bags." ......... "We have done everything we can to avoid this disease. There is nothing more we could have done." Teresa Gibbson, who lives at Embley farm next to Rennys Barn, photographed the waste bags. She said: "They were lying at the entrance to the farm only 14 yards from the main road. "Is it any surprise that it always seems to be the farms by the roads that get the virus?" Mrs Dodwell's own farm was culled three weeks ago and after the slaughter men left she found a rubber glove lying on the road outside. Last week a Defra official returned to the farm to ask if they had forgotten anything when they were at the farm. She added: "It makes you wonder how this disease is being spread. .........
Sept 26

Lakeland welcome for 'caring' Prince By Nigel Bunyan
Telegraph

THE Prince of Wales offered solace yesterday to Lake District farmers left devastated by the worst outbreak of foot and mouth in Britain. He spent more than an hour discussing the continuing crisis with 12 National Trust tenants in Borrowdale, then flew to Cockermouth to meet farmers and business leaders. "It's been great to see him here," said Hazel Relph, who spent more than six months marooned on her 1,500-acre farm at Rosthwaite, Borrowdale. "He's the only person who has been positive rather than just telling us what to do and what not to do. "You can tell he's a farmer. He's very well informed and he manages to convey the fact that he cares. He kept asking what he could do to help." On his helicopter flight into Borrowdale the Prince saw some of the Lakeland fields and fells left vacant by foot and mouth. Cumbria has had 891 of the 2,026 cases, with the latest confirmed at the weekend. The area has been so badly hit that the National Trust is finalising plans to offer rent rebates to its tenant farmers. Five of the Prince's own tenants on Dartmoor have had their stock slaughtered because of foot and mouth. He has therefore become accustomed to tales of misery. Will Cockbain, a National Farmers' Union official who farms in Keswick, said: "He's got a better understanding of farming problems than the politicians. We are all very grateful that he has taken the time to come and listen to us." One of Prince's aides said: "He has been in regular contact with farming organisations and charities since foot and mouth began. It has been his particular priority." The East Midlands was pronounced "foot and mouth free" by Government vets, yesterday after Leicestershire became the final county in the region to get "free" status.
Sept 26

Farming: small sector with a loud voice
Guardian

Until foot and mouth struck seven months ago, much of the rural economy was booming. But agriculture was in steep, if not terminal decline. Yet somehow the farming lobby, which wields a degree of power and influence out of all proportion to its lowly economic standing, managed to portray its industry as the mainstay of the countryside. ...........As a result of the foot and mouth crisis, some of these industries are now going to the wall, with minimal compensation. This comes at a time when the government is giving more than £5bn to farmers in compensation for slaughtered animals in an industry which, viewed on strict commercial grounds, would have been on its last legs some time ago. ..........If we are serious about the countryside (warmwell note: what does he mean "if we are serious about the countryside"? Who is "we" here? About what sort of "countryside" does he feel they are in danger of being frivolous? If traditional farming goes to the wall, as it is rapidly doing, the British landscape, loved and taken for granted by Guardian readers as well as ourselves, will be irrevocably changed. No "rural task force" will be able to make things better by kicking farmers when they are already battered and reeling. ) we should be looking at supporting other industries away from farming," Mr Rickard said. "Why pour money into an industry running down, propping it up by supporting the assets of farmers rather than jobs? It doesn't make sense." Neil Ward, professor of geography at Leeds University and a member of the government's rural task force, set up to examine the aftermath of foot and mouth, says the level of public funding for agriculture - at least another £5bn annually on top of foot and mouth compensation - is out of all proportion to its contribution to the rural economy. He says the government should be pressing hard in the European Union to divert money away from agricultural support to more productive areas of rural Britain. That message will be reinforced by the Countryside Agency, and other government advisers, over the coming weeks.....(warmwell note: the entire article is in this vein, and Peter Hetherington's readers, likely to be unaware as is most of the rest of the population of the reality of the emotional and financial desperation caused to farmers, will have their prejudices reinforced by all this. "Compensation" - payment for compulsory purchase according to EU rules; not any kind of government 'handout' - has been a powerful weapon in this well-orchestrated propaganda war waged against the small and tenant farmers of the country. Ignorance of the farmers' plight under stone-faced bureaucracy, envy of the money paid out and a deep-seated dislike of farmers is fuelled by such writing.) ...........Some are still at a loss to understand why the sheep population, the main source of foot and mouth, was allowed to increase by 50% to 22m in 20 years with hefty government subsidy - at a time when consumption of red meat was going down. "By any standards that was wasteful and hard to defend," said one former ministry insider. "The farmers couldn't believe their luck when it was sanctioned by the government."
Sept 26

News in Brief
The Times

Food safety fines Countries flouting food safety controls face fines of hundreds of thousands of pounds under plans being drawn up by the European Commission. David Byrne, the EC's Food Safety Commissioner, urged farmers' leaders to press their governments to ensure that food was safe.........Chinatown grant The Government is giving Newcastle upon Tyne's Chinese traders #20,000 to attract back customers scared off by rumours that the city's Chinatown was the source of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Money will be spent on celebrating the week-long Moon Festival.
Sept 26

Foot-and-mouth controls 'did more harm than virus'Independent

..........The CPRE said it wanted a recognition that the beauty and diversity of the countryside was an economic as well as an environmental asset, which should be better protected and restored. Rather than focusing on agricultural production, a broader vision was needed to make farming more profitable through higher quality, localised production in a countryside made more accessible for all. Farmers' leaders said they recognised that links between the countryside and urban areas were now substantial but that the means of controlling the virus was not the sole reason for the impact on the wider economy. .............
Sept 25

Spectre of virus returns to Dales
Farmers Weekly

OVER 1000 animals have been slaughtered at a farm near Settle amid fears that foot-and-mouth disease has returned to the Yorkshire Dales. Vets were called to W Sutcliffe and Sons' Home Farm, at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, at the weekend after suspicious symptoms were detected. This led to the slaughter on suspicion of 190 cattle and 850 sheep on Sunday and Monday (23-24 September). Horrified Yorkshire Dales farmers are now awaiting blood tests to see if the virus that has already wreaked havoc around Settle is back. Horton is well known as the base for walkers exploring the legendary Three Peaks -Ingleborough, Whernside and Penyghent. If confirmed, it will be the first case in the area since 25 July, when livestock were destroyed at a farm seven miles away in Giggleswick. The last case in North Yorkshire was confirmed on 18 August at a farm near Whitby. Philip Sutcliffe, who helps run the family business, said that he became concerned about the animals on Saturday when he noticed some were not eating properly. "We called the vets to be on the safe side and to safeguard the rest of the community," he said. "We were absolutely stunned. We took a lot of pride in our stock and are keeping our fingers crossed that the blood tests prove negative."
Sept 25

Farmers forced to cull healthy stock
The Journal

Northumberland farmers are having to put their livestock down because new foot-and-mouth restrictions prevent them from moving the animals to fresh pastures just a few miles away. Thousands of Northumberland hill-bred lambs and cattle, which are traditionally sold for breeding or fattening, will end up in rendering plants and landfill sites, because hill farmers, who have had little or no income since February, are running out of animal feed. Normally these animals are sold to lowland farmers but strict movement restrictions, which came into force yesterday for cattle and pigs and will start on October 1 for sheep, will prevent animals from being moved into or out of the county or the Allendale Blue Box. With the animals trapped on unsuitable farms, the only option for many farmers is the Government's animal welfare scheme, which farmers say only pays a fraction of the animal's market value. ....... Last year 22pc of the beef consumed in the United Kingdom was imported while in the current year that could increase to nearer one third. Farmer Adrian Matthews, from East Bog Farm, Bardon Mill, Northumberland, has a field full of ewe lambs near Hadrian's Wall, which should have been sold this autumn to lowland farmers and those living further down south. But although he has buyers ready for his prize-winning sheep, he is unable to move them from his farm, which is running low on grass. His frustration is increased by the fact that he can't even take them to his other farm in Cumbria about five miles away, where there is an abundance of grass, because the Government has forbidden any movements across the border. ................. The Newcastle Disease Emergency Centre said: "Our objective is to maximise impact on the disease with minimal impact on farmers. That is a balancing act." (warmwell note: Mr Griffiths, divisional veterinary manager at Newcastle, is better at spinning than balancing it seems.)
Sept 25

Petition support keeps growing
The Journal

The Journal's campaign for an independent public inquiry into the cause and handling of the foot-and- mouth crisis now has more than 20,000 supporters. By last night 20,315 readers had signed our petition and they will be included with signatures from readers of the Western Mail in Wales, the Western Morning News in Plymouth and Farmers Weekly and handed in, together, at Downing Street later in the year. Politicians from all the main parties, farmers, business people and those unfortunate enough to live near animal disposal sites, are calling on Tony Blair to hold a public inquiry into the cause and handling of the epidemic. Tony Blair's government has announced three separate inquiries - none of them public.
Sept 25

New case discovered in Allendale 'blue box'
The Journal

The 31st case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in the Allendale Blue Box yesterday. Disease was confirmed at Dukesfield Hall near Hexham, owned by BA Swallow, and 172 cattle and 1,138 sheep will now be culled. There are two contiguous premises and four dangerous contacts to be culled as a result of this latest outbreak. Arthur Griffiths, divisional veterinary manager at Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre, said: "This is another case of foot-and-mouth that was not surprising given this farm was in the middle of a cluster of previous cases." The number of animals that have been culled or are waiting to be slaughtered in the Blue Box now stands at 86,732. As the number of cases in the Blue Box increases the biosecurity zone has had to be expanded. It now stretches as far east as Harlow Hill and as far north as Bellingham.
Sept 25

Foot and mouth cure 'was worse than disease' Paul Brown
Guardian

Government mishandling associated with heavy lobbying by farmers' union led to mistaken priorities, says report....The government's handling of foot and mouth disease, rather than the disease itself, led to economic damage and hardship in rural areas and eventually hit the national economy, according to a report out yesterday. The decision to close large areas of the countryside - based on outdated government policy, 1950s ministry of agriculture (Maff) thinking and heavy lobbying by the National Farmers Union (NFU) - gave priority to food production and exports instead of tourism and rural businesses, the real money spinners for the affected areas. Farming accounts for only 2% of the country's gross domestic product and employs only 1.5% of the workforce, one fifth of the total rural economy.
The power and influence of the NFU was not balanced by any comparable rural lobby and much damage was done before the government understood the impact of its policies, says Gregor Hutcheon, acting head of rural policy at the Council for the Protection of Rural England. The government's belated forming of the rural task force, launched to try to save the other businesses hard hit by the measures taken to control foot and mouth, "has been relatively small scale compared with the massive level of activity and compensation targeted at farming". At last the government had begun to understand its mistake. "It is a tragedy, however, that it has taken such a major threat and possible lasting damage to this asset for its true value to be begin to be recognised," the report says. Mr Hutcheon said: "Maff and the NFU worked as a team to market a competitive agricultural industry dominated by that perspective, but food production is less important than the draw of the countryside because of its other qualities, beauty and diversity." Key lessons from the government's handling of the crisis include:
 The beauty, diversity and distinctiveness of the country side are major national assets worth billions of pounds to local and the national economy.
 The public benefits of pastoral farming systems, such as distinctive landscapes and wildlife habitats, in large parts of the countryside far outweigh the market value of its tradable products.
 The branding of many products, from attractive counties such as Derbyshire, add to its value in the shops.
 The environment is a major economic asset in itself. Policies which protect and foster agriculture because of misplaced belief in its economic significance will lead to disproportionate costs elsewhere Bill Ballard, a member of the Farming and Rural Business Group, said he accepted that while it was important to control foot and mouth "it might not have been sensible to close the countryside so rigorously". All farmers wanted was the chance to make a living and show a fair profit. "Most farmers would be just as happy being custodians of the countryside rather than collecting subsidies for ever-increasing production. What they would like is some kind of strategic thinking from the government about where farming is going so they can plan five years ahead. "They are prepared to be radical, and grow herbs and soft fruits if that is what is needed, but it takes time to adapt so it is all about being given a proper lead." ....... The Department of Environment said: "The Rural Task Force has put £300m into the rural economy to try and help business and promote tourism. It will shortly be reporting on its efforts to revive the countryside after foot and mouth."
Sept 25

New movement rules 'in chaos'
Farmers Weekly

THE government has been accused of gross ineptitude as new arrangements to allow autumn movements of livestock descend into chaos.
Sept 25

Charles visits Cumbrian farmers
BBC

Prince Charles is visiting Cumbria to meet those who have been hit in the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The Prince of Wales - a strong supporter of the countryside - will meet tenant farmers and hold private meetings with others including members of the local business community. During the past eight months the region has amassed more than 890 cases of the disease out of a national total of 2,026. His visit follows a report by the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) which criticised government policies devised to control the outbreak. Two months ago, he unveiled a rural action plan to help stop the economic decline in the countryside, in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Sept 25

"Mistakes put foot-and-mouth controls at risk"
Times

(warmwell note: Valerie Elliott's story echoes that of that appearing yesterday in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle and Ananova . Unlikely to escape notice is that, typical of the "careful" approach of Mr Murdoch and his journalists, this headline is in quotation marks. The story concludes European farmers' leaders at the Congress for European Agriculture in Belfast yesterday accepted the need for reform of agricultural practices and EU subsidies. with a "careful" comment from Mr Gill... )..Ben Gill, the president of the NFU, said: "In Britain the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has provided the tragic backdrop against which this debate is taking place. But farmers right across Europe are sensing the wind of change." (warmwell note: "tragic" is the right word but many of us would apply it to the inexplicable, stubborn, tragic refusal to vaccinate by the government fully backed by Mr Gill for reasons that must surely, after seven months of killing, be scrutinised most carefully)
Sept 25

F&M BLUNDERS
The Mirror

.....Mr Munro damningly claims Government efforts to prevent the spread of the disease were a "complete PR exercise". ....Hexham's Tory MP Peter Atkinson said Mr Munro's revelations show Government failure to control the crisis early enough. He added: "There was chaos, muddle and delay because of the Government's failure to act decisively and call in the army. MAFF, as it was, was totally unprepared." "When the outbreak is over there must be a full public inquiry to look at mistakes, not to find someone to blame but so that if there is another outbreak in future the same mistakes are not made again. "As for the allegations that farmers may have offered to spread the virus for compensation, none has been proved. "I simply cannot believe it as I have seen at first hand the distress caused to farming families from having their stock slaughtered." A Defra spokesman said they are investigating the claims. He added: "We can't comment until inquiries are complete." THE Government's response to foot and mouth was potentially more economically damaging than the disease itself, it was claimed yesterday. The Council for the Protection of Rural England said there is no such thing as a separate "rural economy" and the focus on agricultural production needs broadening.
Sept 25

Bio-security 'blunders' may have spread foot-and-mouth
Ananova

.......A list of alleged incidents came from a former field officer, Bryan Munro, employed on a temporary basis by Defra during the height of the crisis in Northumberland. The 47-year-old has reportedly sent secret papers and internal documentation he received during his time with the department to the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle upon Tyne. Among Mr Munro's claims, he said farmers and Defra staff ignored vital bio-security aimed at controlling the disease. He claimed he saw lorries leaving the controversial Widdrington mass burial site covered in contaminated ash and that staff on the site knew waste from burning pyres of dead, infected animals was blowing on to nearby fields and houses. He also alleged that Defra was well aware that farmers were being offered diseased animals to infect their herds and that people had reported livestock holders for throwing contaminated carcass parts into their herds and flocks. Other allegations were made that lorry drivers tried to leave farms with dirty wagons and outside contractors turned up to move animals without licences. Mr Munro said he had suffered scarring to his face and chest pains after he was sprayed by highly concentrated disinfectant on one Northumberland farm. Other Defra workers faced threats of violence from farmers, Mr Munro claimed, including one who had a shotgun levelled at him when contractors tried to remove stock. ( See original Evening Chronicle article)
Sept 24

Rotting carcases are re-buried at North site
The Journal

Rotting carcases at a controversial North-East foot-and-mouth disposal site were dug up and re-buried without the knowledge of local residents, it has emerged. Contractors at the burial pits in Widdrington, Northumberland excavated the remains of slaughtered livestock and buried them in new trenches after discovering the carcases too close to the surface. It was only after nearby villagers complained of a foul smell from the site that Defra officials admitted they had carried out the work on four days over the past two weeks. The incidents have sparked fresh anger amongst residents after it emerged that Defra informed council environmental health officials about the re-burial operations but did not tell the local community liaison committee. It is the second blunder surrounding the grisly foot-and-mouth disposal operations in the Widdrington area in the past week. Fury erupted on Friday when it was discovered that 600 tonnes of ash was being removed from the mass pyre site at Hemscott Hill - where 3,000 cattle were burned - weeks after the removal operation was supposed to have been completed.....earlier last week bloated carcases were excavated and re-buried deeper on the burial site after they had apparently risen to the surface. Yesterday Coun James Grant, who represents the Widdrington area on the county council, said both incidents had deepened the sense of distrust and suspicion which locals now felt for Defra.........."I believe there should be a vote of no confidence in Defra." ........
Sept 24

No end in sight to foot-and-mouth
The Irish Times

One of the experts (sic...warmwell note: Mr Sibley may well be an expert in his own field. In terms of FMD he would, we are sure, be the last person to describe himself as an expert) who advised the British government on how it should control foot-and-mouth disease admitted yesterday that he could not say when the disease would finally be eradicated there.

Mr Dick Sibley, who serves on the UK government's Foot and Mouth Disease Scientific Group, said that 100 farms in Britain had been infected last February before the authorities became aware of the disease.

He said that because the public veterinary services had been cut back to an unacceptable level and because of initial lack of resources, the effort to eradicate the disease had been "overwhelmed".

"Then, because public opinion began to control animal disease and science lost out, the disease continued to spread," said Mr Sibley, who is a practising vet. Mr Sibley, who was addressing a conference in Wicklow organised by the Animal and Plant Health Association, said the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, had chosen the option which involved killing the most animals, because of the upcoming election.

"The contiguous slaughter policy proved unpopular, unworkable and perhaps unnecessary in many areas. The target of slaughtering infected animals within 24 hours was rarely met,"

he said. Despite that, he said, much good work had been done and most of Britain, including all of Scotland, was now clear of the disease and so far 2,020 cases had been dealt with. "The problem is that we will continue to get sparks of infection and within the areas not yet cleared. There are probably about 20 farms which have the disease today," he said. "We will probably identify 16 of them very quickly as they will be in a three-kilometre zone but we will not be able to identify the other four and therein lies the problem," he said. Mr Sibley said if Britain was to change policy and opt for control rather than eradication, then vaccine would have to be used. He was opposed to the use of vaccine because it would lock British exporters out of world markets. ....Mr Sibley, who is president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association, said Britain's prize dairy herds, located mainly in the west of the country, were still at risk from the disease and if these were badly hit it would be disastrous for Britain..........
Sept 24

Hard decisions ahead for landowners
The Scotsman

ALTHOUGH they certainly will not see themselves as such, the protagonists in the present debate on the future of agriculture are only bit players in one of many sub-plots in a worldwide drama. They can be forgiven for their lack of perspective. Foot-and-mouth following hard on the heels of BSE is no small distraction, but unless they quickly perceive the struggle for what it really is they will put their energies into fighting the wrong enemy. .......The dilemma is acute. Do we opt for small is beautiful and invoke protection from competition we simply cannot match, while hoping nobody notices the average Scottish farm is four times the EU average size? Or do we join forces with the global warmers and argue for regionalisation and an end to moving food half-way round the world when it can be grown here - which sits uneasily with the need to export? The decision would be much easier to make if we had remained in touch with the mainstream of our society instead of adopting an ever more isolationist position. .............The relentless drive of the industry's union leadership toward bigger and bigger units in ever fewer hands is completely at variance with social sustainability and does not attract public sympathy. If our food is to be produced from a sparsely populated landscape like Kansas, then from the public perspective it might as well be in Kansas, which would have the added advantage of being subsidised by American rather than British taxpayers. The public are no longer prepared to support a tiny and ever-diminishing group of highly privileged land owners. ........
Sept 24

Animal welfare bishop backs organic farming
Ananova

A senior member of the Church of England says Christians should back organic farming methods to help improve the welfare of animals. The call comes the Right Reverend Richard Llewellin, Bishop of Lambeth and chief of staff to the Archbishop of Canterbury, at the annual service of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals in Tonbridge, Kent. The Soil Association says the Bishop's sermon is a "welcome and important development" that recognises the crucial role of organic farming in developing sustainable agriculture in Britain. The association says Bishop Llewellin's speech is particularly significant, given the Church's previously agnostic position on organic farming. Bishop Llewellin, who as Bishop of Dover spoke out against the live export of sheep and calves in the late 1990s, is a leading campaigner in the Christian animal welfare movement.

In his sermon, he discussed the role of Christians in the debate about the future of agriculture. He said the role was not one of onlooker, waiting to see what happened as those who

sought to move to a more humane and environmentally friendly form of agriculture opposed the views of those who saw animals as industrial products to be treated as such.

"There are those in the farming industry, perhaps best typified by the organic farmers, who would like to see the development of systems more sympathetic to the needs of both farm and wild animals," he said. "There are powerful industrial forces opposed to such ideas. "We as consumers have a major role to play in deciding the outcome. And, as Christian consumers, we also have an active role to play. "The creatures man uses and so often abuses are voiceless and helpless. We are not. We have pens with which to write to politicians and retailers; voices with which to speak out; shopping choices which can have a major impact on the outcome of the debate; organisations to join; even, on appropriate occasions, banners to carry," said the Bishop.
posted Sept 24

Sheep fair exhibits cardboard cut-outs
Telegraph

AN annual sheep fair dating from medieval times will take place on Saturday despite foot and mouth restrictions - using home-made models in place of live animals. The crisis had threatened the traditional event in Masham, North Yorks, before organisers came up with the novel solution. Pens will be set up as usual in the market square to accommodate an array of cardboard cut-outs, pantomime ewes and dogs dressed as sheep. The fair, which usually attracts animals, owners and dealers from throughout northern England, will raise funds for farmers suffering from the crisis......
Sept 24

Farmhouse producers get no help under aid rules
Sunday Telegraph

Christopher Booker's Notebook... A LAST-MINUTE bureaucratic rebuff to two small West Country food-producers has highlighted the crazy anomalies arising from the Government's much-vaunted scheme to provide emergency aid to small firms that are threatened with disaster by the knock-on effects of the foot and mouth crisis.

Neil Robyns, a sausage-maker, and Lawrence Wright, a cheesemaker, were both promised aid by the South-west Regional Development Agency, until officials looked at the small print of the European Union rules governing compensation payments. Mr Robyns's and Mr Wright's mistake was that their sausages and cheese come from their own pigs and sheep. If they had bought in their raw materials from elsewhere, they would qualify for aid. But because they rear their own animals, under EU rules they are classified as "primary agriculture". Aid to help their businesses survive would therefore be illegal.......when they apply to the Government for emergency aid, first they are promised help, then the officials find a tortuous excuse to withdraw it. It is hard to imagine any other EU government behaving like this to its small, high-quality food producers. And if any readers would like to help Mr and Mrs Robyns's admirable business to survive, their website is www.pomeroyrarebreeds.co.uk.
(See whole article here) Sept 23

The student prince
Sunday Telegraph

PRINCE WILLIAM'S arrival at university today brings an end to an adventure filled gap year that he wished he could do all over again. Prince William: 'I got my hands dirty, did all the chores and had to get up at 4am' Yet amazingly, the part he enjoyed the most was ......his short stint working as a farm labourer in England. Paid only the minimum wage of £3.20 an hour, rising before dawn to milk cows and performing mucky jobs along with the rest, William rated his month on a dairy farm in the south west of England above any of the more exotic experiences he enjoyed abroad...."I loved my gap year and wish I could have another one," he said.

"But the best bit was in England. I loved working on a farm, before foot-and-mouth, which is partly why I've got so much sympathy for the farmers who have suffered so much from it.

"It was the best part of my year. I enjoyed the fact that I was put in as a hand and was paid and was just another guy on the farm. I got my hands dirty, did all the chores and had to get up at 4am. I got to see a completely different lifestyle."
Sept 23

What happened to the other news?
BBC

Amid the flood of coverage on the US attacks, the BBC's Stephen Cviic in Washington wonders if there's a danger that other important issues will be neglected.....But what happens to all the things we used to care about? Migration, the world economy, the rise of China, foot-and-mouth. Was it all trivia? Are we human beings fated to find things to worry about even when our lives are basically all right? Now we really do have a pressing concern, everything else fades away. ..These things matter....... We need to keep working on that attention span.
Sept 23

Anger flares as more pyre ash found
icnewcastle Journal

Hundreds of tonnes of ash have been found buried at a North-East foot-and-mouth disposal site which was supposed to have been cleared a month ago. The discovery, at the Widdrington site in Northumberland, has sparked fury in nearby communities. Local people watched in disbelief yesterday as contractors used a mechanical digger to scoop soil and ash on to lorries at Hemscott Hill, where a vast pyre was used to incinerate thousands of dead sheep and cattle. What was thought to be the last of the ash was removed under tight biosecurity conditions by contractors in August while assurances were given that the site, near the popular Druridge Bay nature reserve, would be reinstated as soon as possible. It is understood the ash was discovered during those landscaping works. Few of those biosecurity measures were in place when yesterday's operation to remove up to 600 tonnes of ash-laden soil began, with workers in casual clothing moving on and off the site without disinfecting. The Journal arrived to see contractors, many not dressed in coveralls, apparently taking few precautions when entering and leaving the restricted area, which still bears foot-and-mouth warning signs. Within minutes, however, all workers had donned protective clothing and a mobile spray unit was put into operation. Last night a Defra spokesman said not all areas on the site required the wearing of protective clothing and they had received assurances about the biosecurity measures from contractors. Residents called in police after seeing ash wagons head out in the opposite direction to a route agreed with Defra, designed to keep the waste away from local villages. Officers instructed drivers to turn around and use the agreed route, towards the village of Cresswell and then on to the Blyth to Newcastle road. Widdrington councillor James Grant, who campaigned for better consultation between the authorities and residents, described the latest situation as "absolute mis-management." .......

"It goes against everything we have been promised and makes the case for a full independent public inquiry even more justified," he said.

"You don't just lose 600 tonnes of ash. I think this is a massive embarrassment to Defra."

A spokesman for Defra confirmed that up to 600 tonnes of "residual deposits" from burning had been uncovered during the reinstatement works which started this week.

He also admitted it hadn't consulted either the local liaison committee or local authorities, saying this was because the work was considered "ancillary" to the earlier removal of the main ash pyre. The spokesman denied deliberately keeping people in the dark as to what was happening.

....... Asked about the alleged lax biosecurity on the site, he said: "There are clean and dirty areas on that site and areas where casual clothes do not present a problem to the security. We take biosecurity very seriously and if we thought our contractors were not observing the strict guidelines, we would take action. "We have been assured by our contractors that they are meeting standards." Community liaison committee member Peter Kull said members felt Defra had reneged on its promises to keep local people informed.
Sept 22

Farmers blast 'disarray' over livestock licences
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS in Yorkshire are incensed at being unable to obtain animal movement licences and claim that new schemes are in disarray. Attempts to get licences to move their livestock under new foot-and-mouth disease regulations have been thwarted by delays and conflicting instructions from different Government bodies, they say. The National Farmers Union said last night that despite the new movement schemes being announced on September 4, it had not heard of a single farmer being granted a licence and that in some cases, officials who should be able to give advice to farmers were themselves still awaiting details. The NFU said it had been unable to obtain clarification on even basic points of the schemes, which suggested that they had still not been fully developed. "......... The authorities appear to be in disarray. "The proposals to move livestock should have been properly developed and thought out before being announced. Instead what we have today is a shambolic situation which both confuses and frustrates farmers who are already under considerable strain.

"No farmer we have spoken to has been able to get a movement licence under the new legislation."

Dr Birnie said the movement schemes were vital for the farming industry to begin its long road to recovery. A spokesman at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "The scheme does not start in high-risk counties until next Monday for cattle and pigs, so no licences would have been sent out yet.For sheep the scheme starts on October 1. We are confident that all our staff know the full details of the scheme and licences will start going out next week"..... Sept 22

Britain is 'well prepared' for terror anthrax attack
Telegraph

ANIMAL corpses seen by a spy satellite were cited by intelligence sources yesterday as evidence that Osama bin Laden may have tested biological weapons at training camps in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, a former chief scientist, Sir William Stewart, warned the British Association that a country that cannot get a grip on foot and mouth is vulnerable to attack by biological weapons.

Britain, however, is well prepared to deal with bio-terrorism, the Public Health Laboratory Service's annual scientific conference in Warwick was told this week by Dr Nigel Lightfoot, the service's northern group director. The conference discussed Exercise Misty Scene, a Home Office and Department of Health exercise that studied a theoretical anthrax attack. Dr Lightfoot said: "It looks at the diagnosis and identification of people affected, and how public health laboratories would have to respond to the National Health Service and support them during that time."
There has been nervousness over the threat of bio-terrorism since 1995, when the Aum Shinrikyo cult attacked the Tokyo subway with the nerve agent sarin and released anthrax spores.
Soviet scientists who have prepared weapons-grade anthrax and smallpox have emigrated and may have sold their expertise to terrorist groups.
The first symptoms of anthrax, plague and many other agents resemble those of flu - headaches, fevers, aching muscles, coughing - so it could take days, depending on the agent, before officials realise an attack had been made. The service's 49 laboratories would provide surveillance information. "These laboratories and specialist reference laboratories at the PHLS headquarters in north London would provide diagnostic experts," said Dr Lightfoot. If bio-terrorists did release anthrax, the first job would be to decide how many people had been exposed, said Dr Lightfoot, assuming an incubation period of about two days. "Doctors would be giving antibiotics to those people to protect them from infection," he said. Britain also resumed production of the anthrax vaccine at a new facility based at Porton Down in Wiltshire.

However, a United States government sponsored bio-terrorism exercise earlier this year concluded that America, which has also done much to prepare for this threat, "lacks adequate strategies, plans and information systems to manage a crisis of this type or magnitude". Sept 22

USDA warns: Livestock operations tempting target for bioterrorists
Dodge Globe

..... experts told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee's panel on emerging threats said that terrorists' attempts to infect American crops or livestock with diseases could easily avoid detection. The examples they used: foot-and-mouth disease and Karnal bunt....''We are more concerned about animal health threats than plant health threats. Karnal bunt is not going to come in here and wipe out our wheat crop. ... Foot-and-mouth disease is more of a concern,'' said Tom Sim, program manager for plant protection at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Sept 22

Antibodies found in Devon sheep
BBC Devon

More than 300 sheep have been slaughtered at a farm in Devon, after foot-and-mouth antibodies were spotted in some of the flock. The blood tests were carried out at Chevithorne Farm near Tiverton. Throat swabs have been taken to see if the sheep carried the virus, and the results will be known next week. In the meantime, a 3km restriction has been placed around the farm. The department of the environment, food and rural affairs says that the discovery of antibodies will not have any implications for Devon's designated "at risk" status. Farmers are hoping that the status - which restricts the movement of sheep and goats - will be relaxed next month. Defra says that will only be jeopardised by positive throat swabs....(warmwell note: it must be remembered that these imposed restrictions are on orders from our own government and have nothing to do with EU regulations. Similarly, killing sheep because they have antibodies has always been both cruel and illogical. There are many animals elsewhere in Europe that have antibodies dating from before the removal of the general vaccination policy) posted Sept 22

Foot and mouth vaccination is not the answer Author: Prof David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser
Telegraph

Prof David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, explains why he believes that culling was the right way to deal with the crisis NEITHER I nor my science group has ever proposed a mass, nationwide vaccination programme to tackle this crisis. (Please see the full article here with warmwell notes) Sept 21

Foot and mouth benefits uplands
Telegraph

ENGLISH Nature called for a halving of sheep numbers in the uplands yesterday after a report showed that rare flowers have bloomed for the first time in many years as a result of reduced grazing due to the foot and mouth epidemic. Yet the interim assessment of the ecological effects of foot and mouth disease carried out by the Government's conservation advisers warned that in the lowlands foot and mouth restrictions and the removal of livestock were endangering the marsh fritillary butterfly and the Lundy cabbage. On the plus side, said the report, rare plants such as the marsh saxifrage, hairy stonecrop and alpine forget-me-not bloomed and set seed for the first time in many years in upland areas such as the Moor House and Upper Teesdale national nature reserve on the borders of Cumbria and Co Durham. Cottongrass, an important food source for the black grouse, had flowered and seeded prolifically for the first time in many years. Heather had also thrived as a result of the removal of sheep. Around Skiddaw in the Cumbrian fells, where many flocks of sheep have been lost, including an estimated 60 per cent of those on common land, English Nature said the lack of grazing would not damage flora and fauna provided it did not last more than a couple of years, but that there might be a flush of oakwood and juniper regeneration. In the Solway marshes, where all the livestock on the southern side were lost to foot and mouth, English Nature warned that over-wintering geese could be put off by rank dead grass if mowing was not carried out. Elsewhere in the lowlands, English Nature warned that culling and movement restrictions were threatening the viability of livestock agriculture in the Culm grassland habitat in Devon, which supports the internationally rare marsh fritillary butterfly. In the Malvern Hills, the high brown fritillary butterfly was in a precarious state and could be affected by lack of grazing and bracken cutting. The effects of foot and mouth were also said to be threatening the viability of wildlife in the valley of the Wye. (warmwell note : the effect of foot and mouth could also be said to be threatening the viability of other life too - that of the rural communities, farm animals, traditional farming and civil liberty, but by all means let us rejoice with English Nature in the new numbers of hairy stonecrop and Lundy cabbage.)

French ban on British beef 'breaks EU law'
Financial Times

France is breaking European Union law by refusing to lift an import ban on British beef because of fears over mad cow disease, an adviser to the EU's highest court said on Thursday. Jean Mischo, an Advocate General at the European Court of Justice, said the French government was not justified in banning meat coming directly from the UK. However, he said France could have a case for prohibiting British beef imported indirectly via another country, because of the lack of an EU-wide tracing system for beef in 1999, when British beef exports resumed. The Advocate General's opinion is not binding on the 15-member court, which will rule on the matter in the coming months. However, in about 80 per cent of cases, the full court follows the Advocate General's advice.........All British beef exports were banned in March 1996 after a link was made between BSE, or mad cow disease, and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a fatal brain wasting disease in humans, which has so far claimed more than 100 victims. The ban was lifted from August 1999 for beef produced under extremely strict conditions but France refused to allow imports following advice from its own food safety agency, even though the EU's leading scientific committee had backed the decision to allow the trade to resume. .....The French claimed the case was of vital importance in the field of public health throughout the EU. If the full court follows Mr Mischo's advice, France will be required to come into line with the ruling and end the ban. In theory, if it refused to do so, the Commission could take France back to court and ask it to impose a fine, although this has only ever been done on one previous occasion. British beef exports are currently subject to a ban anyway because of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the country. Sept 21

Foot-mouth threat to county
Westrn Daily Press

....THE spectre of foot-and-mouth returned to haunt Gloucestershire last night as DEFRA ordered the slaughter of 120 sheep on a farm in Stinchcombe, near Dursley. The flock was culled on Richard Lampard's Goldwick Farm in a precautionary operation after one animal developed a suspicious -looking mouth lesion. A small number of others were reportedly found with similar symptoms during the slaughtering operation.......But the discovery has already put back plans to declare Gloucestershire a disease-free county. The last of its 76 cases was confirmed in St Briavels on April 17, and on September 25 DEFRA officials were poised to give the county the all-clear. But as movement restrictions were immediately placed on a ten-kilometre radius around Goldwick Farm, that prospect was rapidly receding. ...Sept 20

.

Foot and mouth scare near Highgrove estate
Telegraph

A FLOCK of 119 ewes suspected of having foot and mouth disease were slaughtered 16 miles west of the Prince of Wales's estate at Highgrove, Glos, yesterday. If tests confirm the presence of the disease at Goldwick Farm, Lower Wick, Dursley, it will be the first case in the county since April 4. The farmer is understood to have reported lesions in his sheep which were in an area between previous outbreaks. Gloucestershire was the sixth worst county affected by the disease. The National Farmers' Union said the slaughter was "worrying". "The message of Northumberland is that after three or four months of the disease you cannot be sure it won't reappear." There were no confirmed cases of foot and mouth reported yesterday. Sept 20

Disease flare-up fear
The Times

A FLARE-UP of foot-and-mouth is feared in Gloucestershire after the first case to be found in the county for five months was suspected. Vets ordered the slaughter of 200 sheep at Dursley yesterday after lesions were spotted in a ewe's mouth. Vets have delayed a cull of adjacent farms until the results of blood tests are known. The last case in the county, where there have been a total of 76, was on April 17 at St Briavels, near Lydney. Sept 20

FARMERS READY TO IGNORE LAW
Barrow Evening Mail

MORE than 100 angry Furness farmers gave the government an ultimatum last night - lift foot-and-mouth restrictions or we will start moving our livestock regardless of the law. On Monday the Furness peninsula became unique in Britain as the only disease-free area where farmers cannot buy or sell livestock. At the heated meeting 120 farmers met senior National Farmers' Union officers at The Old Mill, near Bardsea, to issue their threats. One farmer said: "We are dying here. We cannot trade anywhere in the country. "Soon we will be forced to have our animals put down under the welfare scheme. "What can the government do, prosecute us all if we start moving our animals?" To add to farmers' woes blood testing of all livestock in Furness has begun. If one animal is found to be carrying the disease, (warmwell note: i.e. if one animal is found to have developed antibodies to protect it and its young against the disease) slaughtering and culling will resume across the peninsula. NFU Ulverston spokes-man Tom Hodgson said: "It has been so long since the last outbreak I am confident we are now disease-free." On Monday Defra experts in London declared Cumbria a high-risk county because of the disease outbreaks near Penrith. No farmer can buy or sell animals outside the county, only inside Cumbria. Furness farmers are the wrong side of a Defra infection line, stretching from Aldingham, through Dalton to Broughton and past Millom, where it finishes. Their animals cannot cross the line, which splits some Furness farms in half. This means they cannot trade with the rest of the county, leaving them isolated and only able to trade among themselves.

Mr Hodgson said: "Defra in Carlisle agree it is a ridiculous situation but London will not move the line.

We are disease-free here but because above the line is still classed an infected area we cannot trade across it. "Unless something is done there will be very serious animal welfare (consequences) ...." posted Sept 20

Use virus cash to quit - Tory MP
Farmers Weekly

The chairman of a House of Commons select committee has urged dairy farmers to consider using foot-and-mouth compensation to quit the industry. Tory MP David Curry, chairman of the select committee on environment, food and rural affairs, said payments meant older farmers could retire gracefully. "Foot-and-mouth compensation offers a better payoff than any other form of exit from the industry," he told listeners at the Dairy Event in Warwickshire. "If some producers don't take it then they will be acting against their best interests." posted Sept 20

Experts state case for vaccination
Westmorland Gazette

RAPID diagnosis equipment for foot-and-mouth disease - capable of giving a result within two hours - was demonstrated at a packed meeting at Penrith on Sunday when vets and farmers heard the case for vaccination from three leading world experts. The machine was "the future", said Professor Fred Brown, currently working as an adviser to the U.S. Government, and could have saved many healthy animals from the terrible culling that had taken place. But MAFF had not taken up the option to use it when they were approached at the start of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in this country in March, said Professor Brown. MAFF representatives had said they were "overwhelmed" by what had to be done, and they would consider using the equipment "maybe later". It had been an ideal opportunity to test the equipment on the farm, said Professor Brown, with no chance of passing on the virus, and would have provided the chance to validate the test. It could be hooked up to a central control, with the answer available at the farm gate which could then be transmitted anywhere in the world.

"It's the future - it is a shame it wasn't used," said Professor Brown.

Professor Brown told the meeting, organised by 'The Heart of Cumbria' organisation and attended by nearly 300 members of the farming community, that he would be meeting the Government's chief scientist the following day to "tell him what I have told you tonight."
Asked from the floor if the Government would "listen this time", Professor Brown replied, "I am not a mind reader".
Professor Brown has worked with the foot-and-mouth virus since 1955 and is currently based at the Plum Island animal health research facility in New York. He told the meeting that his work in the U.S. involved researching infectious agents and that there was "a great fear" in America about bio terrorism.
Describing himself as a great supporter of vaccination, Professor Brown advocated drawing a ring around an infected farm after culling had taken place, but then beginning to vaccinate from the edge of the ring towards the centre. In this way, he said, protection from the disease could be given in four to five days.
Also addressing the meeting, Dr Simon Barteling, an international consultant on foot-and-mouth disease said it was essential to realize that the virus "had no wings, no legs" and that it was transferred by carriers. One of the disadvantages of culling was that it involved a large number of contractors, said Dr Barteling. The foot-and-mouth virus was like fine dust, he said and capable of getting into all corners and all places. Dr Barteling said he was convinced that one of the main factors in keeping the disease going was people working on infected premises and returning to their own homes, still contaminated.
The meeting was told by a third member of the panel, Dr Paul Sutmoller, who has worked on the prevention and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in Latin America and the Caribbean, that rumours that vaccinated meat could not be eaten were not true. "You have been eating vaccinated meat for some years now, from Brazil and Argentina," he told the meeting. Commenting after the discussion, patron of The Heart of Cumbria', Lady Lowther, said the organisation would be holding a meeting to discuss writing to the Government to discuss the points raised about vaccination. posted Sept 20

CJD fear over French beef imports
The Times

NEW controls on beef imports from the Continent are urgently needed because of rising incidence of "mad cow" disease in France, a leading government adviser on BSE said yesterday. Food safety watchdogs should also step up surveillance of beef and beef products from Germany, Spain, Greece and Italy, Roy Anderson told the first public meeting of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC). He said that risks from eating British beef were now very low but he predicted that in France next year there would be a significant BSE problem and that the country would overtake the number of cases in British cattle. He was concerned about France, Germany and Spain in particular, but he also expected Italy and Greece to report a sharp rise in the number of new cases. ( warmwell note: no word on why Prof Anderson makes such predictions) Professor Anderson, head of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College, London, said that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had been advised to increase surveillance of beef imports from the Continent. ( warmwell note: by whom?) Officials should also be looking at the precise content of meat products. ............... He said that his concerns were based on a rapid increase of cases on the Continent, which he believed was caused by meat and bone meal being fed to livestock, even though the practice was banned throughout the EU. The number of cases in Germany has risen from seven last year to 95 this year; in France the figure was 30 in 1999, 162 last year and is 152 so far this year; next year there are expected to be more than 300 cases. The decline of cases in Britain has been rapid, with 1,355 last year, 468 so far this year and the figure estimated to fall below 300 next year. ( warmwell note: Why? Where do these predicted numbers come from? The same source as that which foretold the end of FMD on June 9th?) Harriet Kimbell, consumer representative on SEAC, backed Professor Anderson's comments. "Members of the public should be aware of what has been said at this open forum and know what the BSE statistics are in other countries." she said. It was a matter for ministers and Sir John Krebs, chairman of the FSA, to decide on what action to take.

Fears about a rise in BSE cases on the Continent are certain to incense EU states, which blame Britain for exporting the disease to them.

Professor Anderson, who has also advised the Government on the foot-and-mouth outbreak, was optimistic yesterday, however, about the number of people in Britain now likely to contract variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of BSE. He hopes shortly to publish new forecasts suggesting that the upper figure will be considerably less than the 100,000 previously estimated. New research also published at yesterday's meeting of SEAC showed from an analysis of vCJD victims that many worked in the catering industry. So far 101 people have died from the disease and another five are probable cases. The average age for onset of the disease is 27 and the average length of illness before death is 13 months. The youngest victim so far was 14, and the oldest was 74. (warmwell note: no proven link has yet been established between the eating of beef and nvCJD. See similar unsubstantiated story from the BBC almost a year ago) ..........Sept 19 The Telegraph runs the same story Sept 19

Hauliers likely to lose cash plea
Scotsman

SCOTLAND'S livestock hauliers, hard hit by lost income and increased costs because of foot-and-mouth restrictions, have asked the Scottish executive for consequential compensation. But the executive looks set to rule out moves towards further compensation, in spite of a sympathetic hearing given to industry leaders. After a meeting yesterday with Ross Finnie, the rural development minister, Phil Flanders, the Scottish regional director of the Road Haulage Association, said:"At last we have found someone prepared to sit down and listen to us. If Mr Finnie was unaware of the seriousness of the situation before we met, he certainly has a firm grasp on the issue now."....... .....But as with the tourism industry and many small rural businesses as well as farmers affected by restrictions who have not actually lost stock, EU rules prevent consequential compensation. Mr Flanders said: "If we are unable to achieve a satisfactory conclusion we shall take this to Brussels." ............. Scotland is officially free of the disease and it was announced yesterday that the toughest restrictions had been lifted on 7,000 premises in England. But new cases continue close to the Border. Of eight outbreaks in the 30th complete week of the epidemic, the lowest weekly total since it began, all were in either Cumbria or Northumberland. Sept 19

Disease keeps its grasp on the stricken dale
Newcastle Journal

Another case of foot-and-mouth was confirmed in the Allendale disease hotspot yesterday, bringing the total to 26. Disease was confirmed at Black Hall, Steel, near Hexham, resulting in the slaughter of 103 cattle, 333 ewes and 458 lambs. Divisional veterinary manager at Newcastle disease emergency centre Arthur Griffiths said: "This outbreak is within 3km of three previous infected premises. Whilst disappointing it is not unexpected." A spokesman for Defra said he believed there were four dangerous contact farms and upwards of 100 cattle and 850 sheep would have to be killed. Thousands more animals were slaughtered yesterday as a direct result of the two foot-and-mouth cases confirmed near Hexham at the weekend.........
However, Defra admitted that the blood tests revealed no sign of the virus, although vets stressed this did not mean the disease had not been present. Farmer Ken Lumley said: "We don't know if the animals had foot-and-mouth or not but the vets decided that there were enough clinical signs and had to make a tough decision." Durham county councillor John Shuttleworth criticised the decision. He said: "Defra is the Ministry of mishaps. They are destroying people's livelihoods and should be called to account through a public inquiry, which is being called for by The Journal." A Defra spokesman said: "The results did come back negative but vets said the clinical signs of foot-and-mouth were there. "You can get a negative test result even though the disease is present." (warmwell note: No you cannot. That is just a blatant lie.) .Sept 18

Effort to save lives of fell sheep
Journal

Cumbria's marts are joining forces to help save the county's fell sheep, which are under threat because of foot-and-mouth disease. Hill farmers in the region are desperate to sell their lambs to lowland farmers before winter comes, as they are running out of grass. But many of the traditional wintering places in Cumbria for the thousands of young fell sheep, such as dairy farms on the Solway Plain, are out of bounds this year because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Government officials have already said no livestock sales will take place in Cumbria this autumn. This means the only outlet for these animals will be the Government's welfare disposal scheme. Farmers don't want to see these healthy breeding sheep killed under the scheme, so the marts plan to create a huge register outlining land and housing for the animals. The scheme is aimed at lining up those Cumbrian farmers with keep available, to those with livestock which must be moved to better grazing or housing before winter. Cattle will also be included in the scheme. .......

"It will be a disaster if our Cumbrian fell farms lose all their young breeding ewes to the Defra welfare system, which will happen if they can't find keep for them this winter."

Members of the Cumbria Association of Livestock Auctioneers came up with the idea after Defra recently announced further clampdowns, essentially stopping all movement of livestock in or out of Cumbria. Auctioneers Penrith Farmers' & Kidd would normally sell 110,000 hill sheep at their marts at Lazonby, Penrith and Kirby Stephen in the autumn. PF&K livestock manager Chris Dodds said: "We have to try and retain the important fell sheep bloodlines and prevent them being wastefully slaughtered at a ridiculously low price on the Defra welfare scheme." Sept 18

Experts demand global vaccination programme for foot-and-mouth vaccination strategy
Independent

(this story appeared on September 8th. it is time to recall it) A massive, and perhaps global, animal vaccination programme should be considered .... experts said yesterday. They warned that America, where farmers and administrators were "absolutely terrified" of the possible effects of a widespread outbreak, might be the next to fall victim to the disease. Speaking at the British Association science festival, Fred Brown, a British professor and one of the world's leading foot-and-mouth experts, said he wanted to see the disease wiped off the face of the planet. Professor Brown, of the US Department of Agriculture's Plum Island Animal Disease Centre in New York, said: "I dream that we should get rid of this disease from the world." ....(Woolhouse)"We should look very closely at [preventive] vaccination. The problem is that we live not just in a global village, but on a global farm. Diseases like foot-and-mouth can spread very rapidly where you don't expect them." The transport of animals meant the disease was all over Britain "before we even knew it was here". Dave Rowlands, professor of viral microbiology at the University of Leeds, added his voice to calls for vaccination. He said: "I spoke to a vaccine manufacturer the other day who said that each dose of vaccine would cost a few tens of pence. And farmers could carry out the vaccinations - they already do for other diseases." He added: "Given that there's so much foot-and-mouth around the world, it's inevitable that it will be introduced to any susceptible - that is, unvaccinated - population. The US will get it eventually." Professor Brown, a strong supporter of vaccination, said America was "frightened to death" of the possibility of foot-and-mouth emerging there. It last had an outbreak in the 1920s. "If it arrived at a cattle market in the US, by the time you knew the disease had occurred, the animals would be all over the place. They travel hundreds of miles in a day." Vaccination is opposed by farmers (warmwell note: i.e. by the unelected NFU executive but not the majority of farmers) as a way of controlling the British outbreak because it would take longer before exporters could guarantee their products were "disease-free". European countries used it as a preventive measure, which wiped out endemic problems until 1991, when Britain persuaded the European Union members to stop using it on the grounds of complexity - there are four strains of foot-and-mouth - and expense. Those rules had changed, said Professor Brown. He said: "Governments should not be asking what they might do to deal with foot-and-mouth next time, but what they do next, right away." Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and South Africa have all been hit by outbreaks in the past few years. "I think it's made everybody sit up when they've realised that the UK, a really developed country, can't deal with it," Professor Brown said. Britain had never vaccinated, but Argentina and Uruguay had done so because of serious infections, Professor Brown said. "There has to be a real international debate about what to do about FMD [foot-and-mouth disease],"he added. Professor Woolhouse said forecasting an end to the British outbreaks was impossible. "We're sitting on the disease, we're not driving it away like we were in April." posted September 18

Foot-and-mouth restrictions lifted at 7,000 farms
Ananova

The Government says foot-and-mouth restrictions have been lifted on almost 7,000 premises. The announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will come as a welcome relief to affected farmers in North Yorkshire and north-west England. A further boost to the beleaguered industry is the news that tests on two suspected cases of foot-and-mouth in Leicester have proved negative. (warmwell note: as usual, the animals are dead before they hear the good news) The ending of the Thirsk Biosecurity Infection Area - or Blue Box - this weekend means the lifting of restrictions for 1,561 farms in North Yorkshire. And 5,429 farms in Cheshire, Blackburn, Darwen, Bolton Bury, Salford, St Helens, Trafford, Warrington and Wigan will benefit from the lifting of the Northern England Infection area. The success of the Thirsk scheme is expected to give hope to farmers in Hexham and Penrith where restriction programmes are in place. Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Lord Whitty said it had been a good weekend for thousands of farmers. The lifting of restrictions meant, he added, that those areas were now "at risk rather than high risk". "This means that farmers will have more options to move lifestock under the Autumn Movement Restrictions. I am glad our campaign against foot-and-mouth is continuing to bring relief to Britain's farming industry." The minister said developments did not mean that people in Thirsk or other infected zones "should let their guard down". Sept 18 (please see comment on Today page )

Farmer's Diary
Glasgow Herald

Potions, the son-in-law who has taken over at Little Ardo and so has to endure the new hassles imposed as foot-and-mouth precautions, had five bulls for the slaughterhouse this week. ...Sadly, it is costing him three times as much as the Farmer used to pay for the trip to the slaughterhouse. .......Each farmer must have a whole float to himself. Potions has to pay £60 to get his beasts to market against the £20 it used to cost the Farmer. Even the man who has only two beasts needs a dedicated float nowadays.....Bulls are particularly difficult to load. They are high-spirited, which is no help, but they are most difficult when, like those yearlings, they have been kept close together inside since early weaning. Such bulls can't be forced inside by crowding them because they are used to being crowded and don't respond. You daren't use a stick for fear of giving the butchers an excuse to take money off for alleged bruising. The disruption caused by this year's disease seems like a great contrast to the outbreak of 1952. As I told you last week, I've been reading my father's diary for that year. It seems that, though farming was a much bigger part of the economy then, foot-and-mouth didn't dominate everything.

The Farmer was 13 then. He had rushed for the papers every day to see how the Korean war was going, and he had been consumed by the election of the previous year when Mr Atlee was thrown out and Mr Churchill put back where many people thought he belonged. But he can't remember anything about the epidemic of 1952. Even my father, who not only wrote up his diary every day but sold it to a monthly farming journal, only mentioned foot-and-mouth twice, though it was the first outbreak in the north-east of Scotland since 1942 and started a mere 15 miles away at Fisherie........Sept 18

Now Eavis pulls the plug on FarmAid
Western Daily Press

MUSIC guru Michael Eavis has called off his huge benefit concert for beleaguered farmers next month. The Glastonbury festival organiser said he was too stunned by last week's terrorism attack in America to push ahead with the Farm Aid gig at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. " The tragedy in America and the potential repercussions are absolutely devastating," he said. " Everyone's thoughts are focused on one thing and one thing only now, and rightly so. " I know foot-and-mouth is still around and farmers are still suffering, but it's very hard to get that across in the present climate of the American tragedy. " I just thought cancelling it was the right thing to do." Farm Aid was due to take place at the 60,000 capacity stadium on October 27. ............. He denied the difficulty in signing up a big name had been his motive for cancelling the event. Mr Eavis said there was a possibility he would resurrect plans for Farm Aid during the winter or next spring, but that it was too early to make promises. Ian Johnson, South West spokesman for the National Farmers Union said farmers would not begrudge his decision. " However traumatic the plight of farmers has been, it pales into insignificance next to this tragedy" he said Sept 18

Farmers will determine whether hunts go ahead
Telegraph

A BAN on hunting because of foot and mouth disease will continue until farmers are happy for the sport to resume, the Council of Hunting Associations said yesterday. .................... Individual masters also will have to determine that a majority of farmers are prepared to have the sport resume in each hunt country. ..................... Meanwhile, the RSPCA said yesterday that gross animal suffering could have been avoided during the worst of the foot and mouth crisis. It told the National Audit Office inquiry into the outbreak that animal welfare had been compromised by delays in issuing welfare disposal and animal movement licences, inadequate supervision of slaughter and piece-rate payments that rewarded speedy slaughter. ...... Sept 18

VACCINATION IS THE ANSWER, SAY EXPERTS
Evening News and Star

VACCINATION is the way to bring foot and mouth under control rapidly in Cumbria, a packed forum in Penrith was told by experts last night. It was also revealed that all three speakers, international experts Professor Fred Brown, Dr Simon Barteling and Dr Paul Sutmoller, had been asked to meet the Government chief scientific adviser Professor David King in London this afternoon.

This was seen as indicating that vaccination might still be under consideration, despite Prof King's assurances to a Cumbrian delegation last week that the slaughter policy would overcome the disease. ....... Prof Brown said the vaccine had been available to give disease protection within four or five days and avoid the tremendous loss of uninfected animals. Maff had been asked in March if the current outbreak could be used to validate a test able to detect all 70 types of foot and mouth in two hours, but said it was overwhelmed with what it had to do and "maybe later". Dr Barteling warned that the virus ravaging Cumbria was a "guerilla" strain which often went underground. "Restocking in an unvaccinated situation means risk," said Dr Barteling. "To control disease rapidly, vaccination is the answer."
No vaccinated animal had been known to cause new disease, Dr Barteling added.
Dr Sutmoller said people in the UK had been eating meat from vaccinated cattle for 30 years in imports from South America. Britain might have to reconsider its "disease-free" status. In February it became a high-risk country which exported foot and mouth to several other countries, said Dr Sutmoller. Prof Brown is visiting scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture's Plum Island Animal Disease Center. He has worked with foot and mouth since 1955. Dr Barteling is an international consultant on foot and mouth, and was head of the EU Community Co-ordinating Institute for Foot and Mouth Disease. Dr Sutmoller is a vet who has worked for more than 35 years on the prevention, control and eradication of foot and mouth in Latin America and the Caribbean Sept 17

RSPCA warns over 'suffering animals'
This is Lancashire

......The RSPCA fears a new ban imposed on animal movement could result in animal feed shortages and overcrowding because livestock cannot be moved to better pasture or sent to slaughter. .....The RSPCA has written to around 5,700 farmers in the areas worst affected by foot and mouth, including those in the Ribble Valley. ....RSPCA chief veterinary officer Chris Laurence said: "We have been concerned for some time that food shortages would begin to cause major problems in the autumn. "The latest extension of movement restrictions means the animal welfare concerns we anticipated are likely to be much more severe. "We are urging farmers to ask for help rather than waiting and hoping for the best." The RSPCA's work during the crisis has included co-ordinating offers of food and bedding, helping farmers prevent suffering and ensuring bio-security measures are in place. It has so far cost the charity £1million. It is also working with Government officials to speed up slaughter on welfare grounds. Lancashire farmers have also been dealt a further blow following the decision by the Government to define the area 'high risk' -- which also bans animal movements. National Farmers Union Lancashire vice chairman Thomas Binns said: "The prospects for livestock farmers in Lancashire are now extremely bleak. ...Sept 17

Anguish of farmers who still live in fear
Western Daily Press

HEALTH groups in the West have been put on red alert over an expected surge in farm suicides this winter. The number of farmers taking their own lives as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis was expected to rise steadily through the cold, dark days of winter, mental health experts said yesterday. At a major conference near Bristol, around 80 representatives of the Mental Health Services Group heard that there was still a"dreadful fear" that foot-and-mouth disease would return. Delegates representing NHS Trusts from around the country were taking part in the conference at Failand to look at mental health problems in rural areas, especially those in farming communities, and ensuring that they are taken into account in forming mental health policy. Brian Warren, of the Farm Crisis Network, told the conference that mental health problems among those affected by the disease were likely to worsen over the coming months.

Mr Warren, a farmer in Devon, said many farmers were suffering from depression or had family and relationship problems and some were turning to alcohol and drugs in desperation.

He told the conference: "The winter months are going to be more difficult. "Suicide is one of the things we are going to be looking at more in the future." He said there was a great divide between farmers who had stock and those whose farms were empty. Those with no animals had to face the problem of whether to buy new stock, or to deal with having no work to do, he said, while those whose animals had escaped slaughter had other problems. "They have a lot of extra stock as they can't sell it, and no winter food," he said. He also said there was a great feeling of helplessness among farmers, who were used to controlling their own lives, which added to the problems. "People are going to lose their homes," he said. There was also the fear that the virus, which thrives in damp conditions, would return as winter approached. ........Sept 17

The human toll of foot-and-mouth disease
Weatern Daily Press

THE foot-and-mouth crisis and BSE have inflicted a heavy emotional toll on the West's farming community, with hundreds suffering the long-term effects. Devoted farmer Derek Powell, aged 69, was the first human victim of foot-and-mouth disease. The hard-working bachelor hill farmer hanged himself earlier this year in a barn near to Lower Blackhill farm at Craswall in Herefordshire soon after a D notice was served on his farm. An inquest into his death concluded that the "policymakers" shouldered a large part of the responsibility. Another West farmer, Jeffrey Atwell, was found last year hanging from a rope fixed to the same beam in a barn at his farm at Claverham, near Bristol, that his son had used to hang himself just four months earlier. And Donald Arscott, NFU South-west chairman, also has first-hand knowledge of such tragedies. Late last year his son Gary, 29, committed suicide after working in farming since he left school. Sept 17

Hundreds hear foot-and-mouth experts
Ananova

Hundreds of people have attended a meeting to hear foot-and-mouth experts discuss the impact of the epidemic in Britain. Professor Fred Brown, Britain's leading expert on the disease, was joined by Dutch experts Dr Simon Barteling and Dr Paul Sutmoller. Organisers of the meeting at Penrith Auction Market, Cumbria, said many farmers and vets were among the crowd. Cumbria was chosen as one of two venues for the talks because it has been one of the worst-hit counties in Britain. A similar meeting was held in Bristol on Saturday. Prof Brown has studied the disease for the past 46 years and has condemned the Government's handling of the epidemic as "complacent". The trio of experts said they wanted to see the use of rapid detection procedures and farm-gate vaccinations to eradicate the virus. Organisers of the meetings brought along a portable rapid diagnosis device to show members of the public. They said the invention would allow vets to diagnosis the disease within two hours compared to the days it takes a laboratory. .. posted Sept 17

Minister defends crisis handling
BBC

The Rural Affairs Secretary, Margaret Beckett, has defended the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis during her first visit to the South West. She also hit back at criticism that it has taken so long for her to see first hand one of the areas worst hit by the epidemic. It is now 100 days since Mrs Beckett took over responsibility for rural affairs. She finally made it to the South West today to visit the Royal Cornwall Show. She has been strongly criticised for not coming to see for herself the devastating effects of foot-and-mouth. ..... But t oday she defended her actions, saying: "You can't go everywhere all at once. I don't myself think that it's taken a particularly long time. Other ministers have been. And, of course, there are a whole range of duties that anyone like myself has to undertake, not least being in the House of Commons, answering questions.........Philip Style, the county chairman of the NFU in Cornwall, said: "She gave us positive responses that her department, which includes the full reign of agriculture, was there to help make certain that the industry did get itself out of the difficulties that it's in." But it remains to be seen if today's visit will help to restore farmer's confidence in Defra. posted Sept 16

Marching orders Cumbrian farmers have a forceful new champion, reports Jonny Beardsall
Telegraph

VISCOUNTESS LOWTHER - usually known as Lady Liz - thrusts unmanicured hands deep into the pockets of her moleskins and flashes a broad Anneka Rice smile. In her makeshift office, a dimly lit hidey-hole in her moody farmhouse in Cumbria, ....... Liz's landowner husband is 52, with a crooked nose - broken by an ex-wife and later by a mugger in Fort William. Although the house here has only 45 acres with it, it is part of his 5,000-acre Viscount Lowther estate that consists of 14 tenanted farms in the corner of the county between the A6 and A66. On his father's death, another 20,000 acres will come his way but it won't change their address - they like it here. Of these farms, only three have stock left - the rest have been culled-out. "You'll see about a dozen sheep grazing by the A6 and that's just about all between here and Penrith. Everything is gone, there's nothing back down as far as Shap and Crosby Fell," says Hugh.
"In March, a neighbour's farm in nearby Great Strickland was confirmed with the epidemic on a Friday and culled out on the Sunday. But carcasses were left in the buildings for three weeks so the stink in the village was horrendous. When they did burn them, a big plume of smoke billowed forth infecting three more farms downwind in the process. This was so wrong."
They were angry. "Our tenants and neighbours were being bullied by the ministry. They'd say 'we're going to take you out, if you don't let us on; we'll take you out anyway and you won't get compensation.' They were very heavy-handed. That upset us," says Liz, who, compelled to act, started the Cumbrian Farmers Group, a support group run under the auspices of the Countryside Alliance. "All tenants and neighbours joined. It gave them free legal advice on how to deal with Defra and explained what their rights were when facing the threat of a contiguous cull." A "contiguous cull" was when disease-free stock was being culled within a 1.8-mile radius of an infected farm.
"During general election fortnight, the impression given in the media was that the killing had stopped when, in reality, it was going on after 8pm in darkness up here," she says. "People in Sleagill - the nearest village - could not sleep for the banging of humane killers and the roaring of cattle. It was awful for the children to see dead cattle and sheep from the school bus. To this day, children panic if they see bonfires - 'they're burning animals,' they say."
Two months ago, the couple started their campaign. "It's Mr Blair we're angry with," she says. "He took charge and announced an election when he had no business to. That got our backs up. His Government's handling of the crisis has been so bad. He knows nothing about the countryside nor gives a hoot about rural areas. We say he must answer for this. . . We deserve this inquiry and we need vaccination. If Cumbria and the rest of Britain is to recover, we must vaccinate everything that's left now or we're finished."
Walking across the mown lawns bordered by two 20ft high pudding-shaped yews, there are, miraculoulsy, 95 hefted Swaledale ewes grazing in a field. They have been here since November when they moved here for over-wintering. They should have gone home in March but at least they are alive. Thanks to Liz and Hugh's cussedness, they were saved from slaughter after the owners successfully appealed to the ministry. ...............

You can support Lady Lowther's campaign for a public inquiry and for vaccination by signing her petition and joining her march from Hyde Park to 10 Downing Street on October 20. For details call 01931 716921, or email lizlowther@yahoo.co.uk. Lady Lowther is also patron of The Heart of Britain Groups, a countrywide network of co-operative groups supporting those who live and work or have an interest in the countryside. For information, call national coordinator, Jane Barriball (01361 850282; email heartofbritain@aol.com). Sept 15

Vets meet amid calls for vaccination
BBC

Vets are meeting in Bristol to discuss the impact of the foot-and-mouth outbreak amid further calls for a mass vaccination programme. The conference at the city's university will be a forum for vets to share their experiences and explore ways of beating the disease. One of the key speakers is Professor Fred Brown, Britain's leading expert on the disease, who has condemned the government's "complacent" handling of the epidemic. I don't see any reason why you can't get rid of the disease by vaccination Prof Fred Brown He called for the use of rapid detection procedures and farm-gate vaccinations using a portable device to eradicate the virus. He denied suggestions that the portable vaccination device would spread the disease. He said: "The use of negative controls with the machine will ensure the machine is clean, so that cross-infection is not a risk. "With the technology available they should have attempted vaccination. Government resistance "I don't see any reason why you can't get rid of the disease by vaccination." Calls for immunisation of farm animals have also come from actress Joanna Lumley, who is angry at the government's resistance. Speaking in her role as patron of campaign group Compassion in World Farming she said: "This is the only disease not just in farm animals but in pet animals and our own babies that we will not vaccinate against. Why? Joanna Lumley: "Outraged" "Why will the Government not answer that one question?" Ms Lumley said she felt "a sense of complete outrage about what's been going on in the country". She claimed the government was refusing to consider vaccination in order to save face. "I'm furious. We are being manipulated here and I hate to think of it in a free country," she added. Sept 15

Actress's demand over vaccinations
Telegraph

THE actress Joanna Lumley, who is the patron of the group Compassion In World Farming, said yesterday that she was outraged that the Government had refused to use vaccination during the foot and mouth outbreak. The star of BBC1's Absolutely Fabulous, said she had written to Tony Blair three times. But although she had once had a letter from a secretary saying he would reply, he had not done so. She said: "This is the only disease not just in farm animals but in pet animals and our own babies that we will not vaccinate against. Why will the Government not answer that one question?" She asked if the Government was not using vaccination now to finish off the disease in its remaining hotspots because it would undermine the credibility of the strategy it had pursued so far. ........This is saving face on a scale we have not seen before." Ken Tyrrell, a senior vet in charge of Shropshire during the 1967 outbreak, said that 70 to 80 per cent of the livestock that had to be slaughtered could have been saved if vaccination had been resorted to around day seven of the epidemic, as he believed now that it should have been. ....Sept 15

Joanna Lumley pleads for herds to be vaccinated
The Times

JOANNA LUMLEY, the actress and animal welfare campaigner, is "furious" with Tony Blair for failing to reply to letters she wrote to him urging the use of vaccination to control the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Ms Lumley, patron of Compassion In World Farming, said yesterday she had written to Mr Blair three times since April asking the reasons why the Government had not used vaccination to spare the lives of thousands of farm animals. She delivered one letter to Downing Street by hand but still received no reply. Previous Prime Ministers had replied with "hand-written notes" to her various letters, she said, although she would not name them. "Tony Blair won't answer my letters. I got a little reply from a secretary saying he would. Well he still hasn't. I feel a sense of complete outrage about what's been going on in the country. People simply can't understand this absolute resistance to vaccination. There really must be something dreadful going on. ......Ms Lumley was speaking at a Westminster press conference to urge the Government to order vaccination in order to allow the resumption of animal movements and to spare the massive welfare problems on farms if animals are trapped and starved of food in the colder weather. She was also supporting Professor Fred Brown, the world foot-and-mouth expert now based in the United States, who has been campaigning for vaccination to control the outbreak in Britain since March 9. He is to take part in a forum of vets today at Bristol University and is to meet Cumbrian farmers tomorrow. .......Sept 15

Farms blockade . . .
Western Daily Press

by Chris Rundle WORRIED farmers have warned that draconian measures to stop foot-and-mouth are wiping out more premises than the actual disease. That is the verdict of West farmers' leader Anthony Gibson, who spoke as hundreds of livestock farmers in Devon reeled in the face of new restrictions. Devon farmers have seen their operations effectively paralysed by new restrictions on animal movements designed to prevent another flare-up of the disease in what is regarded as a potential flashpoint. The controls come into force on Monday and could remain in place until the New Year. They will create huge difficulties at a time of the year which normally sees big stock movements between farms. But the regional NFU director says virtually the only concession farmers have been able to wring out of DEFRA is agreement by the department to pay for veterinary inspections necessary before sheep are moved. He says that from a strict disease control point of view the new restrictions are understandable. "But what is the point of having a policy for eradicating the disease which wipes out half the farming community in the process?" he said. "That is the course on which we appear to be embarked. The treatment is rapidly becoming more deadly than the disease."...... Sept 15

CHERISHED DAIRY HERD WIPED OUT
Hexham Courant

........Denny Spence, a past county chairman of the National Farmers* Union, who served on deputations to London to fight for a better price for British milk, watched with his son in despair on Sunday as 560 cows were culled at Frankham Farm. As a result of the disease striking at Frankham, a shocking total of 990 cattle and 3,534 more sheep will have to be destroyed there and on neighbouring farms.. ....... The Frankham herd was one of the best dairy herds in the country, and has been in the Spence family for three generations.John said: *The herd was very, very precious to us. *The herd manager, David McCormack, and I feel like we have suffered a deep personal loss; we knew each individual animal; they were like our friends. We are devastated.*...... John said: *Out of 560 animals, only six were infected. The disease struck an animal which had been housed inside for some time with 40 other cattle, so we have no idea how the disease got here. Now we are in turmoil.* Sept 15

Country diary: does
Telegraph

What is to be done about the risk of foot and mouth spreading to wild deer, asks RWF Poole.............because there is an increasing number of reports of dead deer being found with clinical signs of foot and mouth, and also reports of sick deer. We have only roe in this area. They are secretive little animals and would be inclined to crawl away and die in a thicket, so the reported number of foot and mouth-infected deer would be the tip of the iceberg. In addition, deer can be infected without showing any clinical signs. There are five species of wild deer in this country and all are susceptible to the foot and mouth virus. Being wild animals, these deer wander about the country and, if they have the virus, it goes with them. Defra insists that no evidence has been found of wild deer carrying the disease: "We can categorically state that there is no risk from deer." Defra is either missing the physical evidence or is "mistaken" in the Parliamentary sense of the word. Back in April, a farmer whose farm had been cleared saw a sick deer in one of his fields. He rang MAFF (remember MAFF?). MAFF refused to come and look at it. The deer was so sick that the farmer was able to walk right up to it. He shot it because there were clinical symptoms of foot and mouth (lesions round the mouth and between the claws of the hoof). He rang MAFF again. MAFF said that, if he had shot it, he had better bury it. Defra in Northumberland, on advice from the Chief Veterinary Officer, stated that: "There have been a considerable number of deer tested for foot and mouth and all have had negative results." ....................... It is not surprising that Defra is jibbing over foot and mouth in deer; if it were proved, the ramifications would be horrific. It would mean that foot and mouth is now endemic in this country.

This would mean that the slaughter of millions of animals and the ruin of thousands of farmers and rural businesses would have been for nothing. It would also mean that the continuation of the cull would be a waste of time and money and could only be a political act to fulfil New Labour's aim (which no country person any longer doubts) for the "ethnic cleansing" of the countryside.

So what could be done about the deer? The answer is plain terms is "sod-all". ......Sept 15

Farmer faces court threat for Blair jibe
Calne Gazette and Herald

CATTLE farmer Richard Hoddinott has been ordered to remove a slogan criticising Tony Blair from the side of his barn or face a #1,000 fine. Mr Hoddinott, 40, of Lickhill Farm, Calne, daubed "Toot your horn if Blair makes you sick'' on the side of a barn facing the Beversbrook Road bypass in May, weeks before the General Election. Mr Hoddinott said the sign is a bit of fun and a reference to his frustration at the Government's handling of the foot and mouth crisis and general agricultural issues. Now Mr Hoddinott has received a letter from North Wiltshire District Council's enforcement planning officer Charlie Robson telling him to erase the sign or face court action and a possible maximum fine of #1,000. The letter read: "I am aware that for some time a painted advertisement unrelated to your agricultural enterprise has been displayed on the south elevation of your farm complex, without consent. "It is open to the district council to pursue immediate prosecution of the offence but I am writing on this occasion to allow you to remedy the situation by removing or obliterating the advertisement." Mr Hoddinott was given 14 days to reply or be liable for prosecution by the Liberal Democrat-controlled council. He said he would like to know whether he had been asked to remove the sign because it constitutes an advert or if someone disagreed with its political orientation. "What are we dealing with here if we don't allow people to criticise Tony Blair?" said Mr Hoddinott. "It's just a fun thing, not serious, and it's meant to be humorous." Mr Hoddinott said neighbours had counted dozens of beeps from cars every day and said he had been approached by passers-by offering other suggestions of words he could paint on the side of the barn. "People have pulled in with other slogans suggesting I put them up," said Mr Hoddinott. He said one person suggested he write: America has Bush, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash, Britain has Blair, no cash and no hope. ....... Sept 14

NEW ROW OVER LAMB CARCASSES DUMPING
Cumbria on line

....Defra has set up a scheme to allow farmers to have their surplus lambs slaughtered in return for a cash payment. The scheme, run by Defra's Intervention Board which also co-ordinated the cull on cattle over 30-months-old to prevent the spread of BSE, has been set up as an ''animal welfare'' issue to prevent animals being kept on overcrowded farms with little feed or grass. The lambs likely to be slaughtered are those classed as ''light". These are usually taken out of the county at this time of year to be fattened up before they are sold for the food chain or transported to European countries, which prefer smaller lambs for their smaller cuts when they are butchered. .......Robin Simpson, leader of Copeland Council, said: "I am annoyed that people can call these lambs 'surplus' bearing in mind that they are healthy animals and there are so many starving people in this world."......Sept 14

MAFF ignored virus diagnosis
Farmers Weekly

MILLIONS of stock could have been saved from the foot-and-mouth cull if MAFF had taken up a rapid diagnostic kit in March. The Cepheid Smart Cycler, which confirms the presence of the foot-and-mouth virus within two hours, was offered to MAFF on 9 March, a London conference organised by Compassion in World Farming was told on Friday morning (14 September). No bigger than a suitcase, the machine, developed in the USA as a weapon against bio-terrorism, uses nasal or throat swabs to rapidly confirm or deny the presence of the foot-and-mouth virus. Professor Fred Brown, who has been researching the foot-and-mouth virus for 46 years, said the kit could have helped to spare the lives of millions of healthy animals. If it had been used seven months ago to identify precisely which animals were infected, they could have been spared from the contiguous cull. "The great advantage of the Smart Cycler is that it can detect the presence of the disease 24-48 hours before clinical symptoms appear," said Mr Brown. The government's failure neither to use the rapid diagnostic kit nor to vaccinate could cost the lives of 7.9m animals if the disease continues until next April, said CIWF political director, Peter Stevenson. "Up to 2.5 million possibly healthy animals could have been spared if the test was introduced at an early stage," he warned. Preventing the further spread of the disease now depended on using the rapid diagnosis machine to identify and slaughter only infected stock in new and contiguous cases. That should be used with a policy of vaccinating all stock within 10km of infected cases to create a firewall, he added. Actor, CIWF patron and self-styled housewife Joanna Lumley expressed outrage at the government's opposition to vaccination.

"Foot-and-mouth is the only disease, either animal or human, against which the government refuses to vaccinate. "I am furious at the government's cover-up on a scale we have not seen before."

Ken Tyrell, former senior vet during the 1967/68 outbreak said he was "ashamed, frustrated and horrified, " at the basic errors MAFF had made in its handling of the outbreak. One of its chief errors, he said, was "refusing to consider vaccination policy when it became obvious from day seven that not to vaccinate and to give way to the NFU's dogged opposition to vaccination would contribute to the destruction of the rural economy." CIWF is organising a meeting in Bristol on Saturday (15 September) to promote the benefits of foot-and-mouth vaccination. Sept 14

Disease vaccine is ruled out
Telegraph

THERE are no forseeable circumstances in which the Government would use vaccination during the present outbreak of foot and mouth disease, Prof David King, the Government's chief scientist, said yesterday. The Government has 2.5 million doses of vaccine available. However, Prof King ruled out using inoculation even as an experiment. Elliot Morley, the Rural Affairs Minister, echoed his reasoning, saying: "It is too late to vaccinate now." Prof King said that his advisory group of scientists had been "labouring hard" reviewing the position over the summer. Sept 14

Suicide fear for foot-and-mouth farmers
Ananova

The numbers of suicides among farmers following the foot-and-mouth crisis is expected to rise through the winter. The conference for mental health professionals near Bristol heard that there is still a fear that the disease will return. Brian Warren, of the Farm Crisis Network, told the conference that many farmers were suffering from depression, had family and relationship problems, and some were turning to alcohol and drugs. Mr Warren said: "The winter months are going to be more difficult. The problems have not yet begun in agriculture. Suicide is one of the things we are going to be looking at more in the future." He also said there was a great feeling of helplessness among farmers, who were used to controlling their own lives, which added to the problems. The conference heard that farming communities were still living in fear that the virus, which thrives in damp conditions, would return as winter approached. Sept 14

Conference to study psychological impact of foot-and-mouth
Ananova

A major conference for mental health professionals is examining the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis on farmers and rural communities. About 80 representatives of the Mental Health Services Group are gathering for the annual conference at a hotel near Bristol. The group aims to ensure the needs of people living in the countryside are taken into account in health policy formation. Top of the agenda is a session entitled Mental Health Implications of Foot-and-Mouth - led by Keith Elder of the support group ruralMinds and Brian Warren of the Farm Crisis Network. The keynote address is being given by John Mahoney, the joint head of mental health at the Department of Health. The conference is taking place at the Redwood Lodge Hotel in Failand, north Somerset. Sept 14

Government defends hard line on culls
The Times

THE Government defended the slaughter of nearly eight million animals to control the foot-and-mouth epidemic yesterday and ruled out any circumstances when vaccination would now be used in this outbreak.

David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, even made clear that he believed vaccination could never have been used to control the spread this time.

He also revealed that the proposal for a limited vaccination of cattle in Cumbria was largely to buy time for officials coping with the massive problem of slaughter and disposal of carcasses.
He accepted, however, that vaccination might have protected about 100,000 of the 250,000 cattle in Cumbria.
Professor King and Jim Scudamore, the chief veterinary officer, spoke about vaccination yesterday after calls for it to be used to stamp out new flare-ups. Even Ewen Cameron, the chairman of the Countryside Agency and the Government's Rural Advocate, has suggested a trial ring vaccination scheme. Senior advisers believe, however, there is no possible scenario for the use of vaccination to eradicate the diseaseor bring the epidemic under control.
Mr Scudamore said the cull strategy had been effective. Even if there were an outbreak in a previously unaffected part of the country, the response would be the same - slaughter at the infected farm and a contiguous cull of adjacent premises.
The mood in Whitehall is now optimistic, especially because the disease appears to be confined to two hotspot areas in Cumbria between Penrith and Tebay, and around Hexham in Northumberland. There were no new cases reported yesterday.
The recent outbreak around Hexham was caused by old disease in sheep, although it is unclear how the disease arrived in the area. Epidemiologists are also unclear why there is still so much infection in south Cumbria.
Blood-testing of animals throughout the country shows the disease is not endemic in the sheep population and senior officials are hopeful that the country will regain its foot-and mouth disease-free status.
The Government believes the European Union needs to re-examine its response to foot-and-mouth disease in the light of the recent epidemic. An EU conference on the subject is to be held in Brussels in December.
Mr Scudamore feels vaccination will be a useful tool only when a test is fully validated to distinguish between animals vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease and those harbouring the virus. Sept 14

Good and bad omens for man at the top
Telegraph

IAIN DUNCAN SMITH takes over as Conservative leader in circumstances both worse and better than William Hague in 1997. Worse because the party has suffered a second devastating defeat and could slip further behind. Better because growing public disenchantment with Tony Blair's Government gives him a target to attack........Mr Duncan Smith is well aware that his political opponents, particularly Alastair Campbell in Downing Street, will seek to portray him as an unbending Right-wing Eurosceptic. He is determined not to fall into that trap, and has already indicated that he will seek to include all sections of the party and will be open to changes on policy....The party's official membership stands at 328,271, the total number of ballot papers issued, nearly 17,000 ahead of Labour. The high level of participation makes Mr Duncan Smith the first leader in the party's history to be able to claim the democratic mandate of its members, rather than MPs or a "magic circle" of grandees. He also inherits a party eager to attack Labour at every level. Normal political hostilities may have been suspended after the attacks on New York and Washington, but when Parliament resumes next month, the Tories believe Mr Blair will be vulnerable on a number of fronts. These are the worsening economic outlook, the continuing foot and mouth epidemic and the failure to deliver promised improvements in public services, particularly health and education. Sept 14

Foot-and-mouth 'contaminated' machinery stolen from site
Ananova

A heavily contaminated pressure washer from the foot and mouth infected animal burial site in County Durham has been stolen. Government officials fear the machine could spread the disease if it is used on farms. Thieves cut through a fence to steal the device at the Tow Law site. John Bradbury, regional operations director at Newcastle's Disease Emergency Control Centre, has warned anyone offering a second-hand washer to be wary. He says this is a very serious situation and anyone being offered a pressure washer from a less than reputable source could be buying a lot more than they bargained for. Mr Bradbury says the washer had been used regularly on infected premises and was likely to be "heavily contaminated". He adds, the use of the equipment near farm animals could easily spread foot-and-mouth disease. Sept 13

Start listening, tenants tell Defra
Farmers Weekly

THE Tenant Farmers' Association has said ministers must start listening and acting upon the concerns of grassroots family farmers. ....... "In farming you expect the odd bad year, but the current slump, affecting all sectors dates back to the middle of the last decade and displays no signs of abating," he said. "Farmers and their families are hurting and are disillusioned by the rhetoric they hear from Westminster and Whitehall. "They need politicians who are prepared to listen to and act upon their concerns." Mr Dunn said the government claimed it had a new approach to rural policy but there was little to distinguish it from past governments who viewed farming as a problem. He also repeated his doubts about the ability of the Policy Commission on Food and Farming to deliver a coherent strategy for the way ahead. "It has established a Commission with a very small number of mainly single-issue interests and given it only four months to come up with the goods," he said. "The farming community feel alienated from a process that could have a major impact on the future of their family lives." Defra secretary Margaret Beckett was due to attend the show on Thursday but has been forced to stay in London to attend emergency cabinet meetings. A spokesman said the minister was hoping that her diary would free up enough to allow her to attend on Saturday (15 September). Sept 13

Outbreak inquiry to query warning system
The Times

.....Sir Brian Follett, the zoologist heading the Royal Society inquiry, said yesterday that he wanted to discover what the "early radar" procedures were and how they could be improved to prevent new diseases entering the country. He said that the inquiry would take into account the potential threats from international travel by people, animals - including pets - and worldwide trade. Besides foot-and-mouth disease, he would look at the threats from swine fevers and a cattle disease known as blue tongue, which is carried by midges.

In addition, David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, and Jim Scudamore, the Chief Veterinary Officer, are to be asked to explain their resort to slaughter instead of vaccination to combat foot-and-mouth.

Vaccination is to be at the core of the inquiry report. Fred Brown, a leading expert who has been one of the strongest advocates of vaccination to combat the epidemic, has agreed to join the 15-member inquiry team. .....Sept 13

Foot and Mouth Committee named
Telegraph

THE use of vaccination against foot and mouth disease will be one focus for an independent scientific inquiry into the epidemic, the inquiry's chairman said yesterday. Sir Brian Follett said: "There are quite disparate opinions on the efficacy of vaccination, the quality of the vaccine and a number of other issues. I do see vaccination as being a core issue." The views of farmers, environmentalists and consumers will be represented alongside those of veterinarians, virologists and epidemiologists on the inquiry, whose members were announced yesterday by the Royal Society. The 15 members of the committee, chaired by Sir Brian, will hold their first meeting on Oct 3.The inquiry invited all interested parties to submit initial views about the scope of the inquiry.

Sir Brian said: "It is vital our findings are sensible and robust, and that our recommendations also take into account ethics, economics and social concerns."

To see the members of the Royal Society Inquiry committee, which include Prof Fred Brown FRS and Mr Roger Eddy,click here Sept 13

Gloomy Days Loom ahead for farmers
Country Life online

farmers believe the controls will trigger severe animal welfare problems with thousands of animals trapped in upland areas and on over-crowded farms facing starvation. National Farmers' Union President, Ben Gill, said there were already many farms in Cumbria with serious problems of overstocking and with farmers unable to sell the calves or lambs that would normally be traded at this time of year. Mr Gill said: 'The prospect for many livestock farmers are now extremely bleak. Farmers face the daunting prospect of winter approaching with depleted feed supplies, increased stock numbers and a severe lack of cash-flow because they have had no income for months.' ...... Sept 12

'Hundreds of jobs to go' over FMD
Newcastle Journal

Hundreds of jobs will be cut as around 15pc of small businesses in the North-East close because of foot-and-mouth, it was forecast yesterday. ............ A similar FSB study in the Midlands, covering Staffordshire and Worcestershire, found that 13pc of businesses forecast collapse. The survey also found that despite the widespread problems caused by foot-and-mouth around 60pc of firms had not asked for help to tackle them. .......... more should be done to publicise available assistance and cut Government red tape tying up attempts to get money quickly. Sept 12

Euro-vets reject regions' export plans
Farmers Weekly

EU vets have roundly rejected UK suggestions that some foot-and-mouth free regions, such as Scotland, should be allowed to resume exports. A 150-page situation report, outlining the controls in the UK and the special circumstances in Scotland, was presented to the Brussels-based standing veterinary committee on Tuesday (11 September). But every member state which commented, including France, Spain and Ireland, said it was far too early to even consider relaxing the export controls. .................. There may also be more political will to move things forward once France, Ireland and the Netherlands have been granted their formal foot-and-mouth-free status by the International Office of Epizootics (OIE) which meets next week in Paris. The issue will be discussed again at the next standing veterinary committee meeting on 25 September. Sept 12

Eat local, urge charity's celebs
Farmers Weekly

THE Council for the Protection of Rural England has launched a new celebrity-backed campaign aimed at persuading people to support local food initiatives. The charity has produced a briefing document which says that sustainable local foods could help reconnect consumers with farmers and also help the environment. TV restaurateur Rick Stein, who is backing the campaign, said local food initiatives are where people should be buying more of their food. "It is common sense to support those who grow good produce around where we live. "We can support the economy and really have a choice about the food we buy - the producers get a fairer deal too." ....Sept 12

EU should consider a return to its pre-1991 "Disease Free Status with Vaccination".
Harrogate Declaration.

...the expected 'tail off' has not occurred. It has defied the Chief Scientist's prediction that the disease would be "successfully dealt with" by early June. Instead we have experienced a levelling-off in which recorded outbreaks since the height of the disease from early May onwards have averaged between 2-4 cases per day. This steady state includes the original hot spots of Cumbria and in addition the new outbreaks in the Brecon Beacons, Settle, Thirsk and most recently Hexham. The reason for the persistence of the disease, despite all efforts to contain it, is currently not known....... Sept 12

Ban means sheep face starvation
Telegraph

...Livestock may be moved under licence but in high risk areas the animals must first be inspected. Ministers said the restrictions would cause problems but were the best way of preventing the spread of the disease. Lord Whitty, the Rural Affairs Minister, said: "There will be a significant welfare problem over the autumn." .....In the high risk counties - Cumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire, Northumberland and Powys - intensive testing of sheep will be required before movement controls can be relaxed to allow the animals to be brought from high ground to winter pastures. This will lead to food shortages when the grass stops growing.

Movements will be possible for cattle and pigs.....
(warmwell note: "the best way of preventing the spread of the disease" is and always has been to vaccinate susceptible animals.) Sept 12

Foot-and-mouth curbs may harm herds
The Times

THOUSANDS of animals trapped in upland areas and on over-crowded farms could starve to death in the worst affected foot-and-mouth areas this autumn. The bleak prospect was highlighted yesterday by farmers' leaders who fear that the tough new animal movement controls to help to eradicate the disease will trigger animal welfare problems. Ben Gill, the president of the National Farmers' Union, called on the Government to offer emergency help. Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, said yesterday it was impossible to predict how many animals were likely to be affected as it depended on the weather. But Lord Whitty, the Food and Farming Minister, made clear he anticipated "a significant welfare problem" and said he hoped it could be kept to a minimum. ......
Professor King made clear yesterday that he was optimistic the current slaughter policy would eradicate the disease and he ruled out vaccination. He said he did not believe it would ever have controlled the epidemic. .....
Scottish farmers were delighted yesterday when Scotland was finally declared disease free. The Scottish Executive is now negotiating with the European Commission to lift the export ban on Scottish produce. Sept 12

Welfare warning in vaccination debate
RSPCA

Animal welfare must be the top priority in deciding whether vaccination should be used in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), says the RSPCA. The Society believes there are grounds for carrying out a limited policy of vaccination, but not until the extent of the geographical spread of FMD is known. The Society is therefore urging the government to speed up the blood testing of hill sheep in order to assess their immune status in relation to the disease. Ring fence The RSPCA's chief veterinary officer, Chris Laurence, said: "To effectively use vaccination it is essential that the current limit of the disease is known. After all, there is no point in attempting to ring fence a disease outbreak unless the geographic limit of the disease is clear so it can be guaranteed that the ring encircles all infected animals. "The arguments for and against vaccination are complex. Vaccination alone could not eradicate FMD, but it could provide a useful additional tool to reduce the slaughter of healthy animals. There needs to be a sensible and informed debate on the issue and it is vital that animal welfare should be the over-riding consideration in that debate, well ahead of any financial implications." (warmwell note: a "sensible and informed debate" on the issue would have saved untold misery if it had taken place in February, but - as the RSPCA knows very well - those who are "informed" have been senselessly and systematically sidelined. The fact that their willingness to debate has been thus rejected raises grave questions that have yet to be answered)...Sept 12

INDEPENDENT PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO FOOT-AND-MOUTH IN SCOTLAND COMES A STEP CLOSER
Advocates for animals (Scottish Charity)

Committee of the Scottish Parliament to send, with a strong recommendation, its petition calling for a full independent public inquiry to the Scottish Executive and the Rural Development Committee. The decision had cross party support and it was clear that many members shared the belief that only an independent public inquiry would do....posted Sept 12

Foot-and-mouth restrictions to be eased
Ananova

Foot-and-mouth restrictions are being lifted on more than 1,400 farms in one of the counties worst hit by the disease....A senior Tory peer has urged ministers to make a statement on the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis. Baroness Byford, shadow front bench agriculture spokesman in the Lords and a former farmer, said Tony Blair and the Government had been silent for too long about the disastrous impact of the outbreak on rural communities. At the annual meeting of the Rural Stress Information Network at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Lady Byford said: "Where is the Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett? What about a statement from her? "We want to know how foot-and-mouth disease got here and what has happened about the calls to the Prime Minister for animal vaccination." posted Sept 12

Disquiet over farm disease rules
BBC Wales

Sept 11

Carwyn Jones criticises Foot and Mouth disease status for Powys
Welsh Assembly

Sept 11

Blackberry blamed for cow scare
The Times

First farm with foot-and-mouth still not clean
The Times

Sept 11

Relief in Leicestershire as farm virus test is negative
Independent

Sept 11

New disease rules for autumn
BBC

Sept 11

Devon's fears over animal welfare
BBC

Sept 11

Vaccination 'the only way to stop virus'
Yorkshire Post

Sept 10

Scotland free of farm disease
BBC Scotland

Sept 10

Farmers 'forced to kill 200,000 calves'
Telegraph

Sept 11

Exposed: Blair's fatal dithering over foot and mouth vaccination
Independent

Sept 10

Return of foot-and-mouth suspected in Leicestershire
Independent

Sept 10

Fresh foot and mouth scare
Telegraph

Sept 10

Fears of disease returning to Heddon
The Times

Sept 10

New fears of farm plague as PM faces row over vaccine
The Scotsman

Sept 10

Chief virus vet must go, says farmers' leader
Yorkshire Post

Sept 10

Newcastle Chronicle Bill Telfer's column
Newcastle Chronicle

..Read in conjunction with if you have time.....Back to Nature call for Britain-

Conservation charity wants vast area returned to natural habitat as farming lurches from one crisis to the next...by Anthony Browne, environment correspondent Sunday July 29, 2001
The Observer

'New cases' prompt disease fears (Leicestershire)BBC

Sept 9

County hit by new foot-and-mouth scare
Ananova

Sept 9

Foot and mouth export ban may last another year
Telegraph

Sept 9

Deadly dust 'brought foot and mouth here' Viruses were carried to Britain in a storm from the Sahara, claim scientists
Observer

Sept 9

Christopher Booker's Notebook: Brussels launches three-way power grab
Sunday Telegraph

ALTHOUGH there were modest headlines over a German Euro MP's claim last week that the British government had so bungled its handling of the foot and mouth crisis that the European Commission should assume direct control, no one noticed three other developments at the European Parliament's meeting in Strasbourg that were far more significant. Between them they signal a critical new phase in the Commission's drive to seize power from national governments.
In future most mainstream European Union laws will take the form not of directives but of regulations. The trouble with directives, he explained, is that each national parliament can implement them in its own way. By using regulations, imposed direct from Brussels, EU laws will be the same in all countries.......Sept 9

Unity over foot and mouth jabs
Telegraph

Sept 8

Experts demand global vaccination programme for foot-and-mouth vaccination strategy Science Festival hears the case against culling
Independent

08 September 2001

Argentina and Netherlands use jabs to control disease
Guardian

Saturday September 8, 2001

Food lobby forced PM into u-turn on plan for vaccination Nestle chief believed £8bn export market would be compromised John Vidal and Peter Hetherington
Guardian

sept 8

Expert warns of international epidemic James Meek and John Vidal
Guardian

Sept 8

Predicting epidemic's end is an imprecise science
Financial Times

Sept 7

DEFRA SLAUGHTERS RARE PIGS
Hexham Courant

A HERD of prize-winning pedigree pigs, so rare that their bloodline is officially endangered, has been culled in Allendale. The pigs, which were kept in free range, organic conditions, were slaughtered by Defra on Wednesday, August 29th. Farmer Carolena~ar Ollis had raised the 39 pigs single-handed in a wooded field at Finney Hill Green farm, in Allendale, feeding them three times a day Carolena~ar said: "My pigs have all gone. They were taken out last Wednesday. They were beautiful, Berkshire pigs, which are a very, very rare breed. "Even the Defra valuer wept as he saw Horace, my boar, which had to be put down.
Sept 7

Dutch vet fights the EU orgy of slaughter
Telegraph

The policy against foot and mouth vaccination is under pressure, writes Charles Clover in Arnhem PETER POLL, a small animals vet recalled from retirement during Holland's foot and mouth outbreak, is an unlikely revolutionary. But the uprising he has begun could end the orgy of slaughter that is Europe's way of fighting the disease. Dr Poll, 68, worked for the Dutch government during the vaccination and slaughter of 260,000 animals in Holland after an outbreak of cases on 26 farms last March. But he now says that if the policy of slaughtering vaccinated animals remained, he would not do so again. Dr Poll is not alone. He and 10 other vets have tabled a motion for a meeting of the Royal Dutch Veterinary Association on Oct 6 warning that the profession would go on strike if slaughter on the scale seen this year - 10,000 animals per case of infection, compared with 1,900 per case in Britain - were called for again. To Dr Poll's delight, his motion has been accepted by his professional body with one small amendment. It is likely to win majority support.The vets' revolt has stiffened the resolve of the Dutch government, which is already seeking - with the support of Holland's main farming union - to persuade Brussels to change the rules governing the eradication of the disease to allow vaccinated animals to live and their meat and milk to be consumed. Vaccination has proved popular in Holland as it stopped the foot and mouth outbreak in two weeks.

But the subsequent slaughter of thousands of inoculated but healthy animals has caused widespread revulsion. Unlike in Britain, where the Government's policy of all-out slaughter has met with only muted criticism from the RSPCA, the slaughter drew criticism from animal welfare groups.

The EU's Standing Veterinary Committee currently rules that vaccination may be used to damp down outbreaks. But all vaccinated animals must be slaughtered, or a year must elapse, before trade with other countries may resume. ...The (Dutch) decision to vaccinate was taken partly to "damp down" the outbreak and partly because the government foresaw difficulties disposing of thousands of carcasses all at once. It chose vaccination so it could kill the animals in slaughterhouses instead of on farms and dispose of them through rendering plants. The result, though tastefully removed from public sight, was carnage on a scale five times greater per case than in Britain. There were riots when officials notified farmers they would have their livestock vaccinated and then slaughtered. .........
It was assumed then that paying to slaughter in the event of an outbreak every 10 years would be cheaper than the cost of vaccinating as a matter of course; the cost of slaughter and disposal has turned out to be five times higher than assumed. The Dutch Farmers' Union is equally adamant that the policy of vaccination and slaughter must be abandoned. Siamyjan Schenk, the chairman of the union's cattle division, said:

"It is an ethical problem.

.............Farmers concede this would have major implications, such as an end to the trade in livestock products with America. Jan Markink, a pig farmer and chairman of the union's pig division in the region where the disease broke out, said:

"European trade with the United States is perhaps five or six per cent of the market. Losing five or six per cent of trade is better than losing all of it with each other."

Sept 7

Fresh calls for farm disease vaccination
bbc

A leading expert in foot-and-mouth disease has added his weight to calls to vaccinate animals against the virus. Professor Fred Brown - who helped the government tackle the last serious outbreak of the disease in 1967 - will back the move in a speech at the British Association Science Festival in Glasgow. At Friday's foot-and-mouth session Professor Brown, the director of the US Animal Health Institute, will say the epidemic is out of control. He believes the time to vaccinate is now because the virus will become more virulent as temperatures drop. ........ Professor Brown is one of the world's most experienced and respected foot-and-mouth experts and has worked on the disease since 1955. ........... But Professor Brown believes the government has not learned from the past and is more concerned about the animal export market than controlling the disease. On Thursday, Professor King blamed farmers for preventing a vaccination plan in April, which he said could possibly have halted the disease in Cumbria, one of the worst-hit areas. Professor King would not recommend vaccination in Northumberland And on Wednesday the Institute of Directors accused the government of mishandling the crisis by failing to implement vaccination. It said vaccination could have lessened the ferocity of the disease and thus the knock-on effect on other businesses. The argument over vaccination has rumbled on in the UK almost since the first confirmed case of the disease in February. Supporters say it could be used as a replacement or additional weapon to the culling policy. But farmers say vaccinated animals can still carry the virus and pass it on, without showing any symptoms - so jabs could worsen the outbreak in the long run. Farmers are also concerned about damage to the export trade as many countries, such as the US, will not allow imports of vaccinated meat and livestock. Sept 7

Testing vaccination
Telegraph Leader

LORRY-LOADS of rotting carcasses are once again trundling towards Tow Law burial site. Foot and mouth has swept back into Northumberland. County Durham has had its first case in three months. Cumbria is still pocked with the pestilence. After 2,000 outbreaks, the beasts slaughtered number almost four million. (warmwell note: no, no, no...they don't. They number far more than ten million now..)..Five months ago, the government chief scientist, Professor David King, said that foot and mouth was fully under control. The chief vet Jim Scudamore's computer model showed that new cases would be one a day by May. Now unrepentant government advisers predict the last case before Christmas. Why should we believe them this time? The sun is the great enemy of the virus, which thrives in the cold. Damp autumnal days could see the start of a long winter campaign. Even if the virus is contained by Christmas, we still have no firm idea how our livestock ever became infected. There has been no tightening of Customs regulations. If Britain continues to import food and farm animals from contagious countries, the virus could slip back in. The public is unlikely to tolerate another massacre of healthy animals on the scale of this year.

It therefore seems sensible to test an alternative weapon - ring vaccination - first suggested in the 1967 report into the disease. Ring vaccination was used in Holland in March. Combined with rapid culling, it appears to have worked. Dutch farmers are exporting again. Ring vaccination has been backed by the Soil Association, the tourism industry, many vets and an increasing number of disillusioned farmers. Consumer groups have now recognised that vaccinated meat isn't dangerous; we eat meat vaccinated against other diseases. Last week the Government's rural advocate, Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said that the outbreak had cost £4 billion, and testing ring vaccination had become imperative. The NFU argues that it can see "no reason" to test vaccination during an epidemic. But when else can it be utilised? It may be too late to be effective this time, but if the vaccine was used to fight the virus in even one infected county, it could give invaluable research material for future outbreaks.

EU ministers meet this October to discuss ring vaccination without slaughter. The proposal is being pushed by French, German and Dutch farmers. It would be strange if we were the only country opposing a measure that could help us more than anyone else.

Even if the EU doesn't back the proposal, Britain has little to lose. Its disease-free status has already gone up in smoke.

When Margaret Beckett, in charge of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, finally returns from her caravanning holiday, she should initiate a trial immediately. Sept 6

Farmers blamed for government stance on vaccination
BBC Radio 4 Today

The Chief Scientist David King says that he had suggested vaccination in April. It was farmers in Cumbria who stopped it happening.....complete transcript ...Sept 6

Directors condemn handling of foot-and-mouth outbreak
Yorkshire Post

The attack comes in a report by the Institute of Directors which has been submitted to the National Audit Office's study of the outbreak. ....Rotting carcasses were not only regarded as a distressing sight and damaging to the rural tourist industry, but it was felt they were instrumental in spreading the virus. The method of open incineration of the carcasses came in for special criticism. The IoD said there was also widespread incomprehension of the absolute refusal of MAFF (now DEFRA) and the NFU to consider vaccination, especially as the Dutch and French had employed vaccination with success.....
The IoD criticised the NFU's obsession with "disease free status" in order to resume the export trade at the expense of any other considerations, whether for the farming sector in general, as not all farmers are exporters, or for the wider rural economy. There was a need for tougher controls on meat imports, swill feeding should be banned and the extensive transportation of livestock should be reviewed not least of all for welfare reasons.
..."MAFF's inability to get on top of the epidemic despite the epidemiological advances since the 1967 outbreak, and the considerable resources at their disposal has beggared belief.
"And sights of funeral pyres have sat oddly with our claim to be a modern 21st century country. "Foot-and-mouth disease has clearly never gone away and could well now be endemic in Britain's herds. It's tragic. "The costs to the rural economy have been considerable  amounting to £5bn according to the Countryside Agency, with tourism taking the biggest hit.

"But what is most distressing of all is that, if this outbreak had been well-handled, much of this damage to people's livelihoods could have been avoided."

posted Sept 6

Marchers will send message to Blair
Yorkshire Post

YORKSHIRE farmers and rural businesses are being urged to shut up shop for a day and join a mass march in London to demonstrate against the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The Five Counties Lowther Foot and Mouth Action Group in Cumbria, which is organising the demonstration, is being supported by its counterpart organisation in West Craven. Its chairman, Jennifer Purcell, of Barnoldswick, said: "We want as many farmers and rural business people as possible to get off their backsides and join in the march on October 20. "We will be calling on Prime Minister Tony Blair to put a stop to the culling of healthy animals and introduce a vaccination programme." Demonstrators will also be calling for a "full and honest" public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic instead of the three inquiries already announced which they fear will be held behind closed doors. Mrs Purcell, a retired food trader, said:"We are meeting in Hyde Park at 1pm and we urge everyone to get down there to show the Government that the people of the countryside cannot take any more." Foot-and-mouth disease is now in its sixth month and almost four million animals in Britain have faced the slaughterman. Mrs Purcell can be contacted on 01282 813159.
(warmwell note: We wholly support this - but 4 million doesn't come close to the real figure. It must be well over ten million now....and will there be any animals left to vaccinate by October 20th?) Sept 6

NEWS DIGEST
Soil Association

.....as the number of cases grow steadily in Northumberland. Also, scientists were warning that easing the restrictions on the movement of livestock could help the number of cases to spread and increase dramatically. A comment piece in The Daily Telegraph (29.08.01) argued that the government is not ready to deal the rise of foot and mouth again - and why other countries have managed to curb foot and mouth, without the mass slaughter of animals, and regained their disease free status? The answer is vaccination. Many farmers in the EU are arguing that there should be an adoption of the ring vaccination policy rather than slaughter to contain any future outbreaks......
Chairman of the Countryside Agency Ewen Cameron, speaking at the launch of a report which estimates that foot and mouth has cost the economy #4bn, said that vaccination should be tested in the disease hotspots. Covered by the The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times (30.08.01) Mr Cameron argued that the public would not tolerate another round of mass slaughter if the diseases took hold during the winter.

BBC Farming Today (31.08.01) had a special on the vaccination issue. They led with the revelation that the government does not know how much vaccinated meat is being imported into the UK, following questions put to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by the Soil Association: though they did admit that more than 18,000 tonnes of vaccinated meat had come from Brazil. Helen Browning Chair of the Soil Association was on the programme arguing the case for vaccination and the representative from the NFU admitted that if the government proposed vaccination as the best way to end the outbreak quickly they would support it. They also looked into a report that the EU did in March 1999 entitled "Strategy for Emergency Vaccination against FMD" which calls for the use of vaccination in exactly the circumstances we find ourselves in at the moment.... (See also Farming Today report for yesterday, below) Sept 6

Expert warns over FMD probe secrecy
Western Daily Press

...Cambridge Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith said a key lesson highlighted by the probe was that there should be more openness over issues such as mad cow disease. Yet the Government had chosen to hold three inquiries into the current foot-and-mouth disease crisis behind closed doors......Officials in Germany and France appeared to have taken more notice of the report's findings than their counterparts in the UK, said Mr Ferguson-Smith. He pointed out that the Government had not got it all wrong. Setting up the Food Standards Agency was a positive move towards more transparency, and he welcomed the decision to let the Royal Society set up the scientific inquiry into foot-and-mouth. But he was heavily critical of the decision not to hold the inquiries in public. He suspected that when politicians said they wanted to prevent undue public anxiety, their real motive was to avoid "undue criticism." "One of the major lessons of the BSE inquiry was that lack of openness led to public mistrust of Government, and it seems that lesson has not been learned."..Sept 6

No farm done
Mega Star

MANY of the biggest names in pop, including U2 and Robbie Williams, are declining to play at a special charity concert in aid of farmers. Farm Aid 2001, organised by Glastonbury guru Michael Eavis, will help raise money for the beleaguered industry, recently hit by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. But so far Eavis has found it difficult to get many of the big headline acts to agree to perform at the festival, which will be held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on October 27. .................... "I don't know why but they seem slightly uncomfortable about getting involved," he said. "Farmers have got a bad press. People think they all get huge subsidies and ride round in four-wheel-drive vehicles, but I know many farmers who can't even afford a car." Mr Eavis said he would need 10 fairly big names for the concert to be a success. So far the bands who have agreed to play include Coldplay, Ash, Toploader and Reef.
Money raised in the event will be split between five charities: The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Fund, The Addington Fund: Farm Crisis Network; The Rural Stress Information Network; The Samaritans and the RSPCA. Tickets for the event, which cost £25 each, can be purchased by ringing 0115-9129115 or by visiting the web site www.wayahead.com Sept 6.

Pay farmers to stop farming
National Post

Subsidies may help grain producers in the short term, but in the long term they perpetuate dependency. What farmers really need is an exit strategy...While subsidies may help farmers in the short term, their long-term benefit is questionable. They perpetuate dependency, the answer to which, all too often, has been more subsidies. New Zealand got rid of most agricultural subsidies in 1985; most farmers there are better off today. Europe and the United States pay out much higher subsidies than Canada, yet this has only brought more overproduction and even lower prices in subsequent years. European experts estimate U.S. farm support levels will soar to US$32.2-billion this fiscal year, from US$4.6-billion in 1996. (this is a Canadian article about grain farmers - but is relevant. See full article) posted Sept 6

Farming today on Vaccination
BBC Farming Today

Jon Dobson, quietly authoritative on bio-security lapses by Defra, Will Cockbain on vaccination in Cumbria (very eloquent) and Lord Whitty, a little breathless and defensive, on the government stance.. full transcript . Sept 5

Livestock movement ban in disease-hit north
Ananova

Government officials fighting foot-and-mouth have banned the movement of animals on and off premises in much of the North of England. A so-called red box has been set up in the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire, covering 6,100 square miles. The divisional veterinary manager says all movements of animals within the red box will be stopped. Arthur Griffiths said: "This will be achieved by revoking existing animal movement licences and stopping the issue of new licences for at least the next 21 days. "This obviously means that there can be no stocking in this area and also the autumn movements of livestock will also not be allowed. We have written to every farm within the red box to advise them of this situation.....

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has admitted not all the roadside disinfecting stations, which spray cars with citric acid to clean any trace of the disease off tyres, had been manned 24-hours a day at the start of the new outbreak in Northumberland which has now infected 19 premises.

Sept 5

Two more foot-and-mouth cases
Ananova

Two new cases of foot-and-mouth disease have struck in Northumberland's strictly controlled "blue box" area. It brings to 19 the number of farms affected in the area since August 23, and 2,003 cases nationally since the disease first emerged in February. The new cases were at Bolts Hope farm, in Blanchland, where 345 sheep and 356 lambs will be slaughtered, and Low Ardley farm, near Hexham, where 1,500 sheep and around 300 cattle will be culled. A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today said both cases were within the area where animal movements are tightly controlled and tough biosecurity measures are in place. Sept 5

Foot and mouth epidemic is world's worst
Telegraph

AS the 2,000th case of foot and mouth was confirmed yesterday, the Government admitted that it had failed to meet its target of slaughtering all cases within 24 hours of being reported by farmers. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that last week animals on only 43 per cent of infected premises were slaughtered within 24 hours and only 86 per cent were slaughtered within 36 hours. The epidemic is now the worst in the world in terms of the total number of animals slaughtered. The present epidemic has a lower number of cases than the 2,354 in the 1967-68 outbreak. But, partly as a result of farms having grown many times since then, the number slaughtered was 3,801,517 this year compared with 433,987 in 1967.
(warmwell note; we are getting very weary of these figures appearing everywhere. One has only to look at Lawrence Alderson's paper for 20th July to see that the number of animals killed in this outbreak must now far exceed the 10 million killed in the first 5 months, while the number of farms affected......which farms in Britain have NOT been affected by the measures and restrictions? That number dwarfs even the 9,311 farms on which animals - most of them perfectly healthy- have been slaughtered) sept 5

Chaos At The Checkpoints
The Journal

Farmers were outraged to learn yesterday that vital foot-and-mouth disinfection points were only manned part-time for eight days after the disease's return to Northumberland. Five out of the 11 official vehicle spraying ations in the restricted area set up around Allendale were not manned around the clock, it emerged - ironically on the same day the Government urged farmers to keep up their own security against the disease. Farmer Margaret Stonehouse, who has lost 250 cattle to cullings said: "Everyone has been doing their best to halt foot-and-mouth and now this. It makes me want to weep." The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the stations were now being manned full-time following concerns from local people about transport carrying the virus. A spokesman said Defra had been concentrating on the stations on the principal routes in and out of the restricted area, which were manned full-time. But last night there were claims that one of these stations had been spraying traffic on its way into the area, but not out. Sept 5

Ministers ignore report on BSE
The Times

THE 3,200-page report of the BSE Inquiry risks becoming a £26 million doorstop as ministers ignore its findings, one of its authors warned yesterday. Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, who acted as scientific adviser to Justice Phillips in the inquiry, said that the recent appointment of three committees to examine foot-and-mouth disease showed the Government had not taken the BSE lessons on board. "The major lesson was that lack of openness led to lack of trust," he said."The decision to hold the three foot-and-mouth inquiries in private shows that lesson has not been learned. 1 "All through the report there are items of advice, but it is evident that they haven't been read. Very large amounts of money will have been wasted if people don't read the report."

Professor Ferguson-Smith, from Cambridge University, also criticised the "ad hoc" way the inquiries had been set up."No effort was made to identify the very best people"he said, and dissenting scientists were excluded.

He doubted whether the inquiries would finish on time."Governments have to be realistic. These inquiries are not going to be done in six months, and we will have to wait and see how much they cost, and whether three separate inquiries cost less than one" Sept 5

EU bunfight over siting of food safety agency
Financial Times

From early next year, the European Union should at last enjoy a more coherent approach to food safety, thanks to the advent of the new European Food Authority (EFA). .....A final decision on the site for the EFA could come at the EU summit in Ghent in October, but is more likely to be delayed until the December summit in Laeken, just outside Brussels, said diplomats. Which is all rather inconvenient, as the EFA is supposed to be up and running from early next year. As a result, the agency seems certain to begin operations in Brussels, close to the headquarters of the European Commission, with which it is supposed to co-operate closely. Recruiting the necessary expert staff is not going to be easy if they have no idea where they are going. In the wake of crises including mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth and dioxin poisoning, and with the public debate about genetically modified foods raging, the need for a more focused and concerted approach to food safety is clear to everyone. But this has failed to stop the kind of wrangling which has accompanied the award of EU agencies in the past. ....Sept 5

Heat is on for foot and mouth public inquiry
Yorkshire Post

THE Government will tomorrow (i.e. Wednesday 5th Sept) face fresh condemnation over its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis as Euro MPs threaten their own public inquiry into the disaster.
The European Parliament is to stage an emergency debate on the UK foot-and-mouth epidemic. The debate in Strasbourg follows the 2,000th case of the disease in Britain which has seen nearly four million animals slaughtered.
But the Government has so far consistently refused to contemplate a full public inquiry and instead has opted for three separate private investigations into aspects of the outbreak.
Tory Euro MP and Yorkshire farmer Robert Sturdy will tomorrow spearhead an attempt to get EU officials to investigate Labour's handling of the crisis.

Mr Sturdy, who represents East Anglia but farms near Wetherby, will call on the European Parliament to set up its own public committee of inquiry. He will also table a European Parliament motion fiercely critical of the Government's "failure" to control foot and mouth.

.......... Only last week, Countryside Agency chairman Ewen Cameron called for a trial vaccination programme of animals as he doubted whether the British public were prepared to see another mass cull on the scale carried out during the spring and summer. posted Sept 5

Haskins hears of 'forgotten' farmers
Farmers Weekly

LORD Haskins, the man asked to revive Britain's rural economy, has visited Gloucestershire to learn more about the plight of 'forgotten farmers.' The Labour peer spoke with the Gloucestershire Foot-and-Mouth Task Force after travelling from Devon where he also met industry leaders. ........... The Rural Recovery Minister, who is also Northern Foods chairman, spoke for an hour about the impact of foot-and-mouth and farmers' current prospects. Attending the meeting at Gloucestershire Development Agency was the Gloucestershire head of the National Farmers' Union Peter Davidson-Smith. NFU spokesman Ian Johnson said: "The meeting was quite fruitful - Lord Haskins went away much better informed. "One of the key areas was people who have not actually had animals culled but have had severe restrictions and therefore no livelihoods. "They are the forgotten people. They have not been able to move or sell livestock but have not had any compensation from the Government because they have not had their stock culled." Lord Haskins heard tales of forgotten farmers having to cancel electricity and water subscriptions as they could no longer afford the bills. Sept 4

Attack on Blair as livestock toll tops 2,000
Financial Times

....But protesters stepped up their fight to close down the site at Tow Law, Northumberland, which is again being used to bury infected carcasses. Local residents are appealing to European commissioners to close down the site, which stands 700 metres away from a primary school. The bodies of about 1,400 sheep and 275 cattle were tipped into the pit, which already contains 37,000 carcasses, buried earlier in the year. .....
Tim Bennett, deputy president of the National Farmers' Union, said the epidemic was beyond "our worst nightmares". But he insisted: "the situation is improving every day." (warmwell note: what does Mr Bennett know that we don't? What causes such optimism? Are farmers free to vaccinate their herds? Are the mazes of imposed restrictions about to be removed? All we see is a graph with an ever-upward curve. And the knowledge that the true figure of animals killed was more than ten million in the first five months alone. See Lawrence Alderson's paper ) Sept 4

Britain Hasn't Learned 'Mad Cow' Lesson, Scientist Says
Reuters

Just as Britain confirmed its 2,000th case of foot and mouth disease, a leading scientist said Tuesday the government had not learned the lessons of an earlier farming crisis -- mad cow disease. Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith of Cambridge University told journalists that despite a two-year, $38 million inquiry into mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE (news - web sites)), important findings were not being followed. ``There is some evidence that one or two of the lessons have certainly not been learned,'' Ferguson-Smith said at a science conference. Chief among them was a need for openness and consultations with independent scientists, he said. ``Lack of openness leads to public mistrust of government,'' he told the British Association science conference. Sept 4

We're winning the fight for an inquiry
Western Daily Press

...Lady Apsley has also slammed Margaret Beckett for failing to give the answers to the questions the whole of the rural community have been asking. .... Influential organisations, including the National Farmers Union, the Countryside Alliance and the Country Land and Business Association, have also agreed to back the petition. The groups have promised to circulate hundreds of thousands of copies. Margaret Beckett triggered fury when she refused to call a public inquiry into the devastating epidemic. The Government has been accused of a massive cover-up since announcing there will be three separate investigations, all held in secret......Lady Apsley added; "The overwhelming message is that people are really unhappy with what the Government has done. "The whole thing stinks of a Government cover-up, it appears they just don't want us to know the truth of what really happened during the crisis. "The Government simply can't afford to keep treating the public like imbeciles. It is just typical that Margaret Beckett has failed to give serious answers to the questions sent to her by the Western Daily Press. "It appears more and more they are adopting the mushroom style of Government, they keep everyone in the dark and every now and then heap you-know-what on them." Sept 4

Disease 'stranglehold' on farmers
BBC

The Jewitt sisters did everything right on their County Durham farm as the foot-and-mouth scourge flooded around them. They virtually barricaded themselves and their cattle and sheep inside the boundaries of their 140-acre moorland property. Neighbours delivered food and supplies to the farm gate. And, by a miracle, where others lost their flocks to the ebb and flow of the infection, the Jewitts, of Lodge House Farm near Tow Law, escaped. But fat lot of good that did them, say their friends in the close-knit rural community now fighting the re-opening of the huge burial pit for foot-and-mouth carcasses just outside their town. The sisters have not earned a penny in months. They cannot sell or move their 140 cattle or their 300 sheep and lambs because of movement restrictions and they are bitterly frustrated as they see other farmers cashing their compensation cheques.

Peter Lister, a neighbouring farmer, says friends are clubbing together to organise a rescue operation that will beat they regard as the insensitivity of government.

"Officials are only interested in defeating foot-and-mouth," he said. "There's no plan to help farmers whose own good husbandry has kept the disease off their land. "The Jewitt ladies are desperate now, they need fresh pastures to fatten up their stock. We're determined to let them use our fields to ensure they eventually get some income and survive."
Protesters at Tow Law fear for their children's health.
The mood around Tow Law is typical of the scattered and isolated upland livestock-breeding communities across Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham. ........

Everywhere damaged by the foot-and-mouth crisis has a sad, poignant, personal story that counters the optimism of the official line that the disease is in its latter stages and being conquered.

...... Stewart Moffat, farming at Wigton in the Lake District, lost all his cattle and sheep on 4 April, the 1,000th confirmed case in what the NFU is now terming "the world's worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth". "It took 58 days for the compensation to come through," he said. "And today the cleansing and disinfecting operation on my farm is still going on. I have no idea when I can start to think about re-stocking." Now the concentrated effort against the disease is inside the extended blue restriction zone - some 500 square miles of the North East - where vets, slaughtermen and soldiers operate the most stringent bio-security regime around a sweeping slaughter and culling campaign.

For sheep and cattle farmers like David Smith - still untouched but right on the edge the Hexham hot spot - the time is right for vaccination.

"We cannot understand why there is such a reluctance in the Ministry. Our export potential has been crushed by this disease for the time being, let's try to save what's left of our livelihoods." Sept 4

Foot And Mouth: Now It's 2,000
Sky News

The number of foot and mouth cases in the UK has reached 2,000 - on the day it was revealed a second controversial burial site could be reopened if the latest outbreak in the north-east worsens. The Widdrington site in Northumberland, would be brought back into operation alongside Tow Law, in Co Durham, if cases soared, said an official from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Defra's regional operations director John Bradbury, defended the decision to reopen Tow Law despite protests from local residents. "There is just not the rendering capacity available," he said. "Had there been, we would not have used Tow Law." 'Close the site' Residents have now called on European commissioners to help them shut down that site. Peter Lister, a member of the residents' liaison committee with Defra, said complaints had already been lodged with the EU. "The European Commission can call for the closure of the site and that is our best hope because the UK government is not going to." So far 1,400 sheep and 275 cattle have been taken to Tow Law since it was reopened at the weekend and a further six lorry loads went in on Monday. The pit holds 37,000 carcasses from the initial foot and mouth outbreak, plus the weekend's carcasses, and has a capacity for 200,000. 'A national disgrace' About 15 protesters demonstrated there on Monday. Mr Lister, said: "What we are angry about is the fact (Rural Secretary) Margaret Beckett has described this site as a national asset - it is not, it is a national disgrace. Wherever there is an outbreak we take it - it is beyond belief." The latest figures show that 40,214 sheep have been slaughtered, as well as 5,945 cattle and 22 pigs since the outbreak in the north-east 10 days ago. A further 9,043 sheep, 790 cattle and three pigs are awaiting slaughter. There are 17 infected farms. Sept 4

Military exercise `endangers stock'
icWales

AN MP is calling for a military exercise planned to take place in West Wales this autumn to be called off because of foot-and-mouth. Adam Price, MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, says the proposed exercise is "insensitive and badly planned". Following fears that it could spread the disease into an area that is presently clean, he has now written to the Ministry of Defence asking for it to be cancelled. The training exercise is due to take place from October 28 to November 3 over large areas of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. According to Mr Price, more than 100 personnel using Land Rovers and foot patrols, 10 tracker dogs and two helicopters are due to take part. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon, Mr Price said he had been contacted by a number of concerned constituents who fear the event could spread the disease. Sept 4

Exclusion zone grows as new case confirmed
icWales

.....The move comes after it was announced that a total of 150 sheep and 4,000 cattle were to be slaughtered at Newbiggin Farm, in Blanchlands, over the next 24 hours. A further two cases were also confirmed at farms in Cumbria, bringing the nationwide total of outbreaks to 1,997 since the dis-ease first struck in February. And protesters were last night gathering at a controversial burial site where diseased carcasses were being sent following the latest outbreak around Allendale in Northumberland. Since the first case 10 days ago, slaughtermen have killed a total of 46,374 animals, with more than 12,500 cattle and sheep still awaiting slaughter. Sept 4

Protests as burial ground reopened
icWales

Protesters are calling for the closure of a burial ground for slaughtered animals after the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Northumberland forced officials to reopen the site. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was forced to reopen the Tow Law site in Co Durham as a fresh outbreak at Newbiggin Farm, near Consett, became the 17th case in the area in 10 days. The site was the scene of protests three months ago, when residents managed to have it temporarily closed down. They demonstrated against a steady convoy of wagons carrying fetid, rotting animal carcasses bound for burial going past their homes. The latest confirmed case also led to the extension of the exclusion zone around the Northumberland outbreaks for the second time in as many days. Although Newbiggin Farm is just within the blue box exclusion zone, Defra officials moved the boundary a further three kilometres eastwards, into Co Durham. Defra said it re-opened Tow Law because it could not cope with the huge numbers of animals being slaughtered in a bid to contain the disease. Since the first case 10 days ago, slaughtermen have killed a total of 46,374 animals, with more than 12,500 cattle and sheep still awaiting slaughter. The decision was therefore taken to start sending animals to the site, leaving families once again facing the nightmare of more dead sheep and cattle being transported past their homes...Sept 4

Three more farms sealed off as farm plague cases hit 2,000
Scotsman

THE number of cases of foot-and-mouth passed the 2,000 mark last night, six months and two weeks since the outbreak of the disease in February. The grim milestone was passed as officials sealed off three more Scottish farms because of possible dangerous contact with infected areas of England. Two of the farms are in the Kilwinning area of Renfrewshire, with the third near Melrose in the Borders. Since the first report of the disease on 20 February, 3,802,000 animals have been slaughtered, with a further 19,000 awaiting slaughter. The 2,000th case was confirmed yesterday in Cumbria, the hardest-hit part of the UK, which has now had 878 cases. A total of 9,130 farms have now had livestock slaughtered during the contiguous and three kilometre culls since the start of the epidemic. Although the risk of the disease appearing at the three farms in Scotland is minimal, all have been placed under D-notice controls, which ban any movement - human, animal or mechanical - on or off the surrounding areas. Yesterday's development is another worrying sign that cross-Border bio-security is proving almost impossible to maintain and puts in doubt Scottish executive plans to announce that Scotland is officially free from foot-and-mouth - an essential measure if export controls are to be lifted in Brussels. Sept 4

Vaccination moves a step closer with fresh case of foot-and-mouth
Independent

....Ministers' hopes that the policy of imposing strict containment areas would stop the spread of the disease were shattered when the farm in County Durham was identified by vets. The outbreak will make it more likely that the Government abandons its long-held opposition to vaccination and implements secret plans to use the technique as an emergency measure in the North-east. Ministers have indicated that unless the containment and slaughter strategy paid off within six weeks, vaccination would be introduced on a limited basis to test its effects. The "Blue Box" zone created to prevent the spread of the disease in the North-east had to be extended yesterday for the second time after Newbiggin Farm, near Consett, became the first in County Durham to become infected for three months.

Scientists at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs admitted last night that the infection on the south-west tip of the containment area was linked to a farm in the zone where movement is meant to be strictly regulated to prevent the disease spreading. .

....The Government announced it is reopening the county's Tow Law burial site, used in the worst days of the crisis. .Sept 3

Celebrities to help promote trips to Britain
Independent

Bill And Chelsea Clinton, Tim Henman, Nasser Hussain, the Hollywood director Ridley Scott and the celebrity chef Anton Mosimann are among celebrities spearheading a new campaign to tempt tourists back to Britain in the wake of the foot-and-mouth outbreak........ The campaign  which is part of a #13.5m promotion  will be held in the autumn, following a disastrous summer season that cost the economy at least #1.5bn. It will be launched when ministers are satisfied the outbreak is on the wane. Mr Clinton, the former US president, agreed to give his support when he spoke at the Hay-on-Wye festival this year. It is hoped that Chelsea Clinton's decision to study at Oxford will provide further reassurance to American travellers.

..............."...it is not going to be an overnight recovery and the longer foot-and-mouth goes on, the longer it will be a problem."

Peter Ainsworth, the shadow Culture minister, praised the BTA but said the Government should have provided funding for a long-term recovery package. Sept 3

Disease 'exposes UK bio-threat flaw'
BBC

The current foot-and-mouth outbreak shows how vulnerable Britain is to any future threat from biological warfare, a former government chief scientific advisor has warned. The UK was not properly prepared for the danger of microbiological disease and must learn from the episode, said Sir William Stewart.

Foot-and-mouth emphasises the difficulty that arises when a disease gets out of control, he added.

He said that microbiology was becoming a neglected science in the UK, and the country could pay the price in the future. "We only have to look at the current foot-and-mouth episode to see what can go wrong if we are not properly prepared and when a bug is not adequately contained," he told the BA. "It is a timely reminder that we must not forget about microbiology," he added. "Implications of its effect and how it is used go far beyond the farm gate and the countryside." Sir William said that if the UK had been adequately prepared for foot-and-mouth, the virus would have been totally eradicated by now.
He said more emphasis was needed on long-term thinking by the government rather than fire fighting.
(warmwell note: it will be remembered that when Sir William was asked on the Today Programme whether he thought vaccination should have been used he replied that it should. (Sir William Stewart is the former chief scientific adviser to the British government and president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and is also the president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh ) See also the report from the Scotsman for Aug 4 in the archives of this page)
"One's got to strengthen the containment facilities which would contain any disease, and you've got to have world class experts who can address the system at the drop of the hat if something turns up," he said. Sept 3....See Also.....

Animal Disease Is Reminder of Bioterrorism Danger
Reuters

he feared that advances in molecular biology and the sequencing of the human genome had led to decreased interest in microbiology. This could have left Britain ill-prepared to deal with the threat of bioterrorism and the 30 conventional microbes that are considered biological warfare agents. ``There are those who say: the First World War was chemical; the Second World War was nuclear; and that the Third World War -- God forbid -- will be biological,'' he told the BA science conference. Although the use of biological weapons is forbidden by international convention, Stewart told the week-long conference that began on Monday that some countries had stockpiled anthrax, a deadly bacterium. ``If nuclear weapons and space technology dominate the global defense thinking -- what is left for the smaller and rogue nations without them?'' he said. ``Are we sufficiently and adequately prepared in the UK?'' Stewart added. He called for more funding and emphasis on microbiology because of the increased spread of infectious diseases, as well as the threat of bioterrorism. ``It is a timely reminder that we must not forget about microbiology. Implications of its effect and how it is used go far beyond the farm gate and countryside,'' he said. (warmwell note: Sir William should know. He is also works at Porton Down.)

'Pig Brother' proves rip-snorter for farmers
The Canberra Times

SYDNEY: Riding on the back of recent reality television hysteria comes a new animal-only incarnation - cheekily titled Pig Brother - that's attracting tens of thousands of Australian viewers. The head of British farming producer group Country Organics, Richard Counsell, came up with the idea based on the hit TV series Big Brother, to raise money for farmers affected by foot-and-mouth disease. The Internet reality show went online yesterday and Mr Counsell expects about a million fans to visit the site by today. About 1.8 million people, including 60,000 from Australia, have already accessed the Pig Brother web site to find out the latest about rare breeds Blair, Brown, Beckett, Portillo and Widdecombe, before the cameras were activated at about 8pm last night Canberra time.......But even the least popular pig is safe from the chop, as the rare animals are being kept for breeding. Viewers can watch online at www.pigbrother.co.uk AAP (warmwell note: is it possible that our Australian friends do not understand how many breeding pigs here have been killed in postcode culls? They, alas, were not "safe from the chop".)

Defy the NFU and vaccinate
Independent on Sunday

At long last - and with all the nimbleness of a superannuated supertanker - the Government appears to be moving towards a U-turn on vaccination to try to end the foot and mouth crisis. Last week its main countryside adviser called for it, and, as we reveal today, the Government's special scientific committee on the disease has been drawing up plans for it. It is now six months since this newspaper was the first to point out the folly of the mass-slaughter policy. Expert opinion in favour of vaccination has been growing ever since. But, scandalously, the leadership of the National Farmers' Union has been allowed a veto. In truth, it may already be too late for vaccination to bring a clean, quick end to the disease, as it did in the Netherlands. But it must now be clear to all but the most self-interested that slaughter alone will never do it. Ministers must scrape up what remains of their courage, defy the NFU, and delay no more. Sept 2

Vaccination package drawn up in secret
Independent on Sunday

The Government's top advisers on foot and mouth have been drawing up secret plans to vaccinate animals to combat the disease, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. The special interdepartmental scientific committee chaired by Professor David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, has commissioned the plan to try to stop a fresh epidemic breaking out while sheep are moved off the hills and down to lowland farms for winter grazing. Five million animals are expected to be moved during the autumn. The news comes as the Army yesterday moved into Northumberland to organise the slaughter and disposal of thousands of sheep and cattle following the latest outbreak in the Allendale area of the county. The number of confirmed cases since the epidemic began last February is expected to exceed 2,000 early this week.

Gareth Davies - a member of the scientific committee and the former head of the epidemiology unit at the official Central Veterinary Laboratory - was asked to start drawing up the plans in July. The committee has set itself until the end of this month to finalise them.

The move - which would propose a separate vaccination package for each of the English regions to address differences in the way sheep are moved in different areas - is the latest sign that pressure is building up for a U-turn in the Government's foot and mouth strategy. Ministers are reported to be prepared to authorise a limited programme of vaccination in six weeks, if the disease has not then been eradicated. Lord Haskins, the Prime Minister's top rural adviser, has long been in favour of it, and last week Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, called for it to be tried out. Sources say that the entire scientific committee now supports vaccination after formerly sceptical members changed their minds. They say that it is now only being blocked by Dr Jim Scudamore, the Government's Chief Vet, and the farming unions. Ben Gill, the President of the National Farmers' Union, recently described the case for vaccination as "bilge".
Mr Davies - who dealt with the last European outbreak of the disease in Greece in 1996 - said recently: "If we had vaccinated during late March, we would have been spared the loss of thousands of animals and the public revulsion at the carcasses strewn across the countryside. "However, I had underestimated the almost mystical belief in the superiority of slaughter as a method of control. This has allowed all sorts of false statements to flourish."

In a further blow to the case against vaccination, the Government has now admitted that the British are eating thousands of tons of vaccinated meat. The National Farmers' Union's insistence that people would never consume it was one of the factors that persuaded the Government to abandon tentative plans to vaccinate this spring, even though experts pointed out that they already ate meat inoculated against many other diseases.

Now, in a letter to the Soil Association, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has disclosed that 18,718 tons of beef were imported from Brazil - which vaccinates against foot and mouth - in the year up to last May. It says it has "no reason" to trace it and so has "no detailed information about when or where meat imported from vaccinating countries is on sale". Sept 2

How annoying that farm virus will not obey rules
Sunday Telegraph

THE foot and mouth epidemic is over, as we all know, because Mr Blair told us so. So when 16 new cases appeared in Northumberland last week, several outside the Government's new "blue box" restriction zone, it was appropriate for the local National Farmer's Union to say that these had "breached the boundaries set by the Government". How tiresome of the disease to ignore regulations in this way.

In reality, as independent scientists suggest, this constant reappearance of foot and mouth, in south Wales, north Yorkshire, Somerset, Cheshire, Cumbria and now Northumberland, means that it is now in effect endemic. This puts paid to any notion that the European Commission will let Britain revert to its "disease-free export status", possibly even for years to come.

Had Britain gone for mass vaccination last spring, stopping the epidemic in its tracks in weeks, the UK could, under international rules, have had export status back by next April.

One condition informally laid down by the Commission for recovery of export status is that the disease must not be in Britain's wild deer population. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that it has been in deer for months, the official line of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), as they were suspiciously quick to point out when I asked them last week, is that they "do not consider deer to be a risk". There has therefore been no need for them to test the deer population. Thus, hardly surprisingly, there is "no evidence" that deer have been infected. As one might say, knowing how sensitive the Commission is on this point, deer have not "breached the boundaries set by the Government"; unlike, alas, those 16 new outbreaks in Northumberland, where there are even more deer than there are Defra officials. Sept 2

Farm virus: no end in sight
Observer

Foot and mouth will continue into next year - and scientists admit that last week we were 'a whisker' away from a new epidemic in The foot and mouth epidemic will go on ravaging the countryside into next year, according to Government scientists. At a private meeting in London last week experts on the Government's foot and mouth science committee concluded that the 'tail' of the outbreak could last into 2002. 'The consensus was for an end around the new year. In a worst case scenario it could go on longer,' said one senior source who was there. This forecast will further embarrass a government already facing severe criticism over its handling of the crisis and new calls for farm animals to be vaccinated. As soldiers yesterday moved in to help fight the latest outbreak in Northumberland, some farmers' leaders slammed the present policy of mass slaughter and 'biosecurity' - hygiene and restricted livestock movements.

'The Government is like a compulsive gambler,' said Roy Miller of the National Foot and Mouth Group of retired farmers and rural business people. 'They think they will win if they keep on betting the same way. But they should vaccinate, not procrastinate.'

However, Ministers are unlikely to back down. Vaccination would threaten the export prospects of British meat - and culling 'is a policy that works,' said a spokesman for the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra).
(warmwell note: this pathetic clinging to the defra mantra would be funny if it were not so tragic.. However, can this spokesperson continue to intone it in the face of the COBRA group's volte face? See Independent above) After seven months and the slaughter of millions of animals have failed to eradicate the disease, many people disagree. 'It has been hopeless, completely hopeless,' said Dr Ruth Watkins, a con sultant clinical virologist and South Wales sheep farmer. Peter Midmore, professor of rural studies at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth, said the economic costs of the disease continuing far outweighed the potential - and temporary - loss of exports caused by vaccination.

The longer the epidemic went on, the weaker the export argument became. 'It is looking pretty weak now,' he said.

Scientists at the London meeting heard how the outbreak in Northumberland, which had been disease-free for almost three months, came within 'a whisker' of restarting the epidemic across the country.
Of the 16 new cases there so far, none of the infected animals had been moved recently. Otherwise, the virus could easily have reinfected other areas or - in a 'nightmare scenario' - spread the disease nationwide to regions previously untouched.
'We were very lucky. People were shocked how close an escape we have had,' said the source. (warmwell note: "lucky" is not quite the mot juste here. Ring vaccination in the Spring would have saved the catastrophe from happening at all.) The committee now wants the Government to tighten severely the restrictions on livestock movements, eased only last week. An announcement is expected tomorrow.
The Tory agriculture spokesman Tim Yeo accused Ministers of a U-turn: 'Yet again the Government has failed to learn the lessons of the 1967 outbreak, when they they started to ease restrictions before it was justified.'
Moving animals is seen as the main reason behind the continued spread of the virus. The new restrictions will class counties as 'infected', 'at risk' or 'disease free'. No movements 'down the chain' from an area of higher risk to one of lower risk will be allowed, the source said. The issuing of movement licences for animals will also be tightened. In many areas of the country, issuing permits for livestock movement has become routine. The announcement will anger many farmers who have been pressing for even freer movements. They say that animals have been stranded in the same field for months amid growing areas of mud, restricting grazing and denying them shelter in cold weather.

'Farmers are suffering and the animals are suffering. We cannot go on like this in the face of government incompetence,' said Miller of the NMFG. Many farmers feel the Government has reacted too slowly to the crisis - and then unfairly blamed them for their own plight. 'Defra is a black propaganda machine,' Miller added.

In Northumberland the Government's much-vaunted 'blue box' tactic of massive biosecurity measures failed last week to stop the epidemic spreading. One of the new cases reported last Friday was outside the 400-square mile restricted area around the Allendale Valley. This triggered an enlargement of the blue box and the Army was called in.
The disease continued to spread too in neighbouring Cumbria. Two new cases - also on Friday - brought the national total to almost 2,000. New government efforts are already too late for Alwyn Tait and 15 fellow farmers whose herds and flocks were slaughtered in Allendale last week.

After watching his 170 cows and 530 sheep shot, Tait said: 'It just makes me feel angry. The Government doesn't care at all about farmers. They think we haven't got a future on the land.'

His family has farmed in Allendale for three generations, and it is the second outbreak on his farm this year. Now he fears the return of the devastating virus will mean the end for his farm.

'The valley has been wiped out. We are all going to end up being park-keepers. There won't be any animals left,' Tait said.

But it is not just farmers who have been hit by the return of the disease. Throughout Northumberland a shaky recovery in the tourism industry has now been destroyed. Last week hoteliers and shop owners throughout the county reported a collapse in trade. The Northumberland Tourism Board had been poised to launch a massive series of advertising campaigns trying to lure visitors back. These have now been put on ice. Spokesman Richard Spencer said: 'It has knocked us back again. Defra just look at the facts and figures of the outbreak - but we are dealing with the people involved. We are being flooded with inquiries from our members desperate to know what is going on.' Sept 2

NFU Mutual faces £3bn bid
Sunday Telegraph

NFU Mutual Insurance Society, the life and general insurer, is facing the threat of a demutualisation bid from a former director which could lead to windfalls of up to £25,000 for tens of thousands of Britain's farmers.
The demutualisation plan is being plotted by John Murray, a former senior manager at NFU Mutual. The Telegraph has discovered that Murray has held discussions with a number of investment banks and venture capital firms in the past few months. These are thought to have centred on finding backers to launch a hostile bid or to force the mutual society to list as a public company on the Stock Exchange.
Such a move could lead to potential windfalls either in shares or as a cash payment to qualifying policyholders in NFU Mutual. The 91-year-old mutual had around 850,000 individual and business policyholders, and funds under management of £8.7bn, at the end of last year.
.... But less than half of the 850,000 policyholders are thought to be eligible for a windfall. As a result any payouts would be far higher, possibly as high as £25,000, than those made in recent demutualisations such as the #6,500 average paid to Scottish Provident members. Such a sum could be a vital lifeline for many farmers who have seen their livelihoods ruined by the foot and mouth crisis. Two years ago, NFU Mutual introduced measures to thwart "carpetbagging". As a result people who have taken out policies after the cut-off date lose their right to a windfall, which would instead be paid into a charitable trust. ...Sept 2

Imports leave Asia's organic farmers with indigestion
News Asia

Mad cow disease, bird flu, genetically modified food: with the list of food safety issues growing ever longer, Asian consumers are joining the global trend towards organic produce. ......."People are more aware of health issues now," said Angus Lam of the Hong Kong Organic Farming Association (HOFA). "They've seen the food disasters in Europe; mad cow, foot and mouth. They are concerned abut GM foods and this has helped awaken their awareness about healthy food."....Some supermarkets in Thailand say demand for organics -- food farmed naturally, without chemical fertilisers or pesticides -- jumped 60 percent last year, while in Hong Kong, local supermarket chain ParknShop said demand was "encouraging". But while supermarkets that stock their shelves with organic vegetables from around the world are providing customers with more choice, the issue of imports has split the industry. "The basic foundation of organic farming is respect for the environment," says HOFA's Lam. "The extra use of petrol and energy for transport, to keep things dry and cold in a refrigerated truck, goes against this. "Also you see extra packaging on imports, including non biodegradable foam containers. This is a very controversial subject." Others claim that imports from government subsidised, more established farms will strangle the local industry at birth. "We are very much worried that organic imports might drive Japanese organic agriculture to the wall," said Sanae Sawanoburi, International division head at the Japan Organic Agriculture Association, a private sector organisation with some 3,000 members. She adds that the biggest threat to Japanese organic agriculture is imports from China, where cheap labour, a knowledge of old-style farming and vast tracklands of arable fields enable it to offer cheaper prices. Last year Japan introduced a new organic standard that only allows vegetables grown on land free from chemicals for two years to be called organic, dealing a bitter blow to some importers. Sept 2

Fighting fit after foot and mouthThis is Lancashire

THE foot and mouth crisis has devastated the rural economy of Lancashire. Farms throughout the Ribble Valley stand eerily empty after the culling of tens of thousands of animals in an attempt to arrest the spread of the disease.
The tourist industry on which so many villages increasingly depend has also been badly hit. Months of gloom news broadcasts have kept visitors away from the countryside in their millions.What is not so well chronicled is the impact the foot and mouth epidemic has had on mainstream businesses. Here we look at two small firms which are facing up to an uncertain future. A MARKET-LEADING Oswaldtwistle business is fighting back after a major blow disrupted orders and threatened the future of the company and more than 40 jobs. ...Sept 2

HOW LABOUR KILLED THE COUNTRYSIDE Daily Mail

.....SPIN and propaganda is, in fact, the tip of the iceberg where foot and mouth is concerned. Ever since the disease was first spotted at an Essex abattoir on February 19, I have been investigating and logging its catastrophic devel-opment - and in particular the grotesque manner in which it has been mishandled by the Government. Now, for the first time, the true extent of the deceit and gross mismanagement of an affair which has needlessly cost this country billions of pounds and laid waste our countryside can be told. Sept 1

Supermarkets 'profiteering'
Telegraph

THE gap between farm gate and retail lamb prices widened in July, prompting farmers to accuse supermarkets of profiteering. Monthly records of prices prepared by the Meat and Livestock Commission showed that retail prices slipped by six per cent, but farm gate prices fell by more than 20 per cent, a gap even greater than a year ago, according to Farmers' Weekly.......Bob Parry, president of the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales, said: "Supermarkets are prepared to go on kicking farmers in the teeth." The union's survey showed the value of a 35lb lamb had risen from £26 at the farm gate to £91 over the counter....Sept 1

PLAGUE HITS THE DALE
Hexham Courant

.......The area became a no-go area over the weekend as roadblocks were set up on all roads leading into Allendale, and Defra set up a 400-square mile 'Blue Box' exclusion zone.

Families looked on in horror as cattle were gunned down in the centre of Catton village, and terrified stock ran for their lives.

Disinfectant stations have been set up all round Allendale in a bid to contain the outbreak, with all vehicles having to be sprayed with disinfectant as they travel in and out of the Allen Valley. The return of the virus came at the worst possible time, as tourism businesses were looking forward to a busy bank holiday weekend. Instead of tourists, the area was flooded by the world's press, with journalists and television reporters descending en masse. The first outbreak happened on Friday when 200 sheep and 62 cattle were slaughtered at Taylor Burn Farm in Ninebanks, and by Wednesday, 13 farms in the 'Dale were confirmed as having the disease.
At present, culled animals are being taken to a rendering plant at Widnes for disposal, but the reopening of the disposal site at Tow Law has not been ruled out.
Streams of fluid leaking from foot-and-mouth disinfectant vans formed foul-smelling pools in Allendale Village Square on Bank Holiday Monday. Worried villagers watched as the liquid dripped on to the square, while shoppers and tourists passed close by.
Drinkers at the King's Head pub speculated that the fluid could be dangerous, but tanker crews carrying water to the beleaguered village said that the disinfectant was just citric acid, and was harmless. Defra is ploughing extra resources into finding out how foot-and-mouth re-started in the area, but it is thought very unlikely that the reopening of footpaths have been the cause, or that the re-opening of Hexham Mart as a collection centre for fatstock bound for the abattoir could be blamed. Haydon Bridge sheep farmer and chairman of the National Sheep Association David Smith said: "Our ability to make a living has been taken away, and whereas farms that have suffered culls have received conpensation, the farms where the stock is still alive have received nothing. "We are bleeding to death out here." Sept 1

Six weeks to halt foot-and-mouth
The Times

MINISTERS have set themselves a six-week deadline to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease from the country or authorise a limited vaccination programme for cattle in the remaining worst-hit areas. Farmers' leaders and vets accept that an alternative control strategy to contain the disease will be inevitable if it persists through the autumn (warmwell note: this suggests that "vets" have not wanted vaccination up to now - but of course this applies to "government vets" who are either too inexperienced or else too intimidated to disagree with their masters.). The Times has learnt that one of the main alternatives is for a limited programme of cattle vaccination in the infected and high-risk areas of Cumbria, Northumberland and possibly North Yorkshire. ...(warmwell note: what nonsense to limit it to cattle - but then, of course, to vaccinate sheep would take away the excuse to go on reducing their numbers from the prettiest places in Britain).
Ministers are determined that the virus must not flare up again during the winter and threaten rural businesses, particularly the tourist trade, for the next holiday season. There is particular concern because the virus flourishes in cold, wintry weather. A senior government source said yesterday: "It is clear that commercial reasons are likely to influence an alternative policy of vaccination, though whether it's vaccinate to live or vaccinate to kill, will have to be open to new debate." ( warmwell note: if it is "Protective vaccination" then slaughter is not condoned by the EU)
For the moment, with the number of cases edging towards 2,000, the Government's priority is to take advantage of the warmer spell to bear down on the disease, and vaccination will not be used. (warmwell note: that loathed phrasal verb again - and has "bearing down" proved successful in the warm days we have had? It has not, in spite of the frenzied pot-shots from quad-bikes, a maze of illogical restrictions and a sea of disinfectant.)
The renewed urgency was signalled yesterday when government vets turned to the Army for help to contain the growing cluster around Hexham, Northumberland. Farmers in the county were said to be shocked after the disease leapfrogged the rigid boundaries set up by the Government to control spread of the disease, and a case was confirmed at Greyside, Fourstones, near Hexham. The strict surveillance zone was expected to be extended as far as Hadrian's Wall this weekend. There were two new cases yesterday, bringing the total in a week to 16. There were also two new cases yesterday in Cumbria, bringing the total nationwide to 1,994. About 20 soldiers from the Northumbrian Royal Artillery Volunteer Regiment are to be drafted into the Hexham area today to organise the cull and disposal of farm animals. An extra 15 vets have also moved into the area, and another 20 are on standby. Extra slaughtermen are also being sent from Cumbria.
.....The Prince of Wales has donated a watercolour of Balmoral to an art exhibition to raise money for farmers whose livelihood has been affected by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Sept 1

F&M campaigns stepped up
Holdthefrontpage.co.uk

The Citizen is adding its weight to the calls for a public inquiry into foot and mouth disease. The county itself is now officially clear of the disease for the first time in six months. But the effects on local business and farming have been devastating. Gloucestershire was the sixth most badly affected county and

The Citizen is urging readers to add their names to a petition printed in the paper and send it in to the Campaign for the Truth, spearheaded by Lady Apsley

. The paper said in a front page editorial: "Farming and tourism industries alike have been devastated by the consequences of the worst outbreak of the disease in living memory.
"And one question remains to be answered. How on earth did it all happen the way it did? "It is a question this newspaper has been asking for months. And yet there is a growing fear that the process set up by the Government to investigate the outbreak will not provide the complete answer.
"That is why The Citizen is joining forces with other leading regional newspapers and countryside magazines to demand nothing less than a full public inquiry."
Meanwhile the Evening Gazette has seen scores of petitions returned by the people of Teesside who are backing the paper's calls for a public inquiry. The Gazette has teamed up with its sister paper The Journal in a bid to prevent an investigation into the disease being carried out in secret. Sept 1

Blow to farming as virus spreads
Telegraph

(this article is a rehash of that on Aug 28) .........Peter Davidson-Smith, the chairman of the NFU in Gloucestershire, where final restrictions were lifted last week, said: "We are going to have to put the disinfectant mats back down."
Richard Haddock, a farmer in Devon and the region's spokesman for livestock producers, urged councils to close footpaths again. He added: "It is clear now that the disease is hiding in sheep and could erupt anywhere at any time." (warmwell note: "hiding in sheep"? "leapfrogging"? The anthropomorphising - and demonising - of the virus by commentators is bizarre and is allowing the myths about it to proliferate. ) James Withers, of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland, said the latest outbreaks were causing concern in Scotland, which, if it can remain disease-free until tomorrow, can apply for the return of export licences. Sept 1

UK company free to develop foot-and-mouth test
Financial Times

A high technology diagnostics company in the West Midlands is to develop a rapid genetic test for foot-and-mouth virus, after a delay of several months caused by what it says was unreasonable government obstruction. Micropathology Ltd, based at Warwick University Science Park, has been trying to obtain supplies of dead virus from the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright, Surrey - Britain's foot-and-mouth testing laboratory - in order to produce an alternative assay. This would detect the virus directly by its genetic material rather than by detecting antibodies in infected animals like the official tests. But the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its predecessor, Maff, consistently turned the company down on safety and procedural grounds.

Colin Fink, Micropathology's medical specialist, says inactivated virus poses no risk. He claims the objections were politically motivated to preserve the public sector's monopoly on foot-and-mouth research.

This week Lord Whitty, the junior agriculture minister, wrote to the Countess of Mar who had raised the issue in the House of Lords: "I do not rule out the possibility of transfer of inactivated FMD material to Micropathology Ltd provided that Pirbright can agree to a strict protocol for its release." But the key phrase in Lord Whitty's letter, according to Dr Fink, was an acknowledgement that inactivated virus does not come under the specified animal pathogens order. "This has given us the green light to obtain the material from other sources," Dr Fink says. Sept 1

UK farmers look further afield
BBC

Hundreds of farmers are making enquiries about leaving Britain to escape the crisis affecting farming for a fresh start abroad. ..... And land agents say they are receiving hundreds of enquiries from farmers who want to relocate to France. Rural France offers them greater opportunity. Land prices are cheaper, there is more support from government and consumers want to buy locally. Farm land agent George Lidbury told BBC News: "You are coming to a country where they respect the farmer - that is the difference." ........... Sept 1

DOES THE NFU REALLY REPRESENT FARMERS' VIEWS?
Cumberland News

IT IS clear, from Mr Utting's reply to my letter criticising the leadership of the NFU (The Cumberland News, August 17 & 24) that I have touched a raw nerve. ........... The statistic that the national membership of the NFU represented 37 per cent of British farmers, which I quoted in my previous letter, was obtained from the NFU's own London headquarters and has since been verified.
I also understand that the membership figure for Cumbria is slightly less than the national average, at about 33 per cent.
When a poll of Cumbrian farmers was undertaken by David Maclean MP, in April (something which the NFU should themselves have done if they really wished to represent the views of their members), 80 per cent of those questioned stated that they were in favour of some form of vaccination policy.
So far, therefore, from representing the views of 70 per cent of farmers, as claimed by Mr Utting, it is questionable whether the current NFU leaders even speak for the majority of their own members. ..... Having listened to Ben Gill, at the public meeting in Carlisle on August 15, ........I was dismayed by Mr Gill's negative attitude to the arguments about vaccination.
While claiming to be open minded on this subject, he attempted to play down or disparage the evidence of acknowledged international authorities who disagreed with his views, while quoting totally unsubstantiated opinions, alleged to have been written by some of his overseas farming friends. At the same time the NFU has, in the past, consistently either refused to meet, or at the last minute cancelled agreed meetings with independent scientific supporters of vaccination, such as Dr Ruth Watkins. Tragically, the latest re-infections of a previously cleared area may lead to further mass culling of thousands, if not millions more animals, which will affect not only farmers, but the whole of the economy. May I therefore urgently suggest to Mr Gill that there should be a national televised debate, preferably on ITV and chaired, possibly, by Jon Snow, in which Mr Gill will select the speakers opposed to vaccination and Dr Richard North will select those in favour. Whilst this may not resolve the problem, it would at least allow both farmers and the public, perhaps, for many, for the first time, to hear the real facts and to form their own opinions. ( This and the other important letters in the Cumberland News about the NFU leadership are published in full HERE) posted Sept 1

Foot-and-mouth controls extended

Outbreaks were confirmed at Low Eshells, Hexham; Greyside, Fourstones, Hexham; and Ellrington Hall, Haydon Bridge, on Friday (31 August). Slaughter teams were moving in to cull 874 cattle and 2457 sheep on the infected holdings. Livestock on nearby holdings will also be killed. Divisional Veterinary Manager Arthur Griffiths has asked for help from the Army in view of the number of animals which need to be culled. Aug 31

Ministers 'will consider foot-and-mouth vaccinations'
Financial Times

Ministers will "actively consider" vaccinating animals to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth if the disease does not abate in the autumn, a senior Whitehall insider said on Thursday.
.......

Although ministers have insisted the slaughter policy remains in place, within Whitehall there is strong support for some of Mr Cameron's views.

The senior Whitehall insider said that if the government failed to stamp out the disease in the autumn, "we have to consider vaccination again very actively".
He added that vaccinating animals would be more acceptable than current policy in any future epidemic. "I don't think the public will countenance another war being fought on the same basis. I think there'd be very big questions about public acceptability of a slaughter policy in future outbreaks," he said.
.......Meanwhile, Scotland is to press ahead with attempts to negotiate an early regional derogation to the European Union ban on British livestock exports, despite a fresh foot-and-mouth disease scare at seven farms in the Scottish Borders, officials said on Thursday. The Scottish executive had hoped to declare the country officially "disease-free" on Thursday, three months after the last case of the disease was identified north of the border. Officials said widespread blood testing of livestock in the affected areas of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, as well as in unaffected parts of the country, had failed to find any evidence of the disease. However, the executive has been forced to restrict movements on the seven Borders farms this week after it emerged that each had been visited by a farmer from Hexham in neighbouring Northumberland, where the disease has re-emerged. Scottish officials said it would take at least three to four weeks before further testing could establish whether the disease had been spread back into Scotland through the contacts. However, the officials said Scotland could nevertheless in effect regard itself as currently free of the disease and was preparing to push its case next month for an early lifting of the export ban. Aug 31

Generations of work wiped out in 24 hours
Telegraph

A FAMILY that has farmed the same land for generations saw its business wiped out in less than 24 hours by foot and mouth. Harry Sparke, 68, and his brother Dennis, 64, were born at Stone Hall Farm in Catton, near Allendale, Northumberland, but it became the second farm in the area to be confirmed with the disease and all 800 sheep and 93 cattle were slaughtered. Mr Sparke said: "We had not been affected in the first outbreak and were beginning to relax even though we had been so careful. "Our future is now uncertain. I might do a few smaller things but it is too early to make any firm decisions.

"We have four sons between the two families and we have advised them against going into farming, it is getting harder and harder. It is so quiet, we can't hear any beast."

Mr Sparke's anguish came as farmers in Northumberland were hopeful that the outbreak might be contained but vets said that it was too early to tell if the crisis was under control. Divisional veterinary officer Arthur Griffiths said three weeks without more cases was needed before they could say the virus had gone. More than a dozen cases have been confirmed in the Allendale area since last Friday and more than 30 farms have been affected. A 400-square-mile exclusion zone has been set up around Hexham. Aug 31

Sheep will starve under new rules, say farmers
Telegraph

they are not starting testing the upland sheep until early October," said a spokesman for the NFU in the North-West. "If they start on Oct 1, at 40,000 samples a week it will take many weeks to get the blood-testing done. No one knows how many animals remain to be tested up there. "It will be mid-October before anyone can move sheep, and that is too late. By December there would still be sheep and lambs on the fells." For hundreds of years sheep have been moved from the fells in September, some to sell at market and the rest to over-winter in the lowland areas. Ewes and this year's lambs left on the uplands would face starvation, and the large numbers of stock trapped on fell land would strip what vegetation there was, damaging the land itself. Even if the blood-testing programme was accelerated there were not going to be enough places for stock to move to, the spokesman said. "Normally a lot move out of the county. Many farmers in Cumbria's northern lowland areas are still disinfecting, due to the delayed programme, and cannot take animals on their land." Farms that have escaped the virus in the lowlands have too much stock themselves to take more.

The future faced by farmers in south Cumbria's "Blue Box", a special movement area intended to isolate the active virus around Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and south of Penrith - a zone that has had more than 100 confirmed cases - appears to be even worse.

The NFU is trying to clarify the position in the area - which has draconian restrictions on movements - but believes farmers may not be able to move animals except to slaughter. Farmers within the Blue Box, which covers large areas of upland, are desperate, the spokesman said....... Aug 31

Virus curbs imposed on two more Scots farms
The Times

.....This brings the total of Scots farms under restriction to nine, all of which have had contact with a meat buyer from Hexham, Northumberland. The buyer, who visited the Scottish farms before his own sheep went down with foot-and-mouth, was said last night to be "depressed and very sad". John Horncastle, 49, managing director of North Country Primestock, a beef and lamb co-operative which supplies leading supermarkets, was described as being "deeply upset" by speculation that he may have unwittingly spread the disease from the cluster in the Allendale Valley to the Scottish Borders. Mr Horncastle has given vets full details of his visits to Scotland, on August 20 and 23. It is believed that he had no contact with livestock. ....Yesterday was the crucial watershed under EU rules when 90 days had passed without a new case. But the restricted farms are likely to remain sealed for another two weeks and then the animals will have to be bloodtested for the virus. Aug 31

It's time to vaccinate, says Blair's adviser
The Times

THE Government's leading adviser on the countryside called on ministers yesterday to authorise a pilot scheme of vaccination to deal with the new outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. With the Army on standby last night to move in to handle the new cluster in Northumberland, Ewen Cameron, the chairman of the Countryside Agency and the Government's Rural Advocate, wrote to Lord Whitty, the Food and Farming Minister, urging the adoption of a new strategy. In the most authoritative assessement of the impact of the disease on rural Britain to date, Mr Cameron said that rural communities faced years of suffering and misery after the epidemic, which has cost the economy more than £4billion. He insisted that the public would never again accept a policy of mass slaughter of farm animals to eradicate the disease. Vaccination would have caused less financial hardship as communities would have remained open for business, he said. He believes that the Government should now test a policy of vaccination. This would involve vaccinating animals in farms surrounding a farm infected with foot-and-mouth, then later slaughtering the vaccinated animals. He said: " Some of these sporadic outbreaks of foot-and-mouth seem to me an ideal opportunity to pilot a ring vaccination scheme" He said the Government had always been open to the use of vaccination, and even the National Farmers' Union had accepted there were circumstances when it could be used. Last night the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that the issue of vaccination was still open. However, The Times has learnt that Professor David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, does not believe that the use of vaccination would be helpful. He is optimistic that the virus appears to be confined to hotspots, around Penrith and now in the Allendale valley in Northumberland, and fears that vaccination would make it difficult to identify other areas of high infection. The Government's priority is to open all regions of the country to normal business as quickly as possible and he believes vaccination would slow that down. The NFU was also unconvinced by the need to follow a vaccination strategy at this stage of the epidemic. In a statement last night, the union questioned Mr Cameron's suggestion of testing a vaccination strategy. It said: " We can see no reason, particularly in the middle of a major disease outbreak, to implement vaccination for vaccination's sake as some sort of experiment to test it as policy. Vaccination should only be used if there is clear advice that it would be a better approach and we have not received any new evidence to suggest that it would" Aug 30

Foot and mouth leaves deep scars on rural Britain
The Guardian

Foot and mouth disease has had a deeper and broader effect on the economy and social life of Britain than anyone expected, according to two reports pubished yesterday. Research commissioned by the countryside agency, the government's advisory group on rural affairs, suggested that apart from adversely affecting one in four firms in Britain and costing the economy up to £5.5bn,

the continuing crisis may have undermined relationships, community life, the property market and the self-esteem of people in rural areas.

"The effect on the countryside is considerable. The worst thing is that it has been focused on those areas where the incomes per household are at their lowest," said Ewen Cameron, the agency's chief executive. He expected many rural businesses, particularly those that rely on tourism, to collapse this winter. Estimates in Cumbria, the worst affected area, suggested that 15,000-20,000 jobs were at risk, or almost 9% of total employment. Two in five businesses in the county said they had been affected, compared to almost one in three in Devon. Worst hit were the tourist, service, agricultural supply, and land based firms, but everyone from car hire companies to decorators, brewers, charities, outdoor pursuit centres, anglers, foresters, traders, craft people, and shopkeepers had suffered. The tourist industry had suffered by far the greatest losses, estimated at more than £4bn. The agency put a figure of one in three firms throughout Britain adversely affected. A Lloyds TSB report also published yesterday thought it could be more. A large survey of its customers suggested that more than 80% of all British hotel and catering businesses had suffered losses and more than one in three had lost more than£50,000 as a direct result of the disease.
The countryside agency report went some way to adjusting allegations from government and the media that farmers had been "greedy". Although having received so far more than £1bn in compensation for capital losses, the survey found that infected farms had on average lost £7,000-£10,000 income, farms in infected areas up to #6,000, and all other farms up to £4,500. The industry, it said, was already in recession before the epidemic started. "We need sustained action to ensure that the level of visitors to the countryside is maintained," said Mr Cameron. "The government needs to help in the promotion of the countryside. It can bring forward some of the policies in the rural white paper, such as regenerating market towns and villages."

He also called on the government to conduct a limited vaccination experiment.

....Aug 30

Plea for foot-and-mouth border controls rejected
Glasgow Herald

THE Scottish Executive yesterday rejected farmers' pleas for border controls to prevent further foot-and-mouth contamination, claiming the biggest obstacle preventing a disease-free declaration was complacency in the agricultural industry. ....Ross Finnie, Scottish minister for rural development, also announced farmers would receive £10 for each lamb born since January 1 in a compensation scheme to be launched on Monday. Mr Walker immediately criticised the scheme because what he described as crucial details had not yet been finalised by the rural payments agency (RPA), set up by Westminster. He said: "Farmers don't have the first idea how this scheme will operate. There is not a chance of the sale starting on September 3. I'm going to write to the prime minister expressing our complete dissatisfaction with the RPA." Mr Finnie said he expected Scotland could be declared disease-free within a week as the risk of infection raised after a meat buyer from Northumberland visited seven Borders farms, leading to movement restrictions being reintroduced, was very low. The move followed a spate of new cases south of the border. Mr Finnie insisted the biggest obstacle to disease-free status was complacency in the agricultural and livestock sectors over biosecurity measures. "If we are talking about lessons to be learned from foot-and-mouth disease, it's that special arrangements are not simply put in place after you've had an outbreak of this disease," he said. "I urge everyone in the industry to take this message very seriously indeed." Mr Finnie said the reintroduction of movement restrictions in the Borders could have a "hugely adverse impact" on negotiations with the EC over lifting the export ban. Leslie Gardner, the assistant chief veterinary officer in Scotland, will be arguing the case along with Jim Scudamore, chief veterinary officer for England and Wales, at a meeting in Brussels in just over a week's time. ...Aug 30

Farmers `will be struggling'
icWales

A FARMER has predicted that scores of livestock owners would be struggling financially and could even go out of business by November because of the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Northumberland. John Ogle, 44, who has 55 cattle and 650 sheep at Manor House farm in Ninebanks, near Allendale, lives within a few miles of the most recent outbreak. He said the lambs in the fields are due to go to auction in late September/early October which brings a substantial amount of income to tide farmers through the winter and early spring. But this income is now under threat. Mr Ogle said, "This is a busy time for selling stock to get money to last us to next year. This time there will be no sales and farmers such as myself will be in severe difficulties without that money." posted Aug 30

Gloom as plan to open marts abandoned
icWales

THE crisis facing the farming industry since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth shows no sign of abating after a move to reopen livestock markets was vetoed. Farmers have now been told that they may have to wait until the end of the year for the reopening of markets as new arrangements for livestock movements were announced in the light of the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak. Meanwhile there are growing fears the imminent onset of cooler autumn weather will lead to a resurgence of the disease, which has not been eradicated despite the recent hot weather. Lord Whitty, Minister at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, yesterday announced new arrangements that will do little for the confidence of the farming industry. Proposals from Defra include the designation of new foot-and-mouth classification zones based on county boundaries, which mean all movements will be under the licence of local authorities. There will be no markets in the autumn and livestock movements will be limited, depending on whether counties are free of disease, at risk, high-risk or infected. A 250-mile limit will be imposed on the movement of animals from disease free areas, and 150 miles for all other movements. The Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme will be extended from Monday, with controlled movements of cattle and pigs permitted from September 17. Movements of sheep in areas where blood tests are not required will be allowed from September 17, but no blood-tested sheep will be moved before October.
.....And yesterday the National Farmers' Union said it was backing the call for a public inquiry into the disease, after previously declaring it was undecided, while the number of people who have signed The Western Mail petition demanding a full investigation continued to grow. Explaining the NFU's change of position, head of parliamentary affairs Barney Holbeche said there was no guarantee the Government's Lessons Learned Inquiry would be in public. "It will work from the Cabinet Office which was involved in managing the crisis earlier in the year," he said. "For these reasons there is doubt as to whether the inquiries set up can do the job they are meant to. We need to have confidence that the inquiries will be fully transparent."
Up to 200 more sheep were slaughtered in the Brecon Beacons over the Bank Holiday weekend. The cull of "stragglers" in the area of Talybonton-Usk came after farmers had refused to comply with the culling programme because their sheep had been grazing alongside other healthy animals.....posted Aug 30

British farmers despair at latest FMD outbreak
Irish Examiner

British farmers say they are at their wits' end after new restrictions were imposed to curb the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The outbreak, centred mainly around Northumberland, now totals 13 new cases after two cases were discovered overnight. The British Government has abandoned plans to restart live markets for the time being, saying the risks of further spreading the disease are too high. However, a new regime on the movement of animals will be introduced shortly. This will allow a greater number of animals to be moved, despite restrictions, when livestock farmers are at their busiest. posted Aug 30

Will the countryside be closed down again in the wake of fresh outbreaks of foot and mouth?Today Programme

"The farmers who are still farming who have stock have received no help...a lot of these farmers will be finished. ..tracks overgrown with brambles.. It's the farming families with grazing stock who keep these footpaths open. " Aug 29

Livestock markets stay banned for autumn
Telegraph

LIVESTOCK markets will remain banned this autumn in an attempt to contain foot and mouth disease, the Government said yesterday, but more animals will be allowed to move between farms.....Lord Whitty, the food and rural affairs minister, said he was announcing what he called the "extension" - rather than the relaxation - of rules governing livestock movements to avoid (???) welfare problems during the season when animals are traditionally moved from high ground. He said: "We were hoping that we could move to a slightly more relaxed regime, but the resistance of the disease and

scientific advice leads us to conclude that the risk is too high."

(warmwell note: would this be the same scientific advice that advocated postcode killing and six months of horror? What about the scientific advice of the genuine international experts in the disease: Professor Brown, Dr Sutmoller and Dr Barteling, all of whom have been calling for vaccination from the very beginning?) The latest rules were approved by the Cabinet's emergency committee, Cobra, yesterday with the approval of the chief scientist's advisory group. Farmers, who have been clamouring for a relaxation so that they can move animals from high ground where the grass will stop growing within weeks, said the restrictions would undermine the determination of some farmers to hold out through the winter. Jim Scudamore, the Government's chief vet, said there was a suspicion that there was old disease in sheep which had survived undetected since the last outbreaks in the county three months ago. (warmwell note: what better way to cut the Gordian Knot of sheep reduction than to go on killing sheep with antibodies? And making life so difficult for farmers that they welcome the cull as a relief from months of dreary anxiety? Adopting vaccination would, of course, have made this impossible.)Sheep moving from infected or "at risk" counties must be from blood-tested flocks. These tests, costing around #30 each, will be paid for by the Government. Stock travelling between disease-free counties will be restricted to movements of 250 miles. All other movements will be limited to 150 miles. In addition, the Government said it is considering how to make all animals individually identifiable. Tim Bennett, the National Farmers' Union deputy president, said: "Farmers accept that the priority must be to prevent any further spread of the disease. "But some of these producers have had animals on their farms for six months and are at their wits' end." Aug 29

Foot and Mouth Disease: the state of the countryside - An IntroductionThe Countryside Agency

...Ewen Cameron, chairman of the Countryside Agency, said "Foot and mouth disease has had a profound impact on rural areas, created distress and difficulty for many, threatening livelihoods and the very fabric of rural life." Speaking at the launch of the Foot and Mouth Disease: the State of the Countryside report, he called for robust and targeted regeneration measures in the worst affected areas: "Government and many others acted quickly to provide some immediate relief but the full effect of the way the disease has impacted will not be known for some time. There will be more bankruptcies, fewer jobs and rural communities will suffer for years to come. "In the areas hardest hit, such as Cumbria, Devon, parts of Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and the North East, it's a double blow - agriculture was already in recession and many households depended on rural tourism and its suppliers for jobs and income.
(The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues relating to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the English countryside. ) Aug 29

Inquiry chief linked to virus scare
Farmers Weekly

The head of a government inquiry into foot-and-mouth is chairman of a company linked to the possible spread of the disease, Farmers Weekly can reveal. Sir Don Curry, who is leading the Commission into the Future of Farming, is chairman of the livestock marketing group North Country Primestock. Seven Scottish farms are now under foot-and-mouth restrictions after being visited by North Country Primestock managing director John Horncastle. Mr Horncastle was visiting the farms with a view to buying lamb for the company which usually handles about 20,000 cattle and 150,000 sheep a year..... Aug 29

NFU joins Campaign for Truth
Yorkshire Post

A CAMPAIGN for a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth disaster was launched yesterday by a group of MPs and celebrities as the disease strengthened its grip on Northumberland. Two further cases were confirmed in the area of the recent cluster, near Hexham, bringing the total number of outbreaks in the county to 13 since Thursday and the total nationally since the start of the epidemic in February to 1,989. A petition was launched as part of a "Campaign for the Truth" which it is hoped will get millions of signatures, from "every nook and cranny of the country". It is is being supported by the National Farmers Union, which had previously been undecided on the issue.
The latest moves in the foot-and-mouth saga came at the same time as thousands of people in Yorkshire were bemoaning the cancellation of the popular Kilnsey Show, near Grassington in Upper Wharfedale. Up to 10,000 people normally make the annual pilgrimage to the event, held under the famous limestone crag. Show chairman Ronnie Metcalfe, who farms at Linton, said: "We shall have to try to build up the show classes again in future because a lot of our competitors have had their livestock slaughtered."
Launching the Campaign for the Truth at Westminster, Tory MP Bill Cash raised fears of a Government "cover-up and a whitewash" if Prime Minister Tony Blair rejected the mass petition for a full and transparent public inquiry. Mr Cash, who appealed for support across the political spectrum, also claimed that the three private inquiries so far set up by Mr Blair would not cover the tourism industry so hard hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis. But Farms Minister Lord Whitty later signalled that the Government would not be moved by the petition campaign. He said the inquiries announced by his boss, Margaret Beckett, would be "full and thorough" with the results made public.

Mr Cash was joined at the launch of the campaign by representatives of the NFU, the Countryside Alliance, the British Association of Shooting and Conservation and the Country Land and Business Association.

Aug 29

Foot and mouth is back (sic) - and the Government isn't ready
Telegraph

LIKE their predecessors in 1914, the Government encouraged us to be optimistic in the early days. It would soon all be over, not just by Christmas but in a matter of months. Now, like our grandparents, we know different. The fight against foot and mouth looks likely to continue into winter and beyond.

The general staff in Whitehall has shot a generation of British livestock and thrown them into muddy trenches to no avail. In Northumberland today, farmers are fighting for the same ground they thought they had captured in March.

Like the foot soldiers of that earlier war, rural communities have lost confidence in their ministerial generals.

They obey them only because, after so much bloody sacrifice and piles of stinking corpses, no one can bear to admit that it has all been pointless.

Think back to the Easter holidays. On April 19, the Government's chief scientist, Professor David King, said foot and mouth was "fully under control". The chief vet, Jim Scudamore, waved computer models showing that new cases would be down to one a day by May. Phoenix the calf was saved by Alastair Campbell. On May 3, Tony Blair announced the disease effectively beaten. Farmers had to reopen the footpaths. At first, Mr Blair's optimism seemed vindicated. Three million dead animals didn't harm Labour at the general election. Agriculture wasn't mentioned in the Queen's Speech, just a Bill to ban hunting. Margaret Beckett, the minister in charge of the newly created Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, went caravanning in France. There were still up to five new cases a day, including an outbreak among the hefted flocks around Brecon (warmwell note: we are tired of pointing out that there was no outbreak among the hefted flocks in Brecon, only evidence of antibodies showing resistenace to the disease that had passed harmlessly) , in Cumbria and Yorkshire, but so what? Even the Tories didn't care. The leadership candidates were too busy arguing about Europe and eating curries. ........Now foot and mouth has returned to where it started, in Northumberland. There were 13 new cases by last night. The tabloid front pages were full of Posh Spice's new lip stud. But this is scarier. No one knows how the virus crept back, once again choosing the most beautiful valleys to attack. But its tactics look ominously familiar. There are red warning notices around the 400-square mile exclusion zone in the Allendale area. The marksmen have returned. The B&B owners are distraught. The pan- asiatic virus type O hates sunbathing, it prefers the damp and rain and will thrive on the increase in animal movement that occurs in the autumn. It could be the start of a long winter campaign. We're not ready for it. The body count has already crept up to nearly four million. Almost all of these were healthy animals. The bill for killing them has reached over £2.2 billion. The Institute of Directors predicted that the cost to the country could reach £20 billion if the epidemic continued into July. It is now nearly September.

Mr Blair has done nothing over the summer to prepare for another onslaught of the disease. Instead, his policy has been focused on getting rid of as many small farmers as possible, first undermining them in the eyes of the public, then trying to pay them off. Rumours were spread that farmers had been buying infected sheep's tails (never proved), the public was told that infected farms in England were getting £100,000 to clear up (it was more like £35,000), and that farmers are now happy millionaires as a result of generous compensation claims (if they're all doing so well, why is the suicide rate still 60 per cent above the national average?).

There is only one weapon we can deploy to beat this virus: vaccination.

Ben Gill of the NFU, speaking in Cumbria this month, was still insisting that vaccination wouldn't work because vaccinated produce would have to be specially labelled in supermarkets. But consumer associations have dropped this demand. Animals are already vaccinated against other diseases. And vaccinated meat is safe to eat: the Argentines have it for breakfast. .........French, Dutch and German farmers are now pushing for the EU to adopt an official policy of ring vaccination without slaughter when ministers meet for a summit this autumn. This is Britain's only hope. It should volunteer to test vaccination for the benefit of other European countries. The estimated cost of such a programme is £200 million but it could save billions. Mr Blair should support it if he doesn't want to spend the winter bogged down in Northumberland mud. Aug 29

Farmers consider cull legal action
BBC

Graziers on the Brecon Beacons are considering taking legal action after sheep were slaughtered, they claim, without their consent. Around 200 more sheep were slaughtered on Monday after earlier straying from a flock earmarked for cull into a neighbouring flock near Talybont-on-Usk.

Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said the cull had gone ahead with farmers' co-operation, but grazier Stephen Brychan, who lost 40 sheep in the latest slaughter, said they had not given consent.

They did not have our consent," he said. "We gathered the animals for testing but we made it clear we did not want healthy animals slaughtered. "We are considering taking legal action because of the way this has been handled." Valuation forms Brecon livestock valuer Peter Francis said the form signed by farmers was a valuation form and did not consent to the cull. "The whole thing has been extremely frustrating for the farmers involved," he said. Graziers have lost thousands of sheep Farmers had earlier refused to comply with the cull because their sheep had already been grazing beside other animals for weeks. They protested the measure was illogical. The strays were killed while sheep from the flocks they mixed with were prepared for blood tests in pens. Mr Jones said the cull had gone ahead

after scientific advice from epidemiologists had been followed.

(warmwell note: George Orwell himself could not have invented a more chilling pseudo-justification ) He accused those who oppose the culling policy of putting pressure on affected farmers with a telephone persuasion campaign. Crisis so far Total confirmed cases UK-wide 1,960 - with 118 in Wales Powys - 78 Anglesey - 13 Monmouthshire - 20 Caerphilly - 2 Rhondda Cynon Taff - 1 Neath Port Talbot -1 Newport - 3 "This has nothing to do with disease control," said Mr Stephens, who earlier refused to let his animals go to slaughter. "It's more like a selective cull.

It's not about foot-and-mouth; it's about clearing the Beacons of sheep - otherwise, those on Buckland would be killed as well.

"They are picking which ones live and die. They slaughtered thousands of healthy animals using the European stock reduction fund to pay compensation." posted Aug 29

Tag all pigs? Impossible, says NPANational Pig Association

The pig industry has reacted with outrage to Defra's shock announcement that in 20 days all pigs must be tagged before they can be moved. "It can't be done," said NPA chairman James Black this afternoon. "It's a physical impossibility. "And even if it could be done it wouldn't do anything, anything at all, to help foot and mouth control measures." It won't be known until tomorrow whether Defra will attempt to pursue the notion that pigs should be tagged before being moved. It is not even clear whether their stipulation on Friday that all pigs must be "individually identified" refers to ear tags. There is no evidence that ALIDMA - the body that represents tag manufacturers in UK - has been consulted on the issue. And in any case tag manufacturers are currently working flat out to meet the requirements of new sheep and cattle tagging arrangements in Scotland. The introduction of a new tagging system would normally involve months of talks to determine the size and shape of the tag, how tamperproof it will be, the colour, the marking, and the system used to produce unique identification. "I find it hard to believe Defra are seriously suggesting we tag quarter of a million pigs a week," said James Black. "It won't improve disease control. All it will do is place an added burden on an industry that is already reeling from the direct and knock-on costs of foot and mouth...posted Aug 29

Scots told to keep English off their farms
The Times

....Mr Walker's warning came in a radio interview as a fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Northumberland, rose to 13 cases. He said that the last thing the industry in Scotland needed was for "killing squads" carrying out animal culls to return. He added: "This is about farms all over Scotland. We must keep people off farms, particularly from England and Wales, until we are clear of the disease in this part of the country." The farms involved in the latest scare are thought to have had"a dangerous contact"with one of the farms south of the border where the new outbreak has been confirmed. Yesterday the National Union of Farmers broke ranks with the Government over its handling of the epidemic and for the first time backed calls for a fully-fledged public inquiry. The U-turn follows widespread disillusion among grassroots of the organisation with the limited "lessons learnt" inquiry set up by Tony Blair and Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary.

After studying terms of the inquiry to be headed by Dr Iain Anderson, the NFU fears that the outcome could be a whitewash. In a statement last night the union said: "We have always said that any evidence that there has been mishandling of the crisis, mistakes made or negligence should come out into the public glare."

It added that after studying the remit:"The more we have learned about it, the more worried we have been that it will not fulfil this requirement." The NFU leadership is now urging its members to support a Campaign for the Truth launched yesterday by William Cash, the Conservative MP, and which was also backed by the Country Land and Business Association, the Countryside Alliance and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Mr Cash hopes to collect more than five million signatures for a petition to Parliament to require the Government to set up a proper public of inquiry under the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1921. This would require witnesses, including relevant Ministers and civil servants, to attend and give evidence under oath. Aug 29

Foot and mouth outlook now 'ominous'
Guardian

The government was last night contemplating the possibility that foot and mouth disease might not be fully contained before the autumn and, potentially, could spread throughout Britain again as farmers begin to move vast numbers of animals during the wet weather in which the disease thrives. With the 13th case of foot and mouth disease in four days reported yesterday in the Allendale valley in Northumberland, and more suspicious cases being examined last night, the agriculture minister, Lord Whitty, admitted that the situation was now "ominous" and warned there could be many more outbreaks. "The Northumberland outbreak is a serious situation and a setback," said Lord Whitty. "Don't expect there will be no more cases. It is not clear how it [the Northumbria outbreak] was caused but there will be more cases". Last night the total number of cases was 1,989. He was particularly concerned because the remote Allendale valley near Hexham, where the disease is now thought to be rampant, has many small farms where there has very likely been considerable contact between animals.

Yesterday thousands more sheep and cattle were culled.

Chief vet Jim Scudamore declined to say how the Northumberland outbreak had started but denied that the disease was endemic in the area. "It looks like it originated in sheep but the first case was reported in cattle," he said. "It is probably a few sheep which are the problem. Clearly this could happen elsewhere." (warmwell note: once again the sheep are blamed and the sheep continue to be culled in their thousands.) .....If the outbreak spreads north of the border, farmers will have to wait at least another three months before licences would be considered...... some complained that (grouse) shooting was being given preferential treatment because of the millions it is said to generate annually. ...........the government's countryside agency will warn that foot and mouth is continuing to have a devastating impact on the rural economy-hitting the poorest areas the hardest. The English tourism council yesterday said that tourism losses this year were likely to reach £5bn. Aug 29

Foot and mouth "threatens rural life"
Evening Standard

The foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is now threatening the very fabric of rural life, countryside experts are warning. Although the disease has yet to run its course, the Countryside Agency, which advises the Government, is already considering what changes will be needed to support and strengthen farming and rural economies.
Details are set to be unveiled by chairman of the Countryside Agency Ewen Cameron and chief executive Richard Wakeford at the London launch of a special State of the Countryside report. It is expected to give a comprehensive and objective overview of the current and possible impacts of foot and mouth, which will inform the debate about what should happen after the crisis. The agency says the impact of the disease on rural areas has spread far beyond farming and those areas immediately affected by the disease. It has created distress and difficulty for many and put livelihoods at risk. Meanwhile, farmers are reacting with dismay to new restrictions announced to curb foot-and-mouth disease. As the rogue (sic) outbreak in Northumberland reaches 13 new cases, ministers say it is necessary to tighten the rules on livestock movements countrywide to wipe out the epidemic once and for all. (warmwell note:if these are the "ministers"' words - 'to wipe out the epidemic once and for all' - we do rather wonder what they think they have been doing for the past six months...' wipe it out a little bit' perhaps?) The Government has also abandoned plans to restart live markets for the time being, saying the risks are too high of further spreading the disease. But to soften the blow there is also a new regime on movements during the autumn period when livestock farmers are at their busiest. Aug 29

"We've fallen off edge of precipice"
Newcastle Journal

The return of foot-and-mouth in isolated pockets had long been predicted, but in Allendale - a small, tight-knit community unlucky enough to be the place where that return actually took place - the effect has been devastating. "It's like living in a nightmare," said one villager yesterday. For Mrs Maughan, who has farmed at Low Mill for 36 years, the past few days have been a jumble of emotions. She said: "We always knew that it could flare up again, we'd been told that it was likely to come back and it could happen anywhere. Unfortunately, that anywhere was here and it's been an absolute nightmare. "Today it's over as far as I'm concerned, but what happens tomorrow? Right now the adrenalin is flowing because there's been so much happening and so much to think about, so to get it over with is something of a relief. You knew the phone call was coming, but the waiting was awful. "People are devastated here, and it's not just the farmers. It's horrendous, and I wouldn't want anybody to have to live through it." Two more cases of foot-and-mouth were confirmed in the Allendale area yesterday, and two more suspected cases of the disease are being investigated.

Another 20 farms have been classed as contiguous cases and will have their animals culled. Among the farms are at least two which had animals taken out last April because they were classed as close contacts with infected premises on the other side of Hexhamshire Common. David Smith, the chairman of the National Sheep Association who lives at nearby Haydon Bridge, has spoken to some of the farmers concerned and said that the agony of seeing animals culled twice was almost beyond description.

He said: "Some of the farmers are devastated. People were traumatised when they lost their sheep in April and thought they'd at least managed to keep their cattle. "There seemed to be a chink of light at the end of the tunnel, and now that's gone. "I'm very worried for farmers around here because it's so hard to get information about what's happening. We've been told we're in a blue box, but what does that mean?"

Plague farmers in new crisis
Newcastle Journal

.....New restrictions include the withdrawal of all licences for animal movement, and stringent bio-security being enforced at farms, including disinfectant footbaths and sprays. Police and Defra officials will also patrol to ensure that no animals are being moved illegally, and that cleansing and bio-security measures are being used.....

Agronomist Dr Richard North, who works for an EU think-tank on farming matters, says billions of pounds in taxpayers' cash could have been saved, along with thousands of animals, if the Government had immediately agreed to a mass vaccination programme against foot-and-mouth disease when it first reared its head in February. Dr North says the country is still facing a crisis of epic proportions unless vaccination is used to stem the disease.

He said: "This epidemic does not seem to be geographically contained, and certainly this is backed up by the emergence of sporadic outbreaks with days or sometimes weeks between them. "That leads me to believe that the disease is endemic in the countryside, and the worrying facet is that it is likely deer are helping spread the virus. The problem is Defra doesn't want to acknowledge that as a possibility. "Every time the deer hypothesis is raised, they rush to the barricades and say there is no evidence."

The stark reality, says Dr North, is that the epidemic will continue until vaccination is used.

He said: "We will see more outbreaks and it will keep cropping up every now and then, after we think we have the all-clear. That is exactly the pattern you would expect to see when the disease has gone endemic. "Assuming the best-case scenario, it will take another three months before we clear the tail of these latest cases. "For export clearance you can add another three months, which takes us until March 2002 - and that's assuming there are no more outbreaks. "If we had vaccinated, we would probably now have that clearance and saved billions. The Government should have done it in March, but Maff had no idea of what was happening in agriculture. They told us it would be over by the summer, and here we are looking at almost a year beyond that forecast." Dr North added: "The vaccination programme could have cost us £200m and we would be looking at the restoration of disease-free status in March 2002.

"What this Northumberland outbreak says is that we're a long way away from recovering that status, at a cost so far of about £20bn to the economy. I'm just waiting for the first outbreak on a farm which has been restocked, and perhaps that will be the Government's wake-up call. "Instead, they have wasted a full year and we are now looking at an animal welfare, economic and disease catastrophe."

posted Aug 28

Foot-and-mouth outbreak spreads in Northumberland
Financial Times

Fears about the severity of the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease have heightened after four more cases were confirmed in Northumberland on Monday.

The opposition parties said the latest cases underlined the need for a public inquiry rather than the more limited investigations announced by the government.

Malcolm Bruce, Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said: "This is further evidence that government departments have not got the epidemic under control. It makes it even more urgent that there should be a full inquiry." Damian Green, the Conservative party environment spokesman, said: "Margaret Beckett [environment, food and rural affairs secretary] should be concentrating on the final eradication of foot and mouth disease instead of announcing controlled inquiries into her own department's performance on the subject." ....Aug 28

Ministry ready for Allen Valley firebreak cull
The Times

FARMERS in Northumberland fear that government slaughtermen are preparing to cull the cattle and sheep in the Allen Valley, turning one of Britain's most treasured beauty spots into a foot-and-mouth "firebreak". Concern grew after two further cases of the disease were confirmed last night, bringing the total around Allendale to 11. They were at Newton Lee Farm in Catton and Broadwood Hall Farm in Allendale, where 125 cattle and 1,200 sheep will be culled. The first case was reported on Friday at Taylor Burn farm, near Ninebanks, Allendale. Much of the valley, at the centre of a 400-square-mile exclusion zone between Hexham and Alston, which contains 550 farms, was cut off yesterday as officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), helped by the police, sealed roads to infected farms. Stringent measures are being taken to halt the first outbreak of the disease in the area for three months, prompted by an unspoken fear that if it is unchecked, the virus could re-emerge in the autumn.

A ban on the movement of livestock was imposed and footpaths were closed as slaughtermen moved in to cull an initial 4,000 cattle and 6,000 sheep. .......and visitors who went too close to infected farms were asked by police to strip off to be sprayed with disinfectant.

Matt Coulson, general manager of the village Co-op store, which serves the population of 1,200, said: "Most of us who live and work here have relatives or friends who farm. Everybody thought they had missed it (the virus) and now realise the chances are they are going to be caught. It is pretty obvious that most of the farms are going to be taken out. It has been like climbing a hill only to get to the brow to discover there is a mountain on the other side."..Aug 28

Fight to combat virus cluster
BBC

Strict quarantine measures have been put in place in Northumberland in an effort to control the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Thousands of animals are being slaughtered in a 400sq mile area after the number of cases in the area rose to 11 in four days. Scottish farmers are worried the infection could be carried over the border just as they are hoping to resume their export trade after nearly three months free of the virus. There are reports that four farms in Scotland have taken precautionary restriction measures after a farmer from Hexham visited them 14 days ago. Disease facts Total: 1,987 New cases on Monday: 8 Slaughtered: 3,768,000 Awaiting slaughter: 11,000 Awaiting disposal: 3,000 Local vets are monitoring the situation and carrying out tests on the animals. In Northumberland, all the main approach roads to the affected area have permanent disinfecting stations by the roadside. Every vehicle moving in and out of the area has its wheels and wheel arches sprayed by officials. ..... Aug 28

Foot and mouth flare-up spreads
Telegraph

Farmers in other parts of the country called for the return of restrictions on movement and access as the number of cases around Allendale, in the north Pennines, reached 11. A further three cases were confirmed in Cumbria, at Great Asby, near Penrith, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby. Allendale, which had previously been untouched by the disease, is flanked by moorland grazing and heavily stocked with animals, which vets said increased the risk of contagion.......Gordon Meek, the National Farmers' Union livestock spokesman, said: "We are looking at sheep and cattle nose-to-nose right through that valley. There is no arable land and not a lot of woodland, so there are no natural breaks.............Police and officials from the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs are patrolling the area, which covers 550 farms, to ensure that bio-security precautions are being followed, including the use of foot baths, sprays and a blanket ban on animal movements. The popular coast to coast cycle route, which passes through the restricted area and over unfenced grazing land, was being closed today.....Animal movement restrictions in the Hexham area, which had not had a case since May, were due to be lifted in a few weeks, adding to fears that the countryside elsewhere had been reopened too soon. Peter Davidson-Smith, the chairman of the NFU in Gloucestershire, where final restrictions were lifted last week, said: "We are going to have to put the disinfectant mats back down." Richard Haddock, a farmer in Devon and the region's spokesman for livestock producers, urged councils to close footpaths again................ Aug 28

Clarke's dogged display is best in show
Telegraph

(Ken Clarke has been campaigning in Nottingham)......."That Iain Duncan Smith, the last thing you want is another Right-wing leader," said Robert Steeples, 45, a former dairy farmer from Pentrich, Derbyshire, who sold his herd and diversified into horticulture last year, because the price of milk did not cover production costs.

"I'd never go back into farming," he said. "I'd never work 365 days again in a year, 14 hours a day for some jumped-up little fart in London to make a balls-up.

"The only person who is any good is Ken Clarke. He's the only guy with any experience of the real world." Against this rural background Mr Clarke's attacks of the Government's handling of the foot and mouth epidemic seemed apposite. "I don't get the sense of much decisive action," he told a radio reporter. "It was a good test for this Government, foot and mouth. Sadly for farmers, it's a test they failed." Unfortunately for Mr Clarke's own credibility, he kept mixing up his northern counties. "It's a tragedy it's breaking out in Cumbria again," he said. No one seemed to notice the blunder. Sadly, Mrs Clarke, who would undoubtedly have put him right, was hanging back from the fray. True, the two counties share a border, but Mr Clarke should note that Northumberland, where the new worrying outbreaks have developed, is on the right hand of the map, looking from Nottingham, while Cumbria is on the left......... Aug 28

No Go Zone In Fight To Stop Virus Newcastle Journal

A massive "no go area" was declared in the North-East last night as three more farms fell victim to a new foot-and-mouth outbreak. Thousands of animals face being slaughtered in a 400 square mile area between Hexham and Alston in a desperate bid to contain the first outbreak of the disease in the region for three months. Six farms have been confirmed as having been hit by the virus since Friday. People are being warned to keep out of the exclusion area unless they have legitimate business there, and all vehicles will be subject to disinfectant washdowns at nine roadside check points. Vets believe the virus could have been brought into the valleys from outside the area and have put a "Blue Box" restriction notice in place to ban all animal vehicle movements in and out of the area. All motorists entering the box will have their vehicles disinfected at special check points, police patrols are being stepped up to enforce restrictions and the Army is on stand-by in case the culling and burial programme becomes too great for existing resources. Aug 27

New cases spark farm disease fears
BBC

...The new cases, which bring the total number in the area to six, were within the zone where the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has now imposed tight controls. ..A government vet has warned that up to 8,000 livestock may have to be slaughtered, after the cases started to emerge within a five-mile area around Hexham on Thursday. ...other farms could be facing culls as dangerous or contiguous contacts. Footpaths in the area have been closed and the army is on standby to deal with any further cases. ....."Blue box" regulations are to be introduced around Stone Hall Farm near Catton, Taylor Burn Farm at Ninebanks near Allendale, and Nettle Hill Farm at Allendale......The box is about 7km2, roughly from Slaley in the east, Blanchland in the south, to Haltwhistle in the west, and Hexham and Haydon Bridge in the north. Nine disinfecting stations with police patrols are now operational. ...Twenty extra vets have been drafted in to inspect an estimated 130 additional farms to which the disease may have spread, within a 10km radius of the premises. There was also another new case in Cumbria on Sunday, bringing the total cases in the UK to 1,974.

map from BBC site

Vets tackle farm disease cluster
BBC

Government vets are to inspect farms in Northumberland following the outbreak of six cases of foot-and-mouth disease in three days. Widespread restrictions have been imposed on farms in the area - which had been free of the disease for nearly three months. Vets hope the tough new restrictions in force in an area covering more than 400sq miles will stop more farms from becoming infected. We're right back onto the horns of the disease and back to where we were on the 20 February Malcolm Corbitt NFU But the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has described the mood among its members as "deeply depressed". Malcolm Corbitt, from the NFU in Northumberland, said it was a shock for farmers who thought they were moving away from the disease. "We had good reason to believe that in a month's time we would have foot-and-mouth free status and as of Thursday morning we were back right onto the horns of the disease and back to where we were on the 20 February." Aug 27

Inner-city dwellers to be surveyed about farming
Financial Times

Resident of Britain's inner-city council estates are being asked to contribute to a debate about the future of the farming industry, to the bemusement of farmers. A group of inner city dwellers will be among 20 low-income consumers who will gather at a Bristol hotel in September to discuss agricultural issues. Another event is also to be taking place in the north-east. The Food Standards Agency is seeking the views of a broad sweep of society before it makes a submission to the Food and Farming Commission, headed by Sir Don Curry, which is one of the government's foot and mouth inquiries. ....Aug 27

New fears after third case of foot and mouth
Telegraph

...Farmers and government scientists are worried that they might be back to "square one" as the disease made a completely unexpected return in a county that has been free of the epidemic for three months......Richard Ellison, the National Union of Farmers' north east director, said: "Farmers here are very depressed, very nervous and fed up. We really thought we were free of foot and mouth. Some farmers were re-stocking and there was some movement of livestock. "Now we fear there are going to be more outbreaks; it's showing that sort of pattern. It is not looking good. There are suspicions it has already reached other farms. "Everyone is on tenterhooks, and for the farmers involved the slaughters have begun. It's a very traumatic time. This disease has a nasty habit of kicking you in the teeth. We could be at the start of another outbreak, back to square one." The valley near Hexham where the latest cases have occurred has always been clear in the past. Even though foot and mouth ravaged Northumberland at the beginning of the epidemic it was in a different part of the county. There had been no outbreaks in the county since May 22....The impact of foot and mouth is the subject of a Countryside Agency report due out on Wednesday.

The document, intended to provide a broad view of the effects of the epidemic, is expected to say that it has dealt a final blow to farming as a viable industry in certain parts of the country.

There will also be a substantial number of casualties in the tourist industry.Aug 27

Six new cases of foot-and-mouth a 'major setback'
The Times

OFFICIALS said last night that there had been a major setback in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease after six new cases in three days were confirmed in a region that had been virus-free for months. Strict controls were set up around a 400-square-mile area near Hexham, Northumberland, after a third case was found earlier yesterday. But after a further three were confirmed in farms in the same area in the evening, officials painted a gloomy picture and urged people to obey controls. There were fears that other farms in the county, which had been disease-free for three months, could also be infected. Arthur Griffiths, divisional veterinary manager, said that two of the three new cases were contiguous to the previous outbreaks and the third was on the edge of two of the 3km zones. "We are bitterly disappointed at the news and cannot stress how important it is for people to make sure that they strictly follow the biosecurity arrangements,"he said."This is a major setback and reinforces the need for draconian measures to stop the spread of the disease." Richard Ellison, North East director of the National Farmers' Union, said: "There is a distinct atmosphere of depression up there at the moment . . . I would not be surprised if there (were) even more (cases)." Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are investigating the possibility that the new outbreak is linked to the start of the grouse shooting season on moorland close to the affected farms. ....Aug 27

Charity to help troubled farmers
Times

A MENTAL health charity is making £250,000 available to support farmers hit by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. RuralMinds, an arm of the charity Mind, said that many farmers were showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and gave warning that the mental and emotional scars of the foot-and-mouth outbreak could last for at least ten years. Keith Elder, national development manager, said the aim was to get long-term funding from the Government. "Crisis helplines were set up after the outbreak to deal with immediate problems and an enormous amount of counselling has already gone on, but we have to think how we are going to deal with the longer-term impact on mental health," he said. RuralMinds is offering grants of up to £10,000 for the creation of self-help and discussion groups so farmers can meet in person or via telephone conferencing or e-mail. Smaller grants will also be available for projects in isolated communities. The money could be used, for example, to fund a mental health van laden with leaflets and literature. A number of suicides have been linked to foot-and-mouth but experts believe that other mental health problems are going unrecognised and untreated because of ignorance, fear and the need to deal with immediate practical problems. Aug 27

DEAD MEAT
Sunday Times Magazine

(four pages - final one here)

Extract........There is a superficially attractive argument in favour of letting farming die. We won't starve. Raw materials can be bought abroad, and we can still earn huge profits from processing them.

But two obstacles become apparent. First, 'abroad' isn't as stupid as we like to think. It knows it makes no sense to export bulky raw materials for British processors to profit from. Raw materials are much costlier to ship than packaged foods, and packaged foods earn much more profit. You don't have to be an economist to predict the inevitable outcome. Like everything else, the food industry is becoming globalised.

Industry sources reckon that by 2010 most of the world's grocery market will be controlled by fewer than 10 companies.

The battle for competitive advantage therefore will be intense, especially as the European Union expands eastwards. From eastern Europe would come not raw milk or milk powder, but raspberry mousse and Chockie-Milk. From Brazil and Thailand would come not container-loads of raw chicken but cartons of frozen nuggets. The hard reality is this: if the British farmer goes down the tube, then he'll take the UK food processing industry with him. And how would we cope with food scares then? It is difficult enough to keep track of supplies in this country. Unforgettably, earlier this year a number of big-league processors and supermarkets, including Sainsbury's, Budgen and Shippam's, had to recall products made from condemned chicken diverted from a Derbyshire pet-food plant. With supplies from abroad, it is almost impossible.

'Food is usually monitored on exit from the departing country,' says one well-placed English commentator. 'But if you're a Third World country and there is foreign currency at stake, are you really going to say, ' This is not fit for export'?' Indeed, one of the most important factors that makes foreign - and particularly non-EU - produce cheaper than our own is that it does not have to conform to the same costly health and animal-welfare standards. Imports in the past have included typhoid, botulism, listeria and salmonella, and our EU partners in Holland, Germany, Spain, Ireland and Italy have already sent us meat that breaches BSE controls. But food safety is not the only issue. There is the very substantial question of who, in the absence of farmers, would look after the landscape. 'No one should delude themselves,' says David Scott, chairman of the Royal Agricultural Society's strategy committee, 'that there is any other kind of land manager waiting in large numbers to take over.' With a bitterness that is, just, tempered with humour, many farmers would like to see the conservation charities - so clamorous in their demands and free with their advice - have a go at running things. It's not wholly impossible - the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), for example, has a 180-hectare working farm in Cambridgeshire

- but pies come no higher in the sky than the belief that the landscape could be conserved in perpetuity by anything other than a profitable, confident and forward-looking farming industry.

.........We do have a choice. We can live in parkland and pay twice - directly to import our food, and indirectly through taxation for the parkland to be maintained. Or we can make a smarter choice where we pay only once, for our food to be produced in our own fields, and get the management of the countryside thrown in for free.......
The market cares as little about landscape as it does about humans who stray into its line of fire. Save the skylark? Forget it. If the flow of taxpayers' money cannot be turned off, however, it can certainly be better deployed. The need, says the Royal Agricultural Society, is for 'total land management' - ie farming for the benefit of the broader rural economy and the health of the landscape, not food production alone. Farmers in future need to be subsidised in proportion to the amount of land they farm, and the way in which they farm it, not the size of the harvest. .... (read full article here)Aug 26

Fresh cases renew foot and mouth fears in 'clear area'
Sunday Telegraph

TWO new cases of foot and mouth have been confirmed in Northumberland - the first outbreak of the virus in the county since May 22. Farmers fear they could mark the start of a serious new outbreak of the disease. Restrictions on animal movements, which had been lifted across most of the county, were re-imposed last night. Officials were considering round-the-clock patrols to enforce the ban. The second foot and mouth case, at Stone Hall Farm, Catton, was announced just 24 hours after the virus was confirmed at Taylor Burn Farm, four miles away, where 200 sheep and 62 cattle were slaughtered. All 95 cattle and 800 sheep at Stone Hall Farm will be killed and hundreds of animals on surrounding farms face slaughter if classed as dangerous contacts. John Bradbury, the regional operations manager for the Newcastle emergency disease control centre said the cases were "devastating". He added: "We are redoubling our efforts to ensure that we get on top of this new outbreak quickly to stop the disease spreading again." Arthur Griffiths, the area's veterinary manager, said: "We are advising farmers to display `Keep Out' notices as a bio-security measure, and will be discussing 24-hour patrols with the police and the local authority. "These measures may seem Draconian but we want to make sure this flare-up is as short-lived as possible." Some farmers are angry that grouse shooting was allowed to go ahead near Taylor Burn Farm this month, but the National Farmers' Union said the shooting had been done under strict licence and it was not known how the foot and mouth had started. "It is a big jump from the last case and it's desperately worrying for all the farmers in the county," it said. "The next week to 10 days will be crucial. We were always worried about our borders with Cumbria and North Yorkshire but people have tried very hard to keep it out." Aug 26

I'm 50, and you can call me Little Bo Peep
Sunday Times

Now I am old I had been hoping for a quiet nap but it is not to be. On my way back from the village shop, I cannot help but notice (even without discount specs) that there are sheep all over the lane. I figure that as they are some way from my place they are someone else's problem and feel smug until I notice they have spots and horns, hence are Jacob sheep. There is only one flock of Jacob sheep in the village. Like a cartoon character with a light bulb going on above my head, I realise they are my sheep. Not only do I not have a movement licence for my sheep to be wandering around the village (not that this matters much - Defra can get stuffed) but 30 or so are contentedly munching at the shrubbery in the garden of one of my neighbours. This is one of the few neighbours with whom I remain on speaking terms, hence it is not a good thing. A dozen more have wandered off through the woods, where they are bleating in that pathetic sheep way that tempts me to convert them immediately to kebabs. So this spoils the morning, as I play Little Bo Peep and round them up before one of Tony "Mugabe" Blair's mobile rural cleansing squads shows up and does the kebabs for me. ....Aug 26

Christopher Booker's Notebook
Sunday Telegraph

....Consider all the areas where we are no longer free to make our own policies, because "competence" has been handed over to Brussels. They include the full range of environmental isssues, from water and air pollution to waste disposal; fisheries; employment and business law; agriculture (including issues such as genetically modified organisms and foot and mouth); public health (tobacco and similar issues); health and safety; food safety; weights and measures; consumer protection; copyright and data protection; rules governing every kind of manufacture and food production; international trade policy...............

........ Ramblers go where stalkers may not tread JIM CORBETT, who runs a deer forest on the Lochbuie estate in Mull, tells me that everyone involved in deer-stalking must now obtain a permit from Scottish National Heritage, and they must also keep a log with the names and addresses of all the members of shooting parties and where they have walked on the hills.
The aim, apparently, is to assist the great fight against foot and mouth, which fortunately has got no nearer the island of Mull than Dumfries, 150 miles to the south.

No such paperwork is required, however, for ramblers. They are free to walk the same hills unlicensed and unrecorded, even though they may have driven straight up from an infected area of Cumbria or Northumberland, where last week they were still reporting cases of the disease that Professor Roy Anderson's computer told us would be all over by the time Mr Blair was re-elected on June 7.

posted Aug 26

Second farm disease case sparks alert
BBC

The new case is at Stonehall farm at Catton - just five miles from where the first new case was confirmed at Taylor Burn Farm at Ninebanks near Allendale, on Thursday. Disease facts Total: 1,972 New cases on Saturday: 2 Slaughtered: 3,768,000 Awaiting slaughter: 11,000 Awaiting disposal: 3,000 The farm at the centre of the latest outbreak has 95 cattle and 800 sheep - most of these are expected to be destroyed over the weekend. But two new cases in two days have left farmers worried about the true extent of the outbreak. The Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre (NDECC) is implementing even more stringent bio-security measures which may include a total ban on all animal movements in the area. This is a severe blow to our hopes of achieving disease-free status for the north-east Experts said the outbreak was a "bitter blow", but that a few rogue cases in the twilight phase of the epidemic were to be expected. (warmwell comment: " a few rogue cases" is hardly the way we'd put it. After six months of a ghastly slaughter policy the virus is not under control and nor is it behaving in a way that anyone can "expect") ..... Epidemiologist Dr Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College, London, warned this week that the crisis would be harder to control in the poorer weather of autumn and winter if the disease was not eradicated. He also said foot-and-mouth disease had continued longer than expected because strict movement restrictions and hygiene rules had been breached by some farmers. (warmwell comment: Hexham farmer, Mr Robson, had disinfected so rigorously that his neighbour said, " he is one of the best farmers in this valley. You could almost eat your dinner off the floor of his yard, it's so clean, and he was hoping to go organic soon. No one would suggest he had been lax. Standards had not dropped here: the valley was proud of that" See today's telegraph report below) Aug 25

RECONNECTING PEOPLE WITH the farm on which their food is grown is the only way forward for devastated British farming, claims the Soil Association. Country reflections co.uk

Its new report 'A Share in the Harvest' was launched as furious farmers prepared to protest at Gatwick airport over illegal food imports thought to be behind foot-and-mouth. The report focuses on how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) could help farmers and their customers develop a relationship based on mutual support and trust. Rupert Aker, project co-ordinator for the Soil Association, said:"Making local food more widely available is fundamental to CSA. We need to encourage the public to participate in supporting local food, thereby taking direct responsibility for how their food is grown and the conservation of the countryside they value. Then buying local food can become the norm rather than the exception. "This report provides practical solutions to the problems facing British farming and is a model for change. It presents a guide for farming that meets both the needs of farmers - who receive a guaranteed income - and consumers - who know where their food comes from." The report is based on two years research by the Soil Association and was funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meanwhile, farmers and countryside campaigners have been continuing to press for a transparent, open public inquiry into foot-and-mouth instead of the series of smaller inquiries promised by the Government.

NFU President Ben Gill said the crisis, now six months old, had changed the lives of every livestock farmer in the country forever. The event had been a disaster which had landed an unprecedented body blow on Britain's battling agriculture industry - with much of the bruising still to come out, he added. posted Aug 25

New foot and mouth setback
Telegraph

HOPES that foot and mouth outbreaks were being contained were dealt a fresh blow yesterday with the news that a Northumberland farm was infected, 13 weeks after the county's last case. The new outbreak, at Ninebanks, near Allendale in the north Pennines, is an isolated area previously untouched by the virus. Locals said the farmer involved had disinfected rigorously and had a good reputation. Richard Ellison, regional director for the National Farmers' Union in the North East, said: "We were genuinely beginning to feel we could look forward in Northumberland. There are no obvious clues to where the disease came from. It is very worrying. We could be back to the position we were in at the end of February." Movement restrictions had been ended in most of the county, but have been reimposed in the 10 kilometre area around the outbreak as a crucial time approaches for farmers in upland areas needing to sell stock and move sheep to lowland grazing for the winter. Isolated outbreaks occurred at the end of the epidemic in 1967. Defra said yesterday there had been an isolated outbreak near Wigan on July 17 which did not develop further. Many other cases in fresh areas, however, have signalled the start of a cascade. The farmer, Peter Robson, of Taylorburn Farm, saw the disease in Limousin cattle on Thursday, and they were immediately slaughtered by a ministry vet. Two hundred sheep and 62 cattle were being slaughtered yesterday, and five farms will lose their stock. Carcasses will be rendered at Widnes, Cheshire. Defra could not say yesterday whether hefted flocks on the fells would be included. A near neighbour of Mr Robson said: "He is one of the best farmers in this valley. You could almost eat your dinner off the floor of his yard, it's so clean, and he was hoping to go organic soon. No one would suggest he had been lax. Standards had not dropped here: the valley was proud of that."

Footpaths in the area, one of which ran close to the farm, had opened a few weeks ago. They have been closed again and grouse shooting, which had begun on moorland nearby, has been halted. Defra said that shooting was unlikely to be to blame because strict disinfecting measures had been in place.

......Aug 25

Farmers' fury at restocking crisis
This is Clitheroe

FARMERS who have had livestock culled during the foot and mouth crisis attacked the re-stocking "shambles" which is threatening their livelihoods. And they observed a minute's silence for David Beckerton, a farmer caught up in the crisis who died suddenly on Leewarden Farm, Gisburn, on Friday, August 10. About 100 farmers told officials from the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs that culling was "just the tip of the iceberg" at a meeting at The Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn, yesterday. The meeting 'Following on from Foot and Mouth' was arranged to offer advice to farmers on restocking and business strategies, but many farmers attending wanted to discuss the government's handling of the crisis.

An inquest has been opened into the death of Mr Beckerton, 50, whose farm was the only one in his area not to have animals culled but who could not move his animals because of a government D notice. Police are treating it as a suspected suicide.

Andrew Bristol lost 146 pedigree Holstein cows and 100 pedigree sheep when the animals on his farm at West Bradford were slaughtered in June. Since then he has received the compensation payments, but is still waiting to restock. He said:

"How can we plan to restock when we don't know what we are doing, and DEFRA don't know what they are doing? It has been a shambles. The money we have received is not compensation, it is compulsory purchase. We had our animals taken away."

During a question and answer session, DEFRA representatives were unable to pin-point exactly when or how farmers could restock. Neil Cumberlidge, regional director for DEFRA, said: "We can't let you know when because every case is different, but we will let you know individually." .....Angela Oldfield, has taken over the running of her father's Newsholme Farm, Gisburn. In May government vets destroyed 450 head of cattle. She said: "Fifty years of my father's work , mine and my five children's future was destroyed in 12 hours.

"They want us to diversify, but what can we do?" "What the government doesn't realise, or doesn't care about is the massive number of people who rely on the farming industry for their jobs."

Aug 25

Boy gave mother £14,000 to challenge cull
Telegraph

Janet Hughes, of Church Stoke, Montgomery, Powys, lost the first round of her attempt to bring a judicial review of the cull policy in the High Court earlier this week. But spurred on by her son Matthew, she is to continue the battle and is submitting an application to challenge the decision to the Court of Appeal next Tuesday. This time the £5,500 legal costs are financed from private donations to Miss Hughes's newly launched Save Our Animals appeal fund. She said that it was thanks to Matthew that she was able to launch the initial £25,000 High Court case.Matthew gave her £14,000 from his trust fund, given to him in part by his grandparents, to finance the court action. The environmental sciences teacher said: "It came down to him. There was no discussion.

He actually said: 'I would rather have sheep in our country than a car'......

Aug 25

Sheep training suffers as memories are lost in cull
Financial Times

Hylton Brass, a Cumbrian farmer, believes it took about five years for his flock of Swaledale sheep to learn not to stray from their part of Bankmoor, an open common near the village of Crosby Ravensworth. Thousands of sheep that know their patch of countryside in this way have been culled in the past few months because of foot-and-mouth, most notably in the Brecon Beacons. Their demise has caused alarm among hard-pressed farmers as to how they can be replaced in an era when the traditional shepherd is virtually extinct. Teaching sheep to roam within defined, but unfenced areas of the fells and open commons of Cumbria, Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales is called hefting - from the Norse hefda, meaning to acquire by use or prescription. "Hefting is very labour intensive," said Tom Mounsey, 69, who has shepherded in Cumbria and Scotland since he was aged 14. "The ancestors of the hefted sheep on the fells around here were hefted by men long dead. They would have stayed with their sheep almost day and night as they hefted them to a new place." Once hefted, he said, the instinct of sheep to stay in their own patch was very strong. "You could take a lamb off a fell for a year and it would instinctively return to where it was suckled if returned to the fell," he said. Only two men in Cumbria, Mr Brass and Richard Mawdsley, who farms at Bassenthwaite, are said by local sheep farmers to have recently hefted sheep on to the open fells and commons.

On these commons farmers have common grazing rights, with several flocks often roaming adjacent to one another. Mr Brass hefted a new flock on to Bankmoor, which lies between Shap and Appleby, in 1969 when he moved to a different farm. His area of the common was indicated to him by his predecessor, who, with a wave of the arm indicated a stream on one side and a hill summit on the other.

"I bought about 100 hoggs [ewes that have not yet borne lambs] and kept them in a small field for about 6 weeks," he said. "I fed them twice a day so that they settled down to the routine and to me. The sheep were only released on to the common when other flocks on the moor were brought down for lambing. Otherwise my sheep would have run among the pregnant ewes. "I continued feeding the sheep regularly until they became settled in their patch. They would often roam, and I had to shepherd them back to their patch. You also rely on excellent neighbours to return straying sheep." He believes it took two to three generations for his flock to acclimatise to their part of the moor, with ewes passing down to their lambs knowledge of where to shelter in snowstorms, for example. Thelma Rowell, emeritus professor of integrative zoology at Berkeley University, who now farms in Yorkshire, says:"Sheep are not stupid. You can train a flock of sheep quite quickly to stay in one area but given the opportunity, they will try to get back to where they were before. It takes two or three generations of sheep to break all those memories."

Mr Brass's hefted flock of 250 ewes and 100 hoggs were culled two weeks ago.

His son Barry, 41, says he will re-heft on the moor out of loyalty to the breed. "I like the Swaledale fell sheep," he said. Just how many other farmers will believe it is economic to heft new flocks on the hills, remains to be seen. Aug 25

European farmers look to New ZealandBBC

With criticism mounting of European agricultural subsidies, the BBC's World Business Report's Doreen Walton looks at the New Zealand market, where subsidies were abolished in the 1980s. Farmers in Europe receive tens of billions of dollars a year in subsidies, a controversial practice which critics argue protects them from market forces, damages the environment and distorts world trade. The issue is expected to feature at the next round of talks held by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Qatar later this year. New Zealand is one of a handful of countries which have embarked on free trade for agriculture and some say it should be used as a model for changes in Europe. When price supports were abolished in the 1980s, New Zealand farmers went through a period of painful and rapid adjustment and many of them had to abandon their businesses. ....New Zealand's Trade and Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton understands the doubts. "It would be difficult, but given time and a clear view of where they want to go, other countries can phase out subsidies," he said. He stressed the environmental dangers of distorting natural resources with politically-motivated subsidies. Aug 25

New foot-and-mouth outbreak alarms UK farmers
Stuff.co. New Zealand

LONDON (Reuters): Farm officials said on Friday Britain had uncovered a fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth at a farm in a region of northern England that had been free of the highly infectious livestock disease for about three months. The new case was yet another setback in Britain's more than six month battle against the disease, which has already cost the government hundreds of millions of pounds. The National Farmers' Union in northeast England said the new outbreak meant the region had no hope of resuming business for months. "The disease was found in Limousin cattle and it's between 16-24 km from any other old case so it is a new area," Laurie Norris, NFU policy advisor, told Reuters...

.The farm is on the moor where sheep graze. They had already cleaned off part of the moor because of infection . . . and now we've got to clear another."

Aug 25

Virus returns to haunt north-east
Farmers' Weekly

FOOT-AND-MOUTH restrictions will be maintained in Northumberland after the disease reared its head again following a gap of almost 14 weeks. Foot-and-mouth was confirmed in a valley which has previously escaped the disease at Taylor Burn Farm, Nine Banks, near Hexham, on Friday (24 August). More than 60 cattle and 200 sheep have been slaughtered. Livestock on five neighbouring farms will be also be culled. A 10km surveillance zone has been set up. More than 60 premises within 3km of the infected farm will be closely monitored. The news is a body-blow to farmers who had hoped that restrictions would be lifted. Prior to the new case, the last outbreak in the county was on 22 May. The Northumberland outbreak came as Lord Haskins warned that problems faced by some farmers hit by foot-and-mouth must be urgently addressed. The Labour peer appointed to devise a foot-and-mouth recovery plan starts work next week on tackling the crisis resulting from movement restrictions. Although not scheduled to make final recommendations to Tony Blair until late September, Lord Haskins said measures to help farmers must be prioritised. He added: "I shall be making noises to appropriate people within days rather than weeks over the problems faced by farmers." Lord Haskins said he was aware of the seasonal problems being faced by hill farms with store and breeding stock that must be sold before the winter. His is particularly concerned about farmers who are caught up in livestock movement restrictions, especially those with stock to move off hills. Aug 24

Iraqi nerve gas found in sheep dip
Farmers weekly

A DEADLY nerve gas ingredient used by Saddam Hussein was found in sheep dip, reveal government documents obtained by FARMERS WEEKLY. Campaigners say the revelation strengthens the case of hundreds of farmers who claim to have been poisoned by the chemicals. The documents show that the Veterinary Medicines Directorate expressed concern about high levels of tetraethylpyrophosphate (TEPP) in 1991. The directorate, which authorises animal medicines, raised concerns about the impure active ingredients in a letter to sheep-dip manufacturers. It was written during a review to examine the safety of human and animal medicines. Some active ingredients in dip contained up to 10% impurities. The letter says: "Unless much purer active ingredients are used, toxological profiles of the impurities and related substances will be required." It adds: "Levels of neurotoxic impurities such as TEPP should be tightened." TEPP was the first organophosphate insecticide to be developed. It was withdrawn from sale as a dip in the UK because it was toxic and unstable. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is known to have used TEPP as an ingredient to manufacture nerve gas for use in chemical warfare. Andrew Watterson, of the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group at Stirling University, said farmers who used impure dip were at risk. ......As well as being found in impurities, TEPP can also be created when organophosphate dips degrade, said Prof Watterson. He called for more transparency from DEFRA on quality control monitoring and details of levels of contamination when dip breaks down. (warmwell note: we agree with many others that the part played by organophosphates in the possible cause of BSE in cattle should be thoroughly investigated) Aug 24

Curry's pledge to family farmers
Farmers Weekly

DON Curry, chairman of the government's commission into the future of food and farming, has promised to address the problems facing family farms. Sir Don acknowledged that diversification and niche-marketing - a strategy for survival favoured by the government - is not an option for many producers. ...."I want to be radical in looking at solutions and I am not going simply to endorse the status quo or current policies." Sir Don admitted that some farmers would find some of the messages in his final report unpalatable but stressed it was important to manage change. The first official meeting of the commission is set for early September. Aug 24

New foot-and-mouth outbreak confirmed
Ananova

A new case of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed in Northumberland - the first in the region for nearly 12 weeks. Three cows and their calves which were showing signs of infection have been slaughtered at a farm near Hexham. The remaining animals on the farm, both cattle and sheep, are due to be slaughtered. Officials are due to hold a news conference at the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre to discuss the outbreak. *Foot-and-mouth - All stories story sent by Ananova Aug 24

Farming is ranked fifth at Beckett's ministry
Telegraph

MARGARET BECKETT's new ministry handling the countryside has produced a set of draft aims which put protecting the environment first and promoting sustainable farming fifth.The priorities of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were attacked by the Country Land and Business Association, which said the proposed aims were the wrong way round. Nick Way, director of policy for the association, said: "The first priority should be thriving economies and communities in rural areas. There can be no successful sustainable development or environmental conservation without them." The department, which has replaced the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, was criticised at the time of its formation for dropping Agriculture from its title altogether. Damian Green, shadow agriculture spokesman, said yesterday: "With every week that passes, it is clear the Government does not regard farming as important for the future of rural Britain." The draft consultative paper, which appeared on the department's website ( "A New Department- A New Agenda Have Your Say" via Acrobat reader) this week, lists protecting and improving the environment as its first objective...The draft consultative paper, which appeared on the department's website this week, lists protecting and improving the environment as its first objective.
The second is "to enhance opportunity and tackle social exclusion in the countryside by leading the development of a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable economy in rural areas".
The recovery strategy for areas hit by foot and mouth comes under that heading. Promoting a sustainable, competitive food supply chain for consumers comes next, followed by improving enjoyment of the countryside for all and fair access to services for those in rural areas.
Not until objective five is "promoting sustainable, modern and adaptable farming" tackled along with the eradication of existing foot and mouth disease.
The sixth objective is the promotion of sustainable use of natural resources, including increasing the recycling of household waste and working towards sustainable British fishing.
Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "If these are listed in order of priority, we should be very worried. ........The closing date for responses to the document, by email, post or on-line at www.defra.gov.uk is Sept 28.
For the second time this month spinal cord, one of the animal parts seen as most likely to carry BSE, has been found in beef imported from Holland. The discovery was made on Tuesday in four out of 236 quarters of beef being unloaded at the company ADM in Eastbourne, East Sussex, the Food Standards Agency said yesterday. Aug 24

Decision time on Prescott punch
Glasgow Herald

THE political future of John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, could shortly be thrown into jeopardy as police last night confirmed a decision on whether or not to prosecute him over his alleged general election punch-up was "imminent". ..Any decision to take the matter to court would cause major embarrassment to Tony Blair and his government and could even spell the end of Mr Prescott's career in frontline politics, particularly if he were to be found guilty of an offence. Some 14 weeks have passed since the 61-year-old MP for Hull East allegedly punched Craig Evans, 29, as he attended a Labour party function in Rhyl, north Wales. The agricultural contractor from nearby Denbigh had thrown an egg at the deputy prime minister in protest at the government's handling of the foot-and- mouth crisis. The ensuing scuffle was caught on TV cameras. Last night, a police spokesman told The Herald: "The file has been closed. It's in with the chief constable for a decision. Everything has been completed, all the inquiries have been done. We're waiting for a decision to prosecute or not." Asked if a prosecution was being considered solely against Mr Evans, the spokesman replied: "Against both of them."......Aug 24

Livestock restrictions to be lifted within a month
The Scotsman

STRICT rules governing the movement of livestock in Scotland are expected to be lifted in less than a month, ministers announced yesterday. At the moment, farmers are only allowed to move animals once every 21 days. This means they can be taken to market and sold, but the farmer who buys them has to keep them on his farm for three weeks as a precautionary measure against the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. However, yesterday, Ross Finnie, the rural affairs minister, announced he hoped to lift this restriction on 21 September, allowing farmers to move animals twice in 21 days. But, he added, this will be done only if all the other new safety measures are working smoothly and there are no problems. There has not been a case of foot-and-mouth in Scotland since 30 May, despite an almost constant stream of cases in England and Wales ever since. Aug 24

The real price of EU membership
Yorkshire Post (letter)

Sir, - In a press release (August 14) Lib Dem Diana Wallis MEP says: "EU footing the compensation bill for farmers suffering because of the foot-and-mouth crisis." Once again Ms Wallis misrepresents the true nature of EU money paid to the UK. She and her friends in the Campaign for EU regions (CFER) endlessly congratulate themselves on the amount of grants we receive in Yorkshire as a result of "successful lobbying" by self appointed local councillors from their plush offices in Brussels paid for out of our local council tax. The truth is we get back in EU grants less than 50 per cent of the money -our money - which we have to pay to the EU. In the near future we are to get even less because of EU enlargement. This will result in the loss of many local jobs. Regional Development Agencies and Regional Assemblies should now be abolished. They are increasingly expensive Trojan horses awaiting the demise of our local councils and conversion into Brussels controlled regional government in 2005. Waste and fraud are very appropriate words to use when discussing the EU control of our money, both in Brussels and Yorkshire. From: Bob Lewis, UK Independence Party, NEC regional government co-ordinator, Howden, East Yorkshire.

Sir, - I felt so incensed when I read the Yorkshire Post on August 15, I had to write. For months now I and other "local" walkers have kept to all the rules of foot-and-mouth. We have kept to the roads, sadly missing out walks along the river and along the paths on Grassington Moor. Now we read that a party of grouse shooters have been allowed to wander the moor. However, many bio-security requirements were followed, I feel that this is outrageous. The residents of Grassington and visitors to the village have all been doing everything to help our farmers and now this.From: M Avison, Wood Lane, Grassington, Skipton. posted Aug 24

Head of first public foot-and-mouth inquiry named
Ananova

A leading authority on rural conservation and environmental issues has been appointed chairman of the public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis being launched by Devon County Council. Professor Ian Mercer was the first Secretary General of the Association of National Park Authorities from 1995 until his retirement this year. A total of 173 cases of the disease were confirmed in Devon during the outbreak, and Devon's inquiry is the first to be launched by a county authority. The inquiry "with the people's participation" is being conducted in partnership with the area's district councils, and will conduct a series of public hearings at the council's headquarters in Exeter between October 8 and 12. Evidence will be invited from various agencies and special interest groups involved in responding to the outbreak, and a public report on the committee's eventual findings will be submitted to the appropriate national inquiries in the autumn. Professor Mercer, who has lived in Devon since 1959, was during his career chief officer for the Dartmoor National Park Authority, and the first chief executive of the Countryside Council of Wales. "I very much welcome the chance to contribute to the outcome of what has been a devastating crisis in the countryside of Devon," said Prof Mercer, a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies. "We as a society need to know how to avoid a repetition of the outbreak of foot and mouth, the way we deal with it, and its aftermath," he said. "The interdependence of the rural economy, the countryside, visitors and their hosts has been revealed to everyone in the last six months as never before. We need now to expose the future for that rich complex," he added. Members of the public are being invited to contribute their evidence by submitting points in writing by September 28. posted Aug 24

Council chief urges security cordon to protect upper dale from disease
Yorkshire Post

A NEW high-security cordon is being demanded to defend Upper Swaledale from foot-and-mouth disease raging just over the Pennine watershed in Cumbria. Though Swaledale has remained disease-free, there are growing fears it could be at risk from the Kirkby Stephen and Appleby hotspots in Cumbria which are as close as six miles away. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has imposed a 100-square mile high biosecurity zone on the Penrith area including Brough, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby. But North Yorkshire County Council leader John Weighell fears that outbreaks around Kirkby Stephen and Appleby threaten the disease-free status of the moorland sheep in Upper Swaledale and could trigger another hotspot. DEFRA's efforts in North Yorkshire are concentrated on the 900-square-mile high biosecurity box in the Vale of York, designed to stop the disease spreading into thousands of pigs in the East Riding and Lincolnshire. But Coun Weighell is urging North Yorkshire Trading Standards staff to begin planning for the introduction of special precautions to protect the moorland flocks grazing thousands of acres in Upper Swaledale. Coun Weighell said: "There are very few farms because of the sparsity of the population and only a few roads involved, so it ought not to be too difficult to enforce." He added: " accept the Vale of York has to be the priority, but if there is any rundown in the intensity of the operation in the Thirsk box, then there may be resources available for Swaledale. It is being thought through""
A DEFRA spokeswoman said: "We are considering moving the boundary of the Penrith box eastwards in the light of the current movement of foot-and-mouth but no final decision has been taken." Since DEFRA imposed the high security zone in Cumbria 16 days ago there have been 31 foot-and- mouth cases, leading to the slaughter of another 3,723 cattle and 7,834 sheep. posted Aug 24

'Stores mark up lamb by 300%'
Farmers Weekly

SUPERMARKETS are charging consumers up to 300% more for British lamb than the price paid to farmers, claims a newspaper investigation. The Daily Mail suggests margins are soaring, especially in south-east England, despite the problems facing farmers as a result of foot-and-mouth. The paper reports that in July, farmers were offered an average of 74.9p/lb (165.2p/kg) for lamb, the lowest figure for 10 years. When it reached the supermarket shelves, however the price had soared to an average of £2.81/lb (£6.19/kg). This compares to an average price of 90p/lb (198p/kg) for the same type of lamb wholesale in Smithfield market. On a whole lamb basis, a farmer who reared a 34lb animal would have sold it for £25.47, but then seen it fetch £95.55 once it reached store shelves. Devon farmer Richard Haddock said: "There is clear profiteering which is unforgivable given the state of the farming industry." But a spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, which represents leading retailers, said that high prices were the fault of processors. Stores would charge lower prices if they could, he said. "We don't buy lamb directly from farmers, but from processors. Supermarket prices reflect the price we pay processors, not the price they pay farmers." The British Meat Federation rushed to the defence of processors and abattoirs, claiming they were being squeezed from both sides. It also pointed out that supermarkets will not take all the meat from a lamb, which leaves them trying to find other buyers for less popular cuts. Aug 23

Court cull woman to fight on
Farmers Weekly

A TEACHER who lost a High Court challenge against the government's foot-and-mouth slaughter policy says she will fight on - even if it means financial ruin. Janet Hughes was ordered to pay legal costs estimated at £25,000, of which only £5000 is covered by donations to her Save our Sheep fund. After a four-hour hearing, Miss Hughes vowed to continue her personal battle to halt the slaughter of animals not showing clinical signs of the disease. "I might be mad but I will not give up," she said. The latest blood tests results from sheep in the Brecon Beacons have all been negative, indicating that further culls may not be necessary. But routine testing is due to start on other common grazings. Aug 23

Animals culled in new outbreak
Ilkley Gazette

AROUND 1,000 animals have been slaughtered in the wake of the latest foot and mouth disease outbreak in Addingham. The cull of cattle and sheep took place at four farms near Chandlers Cote Farm where an outbreak of the virus was confirmed last week. Despite the outbreak Ilkley and most of Addingham Moor have remained open to the public with movement restrictions only in place within a 3km protected area. The culling was accompanied by the closure of various parts of Bolton Road and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) refused to let Gazette reporters anywhere near where the killing and loading operations were being carried out. A spokesman for DEFRA said slaughtermen went on site to cull 30 cattle and 1,100 sheep in addition to the 166 sheep and lambs on the infected site. The latest case was the first to be confirmed in the district since August 1, when nearly 700 infected animals were discovered at Lowfield Farm in Beamsley....many farmers who were furious over the re-opening of footpaths ordered by the Government a month ago. "It's not just the farmers - its people in the rural community who believe that opening footpaths was a bad idea - some local authorities have been applying to keep everything closed, but they have been undermined by central Government." Bradford Council was told it should re-open around 800 miles of footpaths last month, including Ilkley and Addingham moors. Aug 23

Farmers call for curbs on meat imports
Yorkshire Post

PIG farmers yesterday called for tighter curbs on imported food to protect the UK against illegal and uncontrolled supplies of meat coming in through airports and ports. The National Pig Association has hit out angrily at the inadequate levels of staffing and spending on import controls at these major entry points and urged the Government to address the problem urgently. At the same time the National Beef Association, which represents 10,000 beef farmers in the UK, said a tide of imports had made retailers careless about beef labelling. It urged farmers to step up their supermarket surveillance if they wanted consumers to have the best possible chance of making British beef their first choice. The two bodies are among a growing band of farming organisations, including the National Farmers Union, demanding more rigorous controls on food imports following last year's outbreak of swine fever and the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease crisis.... "We are also aware of the appearance of more Brazilian beef and other deliveries from South America. Apart from the foot-and-mouth implication these packs are not readily distinguishable from other beef on the shelves. "We think retailers, who regularly declare their public support for the British industry, are honour bound to make sure consumers can easily spot the difference" Aug 23

Appeal to prevent tourists bringing foot and mouth
Telegraph

THE foot and mouth virus may be entering Britain in tourists' suitcases because the Government is failing to enforce laws at entry points despite repeated calls, say farming and livestock groups. A new survey shows widespread ignorance among holiday-makers about the risks, with half those questioned admitting they had no idea what they should not bring back into Britain.....The NFU would like to see as much vigilance at ports and airports in Britain as in New Zealand and Australia, where rigorous systems defend agriculture against accidentally imported diseases. The National Pig Association, representing British pig farmers, and the Women's Farming Union are making similar calls. Measures called for include reminders to those entering Britain by air and sea, prominent bins at entry points for safe disposal of illegal food and more luggage searches. In New Zealand, entrants have to pass a barrage of posters and sign a declaration that they are not bringing in illicit products. Money put into preventative measures could save the country billions, an NFU spokesman said. "Here we are fighting a big fire and we haven't shut the fire doors through which it came. New sparks could still fly in," said Robert Foster, chief executive of the National Beef Association. The risks cover many animal diseases and viruses affecting crops. Dutch elm disease, swine fever and potato brown rot have all been imported into Britain in recent years. Aug23

Bleak winter ahead for rural business
icWales

Ministers were yesterday accused of failing rural businesses who are facing a grim winter in the wake of foot-and-mouth. The tourism industry may have suffered "permanent damage", Liberal Democrat trade spokesman Dr Vince Cable said. Existing aid packages will not help many survive until next year's spring and summer season, according to Dr Cable. He handed in a letter to the Department of Trade and Industry with Lib-Dem small business spokesman Brian Cotter which called for more help. Dr Cable said, "The livestock farming community has rightly received significant help and compensation from the Government. Important UK exports from that sector needed support. "But the much bigger tourism and small business industry in rural areas has been neglected. "There is growing frustration, particularly in the tourist industry, and a fear that permanent damage has been done. The Government has not reacted quickly or comprehensively to this foot-and-mouth crisis."(Support the Western Mail's campign for an full public inquiry) Aug 23

FARMERS WARN OF MILK CRISIS
Daily Record

A MILK shortage could be looming because of foot and mouth, farmers warned yesterday. More than 100,000 dairy cows were culled (Scotland) because of the disease, which also hit breeding programmes. Robin Christie, of the NFU Scotland, said : "The effects of foot and mouth have been far-reaching and a serious consequence could be a shortage of milk in the autumn." The farmers believe a price rise is the only answer, because it would allow them to invest in new stock. Aug 23

Disease blights wool market
BBC

Wool traders in Bradford are warning the industry is in deep trouble because of the effects of foot-and-mouth disease. Experts said that up to 20% of this season's wool may have been lost following sheep culls.

Buyers, as well as farmers, have lost profits and some are starting to look abroad for their supplies.

This may bring a decline in the popularity of wool in favour of more competitive fibres. At the moment we're aware that about three million sheep have been culled as a direct result of foot-and-mouth," said managing director, Ian Hartley. "Over a million have been culled through the lifestock welfare scheme. "So that's four million sheep, maybe some lambs. But if it was purely sheep that would be 8.2 million kilograms lost which is about 20% of our total clip." A buyer at the sale, Martin Curtis, said the fact that these figures are only estimates made the situation harder to control. "The wool market has gone through a horrendous period. I think it's a degree of uncertainity that has been unparalled in the history of the market. Aug 23

Devon launches farm disease inquiry
BBC

A public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak has been launched in Devon, following the government's refusal to hold one. Brian Greenslade, joint leader of Devon County Council, said it would complement the government's three independent inquiries. He said: "We can't force officials from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to take part. "But if they don't, that would cause frustration." The council had already promised an investigation before the government announced its own inquiries. ........Devon Foot and Mouth Inquiry Committee will hold public hearings at County Hall, Exeter, from 8-12 October. The public can contribute in writing or via the council's website, by 28 September. .....Aug 22

Foot-and-mouth is exacting huge toll
Worcester Evening News

LEVELS of stress for workers in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are on the increase - with foot-and-mouth sending calls to helplines soaring. The crisis has hit country communities hard and cries for help have spiralled as a result, helpline organisers have revealed. Calls to the Worcester branch of the Rural Stress Information Network have risen from about eight per week to 150 per week during the foot-and-mouth outbreak. And according to co-ordinator Rod Waugh, the stress situation is not improving. "Farmers have suffered financially in not being able to pay their bills and feed their livestock, so it puts a great strain on them mentally," said Mr Waugh. "As farmers can't travel to different farms and markets since the outbreak for fear of spreading the disease it means they have become cut off and very isolated." ....Aug 22

HASKINS: RURAL CRISIS MAY DRAG ON TILL APRIL
Cumbria News and Star

THE man charged with helping bring about the recovery of the Cumbrian economy admitted last night that it could be months away. Lord Haskins said it might be next April before farmers and tourist businesses hit by foot and mouth could expect much better times. Lord Haskins, on a second fact-finding visit to the county within a week, conceded that things would never be the same again for some rural areas. The Government's rural recovery co-ordinator was speaking in Carlisle after earlier meeting farmers, NFU representatives and the Cumbria Task Force. "I think there will be changes and farmers are not outrightly opposed to those changes," he said. "But we have to agree the way they are managed." "What we are talking about at the moment is survival. If people can get through the winter, things will improve next spring. "I am here to listen to people and to prepare a report for the Government by the end of September containing a realistic list of requests." Lord Haskins, who is chairman of Northern Foods, has been accused of representing big business and industrial-scale agriculture. Small farmers have raised concerns about his appointment, but that was not the impression gained by John Benson, 40, from Ambleside. Mr Benson, who runs a farm with 525 ewes and 40 cows, said: ''I didn't know what to expect from him and I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard from him.'' Lord Haskins told a press conference at the end of his visit that if foot and mouth had not been eradicated by Christmas, the Government would have to think again about vaccination....Aug 22

Second man accuses DEFRA of strip threat
Ilkley Gazette

ANOTHER claim that Government officials have been abusing their powers to threaten members of the public with disinfection has been made to the Gazette following last week's story about chief reporter Paul Langan. After reading about Mr Langan's ordeal at the hands of officials from the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), - he was ordered to strip so he and his clothes could be sprayed with disinfectant - Ilkley resident Humphrey Boyle contacted the paper. Mr Boyle, who lives at Langbar, where many pedigree animals have been slaughtered, was returning home after attending a friend's funeral and passed culled sheep being loaded into a lorry. A DEFRA official shouted at Mr Boyle during the incident on August 3 and said the road was closed and he had no right to be in the area. Mr Boyle explained that he lived on the same road, and had already asked permission to travel past the cull. He lives within 200 metres of Lowfield Farm, Beamsley, and said that he had to enter his house that way, because the only other way around entails an 11-mile round trip through Ilkley and Addingham. ...Mr Armstrong, who said he had been very upset to see the dead animals being loaded up into the lorries. "They were hanging one up and it moved - it must have been the gasses - I was in tears," said Mr Armstrong. Asked about Mr Boyle's claim to have been threatened with disinfection by a DEFRA official, a spokesman said: "Since the first case of foot and mouth disease in Yorkshire in March, DEFRA staff have been required to undertake activities which are stressful and unpleasant. "While the staff endeavour to remain polite at all times in their dealing with the general public, it is fair to say that occasionally tempers wear a little thin. In general the public reaction to the slaughter has been understanding and non-confrontational. "The DEFRA official encountered by Mr Boyle was correctly following procedures by warning Mr Boyle that access to the site was restricted and that by entering it Mr Boyle would be subject to the same cleansing and disinfecting procedures as DEFRA officials. These are strictly enforced to prevent the further spread of the virus."

Mr Boyle said: "We have lost some superb animals in Nesfield and Langbar. Most of the animals were healthy and the carcasses were shipped off to a rendering plant in Widnes. I asked the official if it was a foot and mouth cull or if it was a contingency cull.

It was a contingency cull so I don't understand what the worry was. Why can we not eat contingency culled animals?" Mr Boyle also wants to know why animals are not buried on the farm, why vaccinations aren't taking place around outbreaks and why the government didn't act when the pharmaceutical industry rejected slaughterhouse blood in November last year.

The DEFRA spokesman said: "If Mr Boyle has any questions he would like answered he is welcome to contact the local disease control centre in Leeds." Aug 22

Warning over foot-and-mouth inquest
icWales

Ministers will be accused of trying to "sweep the issue under the carpet" if they hold the inquest on the foot-and-mouth crisis behind closed doors, landowners have warned. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has called for the Government's proposed three-pronged inquiry into the cause and handling of the out-break to be held in public. Wales director Julian Salmon said, "We need a proper and informed debate about the foot-and-mouth crisis so that we can determine policy for the future. "Lessons must be learned, and new procedures put in place in order that we are better prepared to tackle such epidemics. We cannot go through this anguish again." He warned, "Any attempt, perceived or real, to avoid the issues, or to appear to sweep matters under the carpet, would be a serious political misjudgment by the Government. Holding the three inquiries in public would greatly strengthen the authority of their conclusions." Meanwhile, members of the three main action groups in Powys, representing businesses affected by the disease, have joined forces to form the Brecon Beacons Crisis Alliance.

Representatives from the National Foot and Mouth Group, Eppynt Action Group, and Powys Rural Business Campaign have come together in a dramatic attempt to elicit answers to their concerns over the relentless culling of sheep on the Beacons.

While keen to express its willingness to help eradicate the dis-ease, the Alliance says it is frustrated at the lack of information coming from the Assembly, and the "highhanded manner" in which they claim farmers in particular are being dealt with in dealing with their individual stock. posted Aug 22

Teacher's attempt to halt sheep culling rejected
Telegraph

A TEACHER who owns 10 hefted sheep grazing on the Brecon Beacons has had her attempt to bring a legal challenge over the cull of healthy animals rejected by the High Court. Janet Hughes, of Church Stoke, Montgomery, Powys, was refused permission by Mr Justice Stanley Burnton, to bring a judicial review over the policy. ....."The rights and wrongs are a matter of science, economics, politics and the like. (warmwell comment: ..economics? politics? no place here for ethics then? ) My function is simply to determine whether the decision taken was within the range of decisions which a properly informed Minister could have taken, acting reasonably on the information before her." He added that it was clear the outbreak in the case had started in the valleys and spread into the hefted flocks higher up. He said: "The decision was made in such circumstances, where there was evidence of infection within the hefts, that penning for whatever reason was an insufficient response to this virulent strain of the disease and that as a precautionary measure, and without testing before a cull, animals on contiguous hefts would be slaughtered. "Having seen evidence on both sides, it seems to me that although there may well be arguments as to the rightness or wrongness of the decisions made, it cannot sensibly be argued that this was an irrational decision to take in the light of the information available." The judge pointed out that the policy adopted could be seen to have worked as there had been a cessation of the disease in the Beacons and there was presently no intention to carry out a further cull. He ordered Miss Hughes to pay the costs of Defra and the Assembly. Afterwards, Miss Hughes, who has launched an appeal fund called Save Our Sheep to meet her legal costs, estimated at £25,000, said: "I'm not giving up, it's too important. I grew up on a smallholding with sheep, I'm a teacher of environmental science and I can see the radical destructive change that will happen if they continue with this." August 22

Farmers unite in protest at No10
Western Daily Press

HUNDREDS of desperate farmers descended on Downing Street yesterday to demand a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. They marked the six-month anniversary of the first outbreak by marching through the streets of London to demand an independent probe...... A 30,000-signature petition was handed in at No.10, although Prime Minister Tony Blair was already on his way to the south of France for the latest leg of his holiday. Many of the farmers' supporters wore white decontamination boiler suits and carried banners asking the Prime Minister what he had to hide. Farmers waved placards urging a full inquiry, which read: "Foot-and-mouth didn't ravage the countryside Mr Blair- you did." Others held boards covered with newspaper articles about foot-and-mouth, with the Western Daily Press campaign slogan "Only a public inquiry, Mr Blair" Exmoor farmer Maurice Vellacott, of Farmers For Action, said he would carry on fighting. "They will be reluctant to change their mind because they have too much to hide,"he said. "The impact on Exmoor has been to make it impossible to move around, purchase and sell livestock, preventing us carrying on our trade and our normal way of life. I don't think it will ever get back to how it was before because farming has been virtually destroyed. It would need genuine support from politicians and the supermarkets and we just haven't got it." Some protestors demanded to know why vaccination had not been used instead of the slaughter policy, which caused controversy in parts of the West, including the Forest of Dean. Janet Bailey, from the Cirencester-based National Foot & Mouth Group, said the case for vaccination had not been set out properly.

"The crude and primitive slaughter and cull policies had a disastrous effect and a terrible impact not only on farmers but on tourism and the wider rural economy," she said......

Aug 22

NEWS DIGEST News from Monday 13 August until Sunday 19 August 2001
Soil Association

...The Daily Mail (13.8.01) reported that high street stores sell food products containing GM ingredients without declaring details on labels following a survey by Friends of the Earth. An interview with Lord Haskins in The Guardian attempts to salvage his reputation on rural affairs following his controversial appointment. However, he continues to speculate that half Britain's farms will close by 2020. .....posted Aug 22

Zimbabwe land grab unleashes foot-and-mouth
The Times

.....Sources in the beef industry said there was little doubt that the outbreak emanated from the south, where thousands of miles of EU-funded fencing separate a "green zone" of foot-and-mouth-free ranching areas from a large "red zone" of vaccinated cattle and from game parks, where the disease is endemic in wild buffalo. Since February last year, when ruling Zanu (PF) party squatters began to invade white-owned farms, the quarantine fence has been breached in hundreds of places. Squatters continue to drive cattle into game parks, where they mingle with buffalo, and into the green zone. ....Zimbabwe's shortage of hard currency makes its earnings of about £35 million from 12,000 tonnes of beef exports more crucial than ever. However, the source said:"With the feeling about foot-and-mouth in Europe now, and especially following the veterinarians' warning, I don't think the suspension will be lifted this year." .......Police in the northern town of Chinhoyi refused to release 21 white farmers even after bail of 4.2 million Zimbabwe dollars (£53,000) was paid in Harare. The men, arrested after clashes with squatters, were to spend their sixteenth night in police cells. No prison officer could be found in Harare to bring the "warrant of liberation" to Chinhoyi. Aug 22

North Carolina keeps wary eye out for foot-and-mouth

.....It has been three months since the foot-and-mouth epidemic in Britain was reported to be under control, but officials here aren't assuming the threat is gone. State Emergency Management Director Eric Tolbert said that plans are being made for a major foot-and-mouth response drill in October. The state has also been stockpiling supplies needed to destroy infected livestock and decontaminate people, animals and vehicles. There are still more than 1,900 confirmed outbreaks of the disease in Britain, which have infected everything from domestic sheep and cows to wild deer populations. Cases are on the upswing in South America, where animal disease control measures aren't nearly as strict as they are in Britain. Experts say that an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease could damage North Carolina's economy for years, running up much bigger losses than Hurricane Floyd. Meat prices could soar, and the state's billion-dollar hog business could be decimated. Aug 22

We fight on, farmers vow after demo
Yorkshire Post

ANGRY farmers shouting for the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair over his handling of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic marched on Downing Street yesterday. The vast majority of the protesters, numbering about 1,000 and including a contingent from North Yorkshire, said they wanted to see a public inquiry. Many said they hoped it would focus on why a vaccination strategy was not used to prevent the spread of the disease. The action helped mark the six-month anniversary of the start of the outbreak and coincided with the first live cattle auction for six months, held on the Orkney Isles. The protest in London was led by David Handley, head of the pressure group Farmers For Action, who spearheaded last year's fuel blockade. Mr Handley said: "I'm not disappointed with the turnout. The police count was about 1,000 and I'm delighted with that on a working day. "Next time it will be bigger and it will be within a matter of weeks. If Mr Blair does not listen to us then we will be back. There is an urgency behind these calls for a public inquiry and we will not stop fighting." Many of the protesters were dressed in the white boiler suits worn by slaughter teams from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). .......Maurice Askew, board director of the Countryside Alliance and former master of the Barlow Hunt in South Yorkshire, said the outbreak was probably the greatest crisis Britain had faced since the Second World War. He added: "We will go on relentlessly fighting on your behalf and the one thing that we want out of this is a public inquiry. We also want to see a regeneration of the rural economy. Every man, woman and child has suffered as a direct consequence of this." .....Aug 21

Woman makes challenge to foot-and-mouth cull Ananova

A woman is launching a High Court challenge to the cull of healthy animals during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Janet Hughes, of Church Stoke, Powys, is seeking permission from Mr Justice Stanley Burnton, in London, to bring judicial review proceedings over the policy. Miss Hughes bought 10 sheep in the Brecon Beacons after learning that she had to own stock in an infected area in order to take action over the cull. She has launched an appeal fund called Save Our Sheep to cover her estimated legal costs of at least £25,000. Aug 21

Foot-and-mouth marchers demand public inquiry
The Times

.....Farmers from across Britain, many from areas worst affected by the disease, were joined by rural workers, countryside campaigners and animal welfare groups for a protest organised by the pressure group Farmers For Action (FAC). David Handley, FAC's chairman, who played a leading role in last year's fuel protests, poured scorn on the three independent inquiries into foot-and-mouth and farming, announced recently by the Prime Minister. The inquiries will not sit in public and are not expected to publish all the evidence they hear, though their final reports will be made public. After handing in a 30,000-signature petition after a peaceful march from Hyde Park to Whitehall, Mr Handley called on Tony Blair to "live up to his promise of more open Government" by setting up "a full and open public inquiry into the whole handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis". He claimed that the march had been backed by every farming group "bar the NFU", which has not joined demands for a public inquiry. Many protesters were critical of the NFU, largely because of its perceived opposition to vaccinating livestock against the disease. ......A substance contained in a package marked "anthrax", which was sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was harmless, it said. Thirteen people were put kept in isolation and the building in Westminster was closed because of fears over the substance.......Aug 21

Six months on, and still the spectre of foot and mouth haunts the West
Western Daily Press

IT is exactly six months since foot-and-mouth disease started its deadly march through the British countryside - and still the menace remains. Despite the West now appearing almost entirely free of the virus, experts warn there is still a risk of new cases developing as autumn approaches........The epidemic has devastated farmers and crippled the tourist industry. And since the first case was reported in February, everyone involved in any aspect of rural life has been affected. The haulage industry has had to shed staff in a desperate attempt to stay in business and the disease has pushed many of Britain's rarest breeds of farm animals to the brink of extinction. The rural nightmare has even affected youngsters' GCSE and A-level results with around 150,000 teenagers requesting special dispensation because of the trauma of living amid the epidemic. And experts estimate the outbreak will cost the tourism industry £5 billion this year. Yet despite cleansing regimes and livestock movement restrictions, new cases continue to emerge - this weekend in Cumbria and North Yorkshire - with the total for the UK and Northern Ireland now at 1,960. ....Aug 21

Orkney auction gives hope for farmers
The Times

BRITAIN'S first livestock sale since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease six months ago was described by traders yesterday as an important step forward for the beleaguered farming industry. Farmers wearing boiler suits, plastic coats and rubber boots watched as more than 430 cattle from the outlying Orkney Islands were sold at the auction in Kirkwall.....Those attending the sale, which took place six months to the day after the disease was first detected on a farm in Northumberland, were kept clear of the areas where the cattle were held. Only government vets, auction staff and representatives from the SSPCA were allowed close contact with the animals. The first cattle to be sold, a group of four Charolais steers from the outlying island of Westray, were snapped up in seconds by a buyer for Kepac, a meat supplier based in Buchan, for £614. ...Aug 21

Countryside call for action to cut through red tape
Telegraph

THE Government was challenged by representatives of farmers and rural businesses yesterday to cut through its bureaucracy and focus on practical measures to encourage diversification. Mark Pendlington, the chief executive of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said that if the crisis in farming was not tackled urgently some farmers and businesses in the country faced bankruptcy. The call came as Lord Whitty, the minister for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said again on Radio 4's Today programme that farmers must face up to changes in subsidies. "He's looking far ahead - it's good to have vision but the priorities are here and now," Mr Pendlington said yesterday. "At the moment bureaucratic entanglement, especially in the area of planning, is obstructing diversification, discouraging innovation and damaging job prospects." Lord Whitty predicted at the weekend that subsidies for food production would be phased out in a decade and said farmers must adapt. The CLA is sending Lord Haskins, the head of the Government's Better Regulation Taskforce, the findings of its new Rural Regeneration report. Damian Green, the shadow agriculture spokesman, said: "The Government's task now should be to take practical measures to eliminate the disease instead of concentrating on finding scapegoats." He said anything less than a full public inquiry into foot and mouth was "little more than a whitewash".

........ (About yesterday's March)
Demonstrators included farmers and rural workers and businessmen from across the British countryside, many dressed in the white boiler suits used by Defra workers in the foot and mouth crisis. They handed over a petition bearing almost 30,000 signatures. Jordyn Mitchell, nine, was dressed as a Bo Peep shepherdess. Her mother, Carole, from Skipton, North Yorks, said Jordyn's pet lamb Cheeky Chops had been culled as part of a contiguous slaughter because of a suspected outbreak on neighbouring farms. Ms Mitchell said: "The Army gave us five minutes to get out and I had to drag her out screaming. It was horrible."

About 3,000 Defra civil servants staged a pay strike yesterday, but a spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union said pickets were not targeting offices in foot-and-mouth affected areas. As a result, there is no map available showing the latest cases. Aug 21

Poor turn-out for inquiry protest
Farmers Weekly

....It's a pity that a few more thousand have not come along, but I think they're saving themselves for the next one," he said. "It's going to get bigger and better if [Tony Blair] does not listen." The government has announced of three independent inquiries into its handling of the situation, the scientific implications and the future of farming. But opponents say a public inquiry is the only way to ensure that the government's handling of the crisis can be properly scrutinised. Aug 20

Farmers march on Downing Street
BBC

Militant farmers are promising protest action in their bid to secure a full and open public inquiry into the foot-and- mouth crisis. The news comes as protesters from the South West set off for a peaceful march on Downing Street today. There's a growing lobby of calls for a full and open public inquiry into the crisis. The Foot-and-Mouth Alliance has swiftly organised the march after nationwide protest groups held a summit meeeting last week. Under cover of darkness: farmers took to their tractors during the fuel protests South West farmers will join around 1,000 protesters as they march from Speakers Corner to Downing Street today. Organisers have stressed that the event will be a peaceful one-day event to show the level of support for a public inquiry. But militant group, Farmers For Action, has warned the Government to take notice.
Farmers' leaders have revealed that they have been holding talks with fuel protesters who helped to organise blockades last September. The Countryside Alliance is also throwing its weight behind calls for an inquiry. Aug 20

Radio BBCFarmers who have run out of money - one selling up to pay his debts and move into a council house, one working on an Exeter building site ....
Today Programme

e.g. Robin Head, farmer,who is concerned for the animal welfare implications if people try to take a second job. The very lacklustre and wary Lord Whitty says he "doesn't know what the answer is..." but that "we are concerned with the totality of the rural community" and that premiums for sheep and cattle will cease.... He gets in the words "sustainable" and "environment" as often as he can.

Six months of slaughter down on the farm
Telegraph

THOUSANDS of farmers and their supporters are expected to march on Downing Street today, six months to the day after the outbreak of the foot and mouth epidemic, demanding a public inquiry into the debacle. At least 3,000 farmers from as far afield as Cornwall and Cumbria are expected to attend the protest which starts at Hyde Park Corner. Once there, they will hand in a petition demanding greater openness surrounding the investigation into the handling of the outbreak. David Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action which is organising the demonstration, said: "We never know what we are going to find until we have a full and open public inquiry. "We don't want several private inquiries. One straightforward public inquiry will get to the bottom of this. It doesn't matter if it takes two to three years. "A number of people need to answer questions so we never make the mistakes again. Six months down the road, we are far from having it under control."...Aug 20

Six months of farm misery
BBC

For many 2001 will be remembered as a time when much of the countryside was plunged into crisis as farmers saw nearly 4m of their livestock slaughtered and the tourism industry suffered as visitors stayed away. The number of confirmed cases stands at 1,960 but the outbreak seems to be receding. (warmwell note: the only accurate number here, sadly, is that of the year. On May 2 the BBC reported 3.2 million animals dead. That figure did not include the young animals nor the so-called "welfare" killings. With thousands killed every day in the past two and a half months the total of dead (mainly healthy) animals passed 4 million a long time ago and probably had long been passed on May 2nd. Defra's figures are just wrong. As one example; on July 31 the Defra website reported the total number of "confirmed cases" in Northern England as 1075. It now reports the figure as 915 confirmed cases...).......How far the inquires go into answering questions about what lessons can be learned remains to be seen. One thing is certain, farmers and the tourism industry are in no doubt that their livelihoods have suffered. Aug 20

No end in sight to foot and mouth as slaughter continues
Financial Times

Thousands of farm animals are still being destroyed every day in the effort to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease, six months after the epidemic began - confounding expectations that it would by now be over. With the disease no longer at the centre of attention, a semblance of normality has been restored for visitors to the British countryside. In most places, they can now use paths that were closed for fear that they might spread the disease. ....New cases have slowed to a trickle, but there are still on average two or three new outbreaks a day. "We don't hear about them because it's old news," said Martin Howarth, National Farmers' Union policy director. The acceleration of foot-and-mouth in the early weeks, which caused a backlog of animals scheduled for slaughter, followed the forecast pattern. But it was thought that from July there would be no more than a few sporadic cases. The government claimed after 2= months to have the disease under control. But an agriculture official said the virus had proved "pretty recalcitrant". "There's no indication to say when it's going to stop," he admitted. "But it's not spreading." (warmwell note: when outbreaks occur outside the so called bio-security zone, as they are, is this not "spreading"?)...But the public horror at the epidemic's early stages, when carcases were being burnt in heaps, has dissipated. In February, some 2,000 animals were culled, causing widespread revulsion. In recent weeks, twice that number have been slaughtered daily. .......Despite advertising campaigns to reassure visitors that there was no risk to their health, tourists continued to associate the virus with the earlier BSE ("mad cow") epidemic. "The perception hasn't gone away. It's a definite blur on our image," the (British Tourist) authority said. (warmwell note: the "blur on our image" is the barbarism of our response to this non-fatal disease. As can be seen from their newspapers, Europe watches in amazed revulsion) Aug 20

Paddy the wind-driven horse pipped at the post
Sunday Times

Paddy, my shire, won third place in the heavy horse beauty contest at the Cranleigh show. He collected £8 and a green rosette. .......There is to be a demonstration tomorrow to press for the truth about foot and mouth. This requires a public inquiry in which testimony is given openly, there is proper examination of witnesses and evidence is put on the record. An arrogant and deceitful government that is trying to cover up a gross scandal is denying us this. The rendezvous is at Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, at 1pm, followed by a march to Downing Street where we will attempt to shame the government. There is further evidence that Ben Gill, leader of the sinister "farmers' union", has flipped. He is claiming that the BBC spread foot and mouth by blowing it about the sky with their news helicopters; he seems unware that the atmosphere moves all by itself. Of course the farmers can't fire Gill because the NFU is as democratic as Enver Hoxha's Albania and the pig men are calling the shots. Am I the only person to have noticed the parallels between Tony Blair, supreme commander of the war against the British countryside, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, currently cleansing his own outback? Both are sending out gangs of thugs to intimidate farmers, set things on fire, put up roadblocks and deploy armed police to keep the peasantry in line, although as far as I know Mugabe's thugs do not normally slaughter the animals. Mugabe's 18-year-old thugs are called "war veterans", while Blair's are named Defra. Ghastly though it may be in Zimbabwe, freedom and democracy ought to start at home. The Commonwealth must suspend Britain from membership, pending restoration of civil rights in the British countryside by Tony "Mugabe" Blair, currently masterminding the rural cleansing of Britain from the presidential compound at the Carlyon Bay hotel, St Austell. Aug 19

'Keep the young farming'
BBC

Eric Taylforth is a Cumbrian sheep farmer. Married with two sons he says that the contribution children make to the running of the farm is invaluable. He explains to News Online why he would not want any rules banning children from working on the farm, including using the machinery. "Most of the farms in the Lake District around here are family farms. You rely on your sons, from about twelve years old, to help with everything that you do. They are a great asset to us, especially the younger ones, from 12, 14, 16 year old. A lot of the 16-year-olds are as good as a man working for you. I have a son of 19 and a son of 14. The eldest boy has joined the army but the younger one is on the farm and is quite keen to stay in farming. I don't think they want discouraging in any shape or form, they are a lifeline to us. Eric Taylforth He also has two friends that come, one 15 and the other 14 and they all help on the farm. They are a life line to us at the present time, with foot and mouth and everything else. These young lads coming and being interested in the farm it's a great asset, makes me think there's a future for the young farming generation..... (This follows news that a ban on child workers on farms is being sought by Unions. Countryfile will be broadcast on BBC today at 11.30 a.m.) ... .posted Aug 19

Control breaches 'prolong farm disease'
BBC

Foot-and-mouth disease has continued longer than expected because strict movement restrictions and hygiene rules have been breached, say experts. There are also warnings that the crisis will be harder to control in the poorer weather of autumn and winter if the disease is not eradicated. Epidemiologist Dr Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College, London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that predictions the epidemic would be over by October were meaningless if security measures were not imposed more vigorously...... Aug 19

Clarke's defiance on euro 'will cost him leadership'
Observer

Ken Clarke was yesterday accused of shooting himself in the foot as the last days of the Tory leadership contest hit new depths of bitterness. The former Chancellor, whose publicity-shy wife Gillian joined him on the campaign trail for the first time, had dismissed his rival Iain Duncan Smith as a 'complete unknown' and Euro-obsessive who would try to take Britain out of the EU. Yesterday he raised the stakes by insisting he would share pro-European platforms with senior Labour figures during a euro referendum campaign. The attack was designed to portray Duncan Smith as far beyond even Eurosceptic party members. However allies of the Shadow Defence Secretary are privately delighted at Clarke's highlighting, two days before voting begins, of what they see as his Achilles heel: his pro-European views. 'We have had a lot of people phoning us saying they don't want to see us ripping each other apart again, and that it's clear now if Ken wins then he's going to carry on like this,' said one source. 'They are saying he has got to go beyond this Europe thing.' Ballot papers will be sent to just over 300,000 party members tomorrow. The result is not due until 12 September, fuelling growing fears at Central Office that the coronation of the new leader at this autumn's party conference is heading for chaos. 'There's just so little time to sort it out. The potential for it all going horribly wrong is enormous,' admitted one insider. Yesterday Clarke insisted he had not attacked Duncan Smith personally but believed he had accurately described his rival's position. 'As far as I am aware, he has always been someone who has advocated renegotiating the [EU] treaties and has repeatedly said that he would contemplate leaving the Union if he couldn't renegotiate the treaties as he wishes,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. ...Aug 19

Ministers refuse more cash to promote tourism
Independent

The quango in charge of tourism in England has run out of money to promote the industry after foot and mouth disease. Businesses and hoteliers are relying on brisk, end-of-season trade to compensate for a summer that for many has been ruined by the effects of the disease. With the approach of the August Bank Holiday, traditionally the busiest weekend, the English Tourism Council (ETC) admits it no longer has funds to promote holidays to the domestic market. Ministers are refusing more money even though, with foreign tourists staying away, the industry depends even more on home visitors. The lack of government funds for tourism contrasts starkly with the £1bn compensation to the farming industry since the disease came to light six months ago. "We have run out of money to market domestic tourism," an ETC spokesman said. Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said: "I find it very frustrating. The Government doesn't understand tourism's contribution to the economy compared to agriculture." Experts estimate the foot and mouth outbreak will cost the tourism industry £5bn this year. By comparison, the meat export business, protected by the mass slaughter policy, is worth £500m. Aug 19

Go on, eat up your organic greens
Sunday Times

Attacks on organic farming and its champion, the Prince of Wales, are a sign of increasing desperation by the chemical agriculture industry, says Lord Melchett: "And they're right to feel desperate, because the system they are trying to defend is in serious trouble." .....Last week in News Review, Trewavas, of the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University, accused people such as Melchett and Prince Charles of misleading people over the benefits of organic food. Basically, Trewavas thinks organic food is a con.
Melchett, who is converting his 800-acre Norfolk farm to organic produce, is too polite to use the m-word. He uses milder epithets such as "nonsense", "rubbish" and "incredible ignorance". ..... His basic premise is that the professor is an apologist for a system of industrial agriculture that has devastated Britain's farmland and wildlife during the past 40 years, abetted by iniquitous public subsidies.
He speaks of Britain "losing thousands of miles of hedges, 95% of our chalk grasslands and half of our ancient woodlands. The early chemicals killed things directly. You saw dying birds flapping in the fields".
Trewavas and others are still defending that, he says, just as they were defending DDT 20 years earlier. Trewavas's view is that this is science, this is progress and if you don't like some of the consequences you should put up with it. It is said that a great benefit is cheap food, ignoring the #3 billion of public subsidy that goes into the United Kingdom's agriculture.
According to the professor, the apostles of organic farming have fostered the belief that we are "slowly poisoned by pesticides", although the facts show that we are living longer and cancer rates are falling. Melchett laughs: "The idea that industrial agriculture has been responsible for everything good that's happened in the world since the end of the second world war is rubbish. There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that." He cites improved public health, better standards of living and healthier lifestyles as more likely causes.
One of Trewavas's central assertions was that organic farming produces lower yields per hectare, is more costly and involves ploughing up more wilderness to meet its extra land requirements. Melchett shakes his head: "This comes fine from an industry that has destroyed many of the things that made the English countryside so valued in our culture."
In fact, Melchett contends, organic yields are nearly as good and sometimes equal to conventional yields, but in a longer crop rotation. He applauds Charles's organic farm at Highgrove, where an intensive strategy of mixing planted vegetables produces an output that actually exceeds standard yields.
Last week Trewavas accused Charles of "abusing his status" by encouraging "organic ideologues". Last year he said Charles was "unfit to be a monarch" for involving himself in the debate over genetically modified foods. Melchett says the criticism was unwarranted and unfair, since the prince could not answer back.
He believes these attacks are a measure of industrial agriculture's anxiety at the constraints being placed upon it. The pressure is to produce chemicals that are more specific and shorter acting.
"But nature is getting better and better at fighting back. The whole industrial agriculture system has become more vulnerable to catastrophic breakdowns. We've seen it with mad cow disease and foot and mouth. The answer to this, in the industry's eyes, has been GM crops as a way of giving further life to what is otherwise a system that is in rapid decline." Aug 19

Food for thought
Yorkshire Post Comment

LORD Haskins has been called the country's first "farm czar" by the popular press. It is a fitting title. The Hull-based farmer and food king owes his political power and influence not to the electorate, but to the whim of his benefactor, Tony Blair. It was Prime Ministerial patronage that elevated Chris Haskins to the second chamber and to the first rank of Downing Street advisers. Of those who serve at the court of Mr Blair, Lord Haskins is said to be a favourite, a businessman whose counsel is sought in times of crisis and adversity. And few would doubt that farming is in crisis. But all Lord Haskins has done since his coronation is to dance to his master's tune. Where Downing Street has authorised a private whispering campaign denigrating the farming community, Lord Haskins has amplified that hostility in public. Rather than offering sympathy to those whose livelihoods have been blighted by the disease, he has claimed that those who have fallen victim to foot-and-mouth are better off than those who remain disease-free. Untroubled by the obvious hypocrisy of his remarks, he has also lambasted the subsidies which are paid to farmers while, at the same time, claiming these same subsidies to keep his own farm afloat. No one doubts that farming needs to change, but Lord Haskins appears less interested in an open debate about what this might involve, than in airing his own prejudices about agriculture in public. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the Rural Recovery Co-Ordinator should find himself at odds with the very people he is meant to be rescuing. By portraying farmers as profiteers and fraudsters, as the Government has slyly done, Labour may hope to weaken the public's sympathy for the plight of farmers. But it will only backfire. Labour will find that spin doctors, who practise the black arts of media manipulation, are held in such low regard by the voters that nothing they say against the farmers will be believed.

What British agriculture needs is not a man who shoots from the hip, but a public inquiry into the Government's mishandling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Such an inquiry would put to rest the lies and innuendo being fed to the media by the Government machine. It would point the finger of blame where it should be directed - at a Prime Minister who first reacted with timidity and indecision to the crisis, and then, when it threatened his plans for an election, accelerated a slaughter policy the wisdom of which was being seriously questioned in veterinary circles. Rather than this, however, Downing Street has kicked the idea of an inquiry into the long grass and appointed Lord Haskins to put the boot into an industry which is already on the floor. In doing so, it has proved how out of touch it is with the mood of countryfolk and how bereft it is of ideas for a rural recovery. Aug 18

Debts pile up for woman who saved Merino sheep
Telegraph

Anne Young's determined efforts kept foot and mouth at bay, but now she has to sell her flock. Sandra Barwick reports. THROUGH six months of isolation and painstaking effort Anne Young has saved her sheep from the foot and mouth slaughter, only to face the prospect of having to sell them to pay her debts. Like many other farmers in Cumbria whose stock has escaped the disease, she has had no income for six months because of movement restrictions, and is in a critical financial plight...Her 14 acres are rented. She has spent well over £3,000 on disinfectant alone: as have other Cumbrian farmers, many of whom say they feel abandoned. "They seem to be the forgotten victims," said Douglas Chalmers, regional director for the north west of the County Land and Business Association. "They are under the most financial pressure they have ever had. "They are coming up to market time and if they miss those because this disease is still going they are going to be in real trouble." David Maclean, Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border, said he had received calls in the past month from anxious farmers. "Their feed is running out, they can't sell and where they can send to slaughter prices are down. It's a mega problem." Miss Young is highly unusual in that, though a commercial farmer and a meticulous stockman, she is a vegetarian and will not send any animals - all of which she knows by name - to slaughter. Having saved them from the cull at such personal cost, she is not prepared to sell them on the open market - whenever that is allowed - where they might end up with the same fate. She said: "I'm looking for homes for small pockets of sheep, four to six, but they've got to go where they won't be slaughtered." "If I had given into the cull I would probably have £300,000 to £400,000 in the bank. But I would have had a conscience that killed me." Aug 18

Herbal remedy
Guardian

Farmer Viv Hughes has been out planting in his fields in the sunshine. It's a new experience for Hughes, a Welsh hill farmer who is more used to looking after his 500 sheep on the Black Mountains. But now he and a group of other farmers living around Myddfai, Carmarthenshire, have set up a cooperative which aims to grow and sell herbs such as parsley, sage, catnip, peppermint, arnica and lemon balm for use in herbal remedies. Hughes, his son and grandchildren have planted seven acres of their land, with the help of other farmers in the cooperative and their families.
"It takes a fair bit of time, but the members of the group all help each other," he says. "It's nice to see the wives and children out too. It's like going back to the old days"
The project could be a real lifeline for the community. Ten miles away, on the Brecon Beacons, sheep have been culled by the thousand. And all the farmers know that their flock could be next......Joining the cooperative means that farmers have had to pool their labour and share equipment, which has been paid for by grants from the Welsh development agency. This year, they have hired specialist planting and harvesting machines, though they hope the cooperative will be able to buy its own next year. "We think this will work as long as we have a bit of financial help - it takes a fair bit of capital investment to get started," says Hughes. The farmers share the huge drying machine, housed in a barn, where the herbs have to be dried within half-an-hour of being harvested. .......The cooperative's treasurer is 80-year-old Bryan McSwiney, who has lived in the village for 25 years. He and his wife have 40 acres of land on which they keep sheep, and they have given over one acre of this to herbs as part of the feasibility study. They have also put in long hours of hard graft, helping other members of the cooperative with their planting. ......If the project is successful in the long term, he estimates that there is the potential for farmers with 100 acres to earn #1,000 per acre per year, compared with the #100 per acre they can earn from sheep farming. The big money will come from "adding value" by processing the herbs - drying them or distilling them to extract the essential oils - and marketing them. All too often, when farmers sell their produce, it is other people who make the profits. "Up to now, in everything that farmers have done, their involvement has ended at the farm gate," says Munro. "There is money to be made from farming, but it is all made after the produce leaves the farm." This is why it is critical to the scheme that the cooperative does the processing and marketing, ensuring that as much profit as possible comes back to the community. .....It is the smaller farmers who are joining the cooperative, says Munro. "The bigger farmers are sceptical, sitting back and watching us, pretty sure that we won't do it right." .......... More information from: Myddfai Herbal Products, Beiliglas, Myddfai, SA20 OQB. email: beiliglas@aol.com Aug

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3000 expected at inquiry protest
Farmers Weekly

By Donald MacPhail
CAMPAIGNERS for a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis estimate that more than 3000 supporters will march on Downing Street on Monday (20 August).

Producers are livid at the government's decision to hold three independent investigations into the virus rather than a full public inquiry. They will descend on London under the banner "FMD Alliance" in a march organised by the Farmers For Action group. Speaking to FWi on Friday (17 August), FFA chairman David Handley said that he was delighted with the support which has been pledged. "Preparations are going very well and today alone support has come in from as far afield as Cornwall, Dumfries and Galloway, said Wales,"he said. "We estimated that if we got 2-3000 protesters in the capital on a working day that would be a good turnout. But we think we may well exceed that now." Mr Handley said demonstrators would include farmers and their families who have been affected by the crisis and members of the general public.
"We will tell the government that we need a full and public inquiry. If people need to be brought to account then they must be brought to account.
"Some people say that there shouldn't be a witch-hunt, but tell that to the farmer who has lost all his stock or the widow who has lost her husband." Marchers will assemble at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park, between noon and 1pm and from there will march direct to the Prime Minister's residence. They included the "Heart of Devon" group started by TV celebrity Noel Edmunds, and other groups modelled on it from Cumbria, Yorkshire and Essex. Anyone of like mind is welcome and anyone with petitions are invited to bring them and present them to number 10 Downing Street, said Mr Handley. FARMERS WEEKLY has joined forces a number of leading publications in the Say Yes to a Public Inquiry campaign. Thousands have signed the petition organised by FARMERS WEEKLY, Horse&Hound, The Western Morning News, the Western Mail, The Journal and the Cumberland News. ...Aug 17

Editors unite in fight for foot and mouth public inquiry
Holdthe frontpage.com

Regional papers from across the country are linking up to fight for a full public inquiry into foot and mouth disease. The Western Morning news is working with The Journal, Newcastle, the Western Mail and trade magazine Farmers Weekly to make its plea to the Government. And in a scathing attack the Western Morning News this week branded the Prime Minister a coward for shying away from the challenge. Its editor Barrie Williams went on television the next day to defend his stance. He told viewers: "Unlike London politicians I have lived among farmers and seen at first hand the horrors and traumas caused by the Government's foot and mouth policies."
But Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael told him the newspaper's attack was "a mistake in terms of journalistic judgment" and "wrong in terms of fact". He put another point of view to viewers of the lunchtime bulletin, saying: "It is wrong to brand the Prime Minister as a coward. He has taken the right decisions to enable us to get the full information to get at the facts and that is what people need." (!)
In the original article Barrie Williams asserted that the Government had finally confirmed what the Westcountry had suspected for weeks. He said: "It is so scared of public scrutiny over its handling of the foot and mouth disaster that there are no depths to which it is not prepared to stoop in order to evade full and proper accountability." He wrote a front page comment piece after Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett ruled out a public inquiry. Ged Henderson, editor of The Journal, said: "The Journal believes that a public inquiry is the only way to ensure that a major industry never again has to endure what has been witnessed over the last few months. "This crisis has crippled the north's rural economy, shattered whole communities and wrecked the lives of thousands of people." Western Mail deputy editor Alistair Milburn added: "The news that there will be three inquiries into the crisis is simply the cherry on a cake of Government mismanagement. "What we need is a single, transparent public inquiry, not a fragmented mish-mash of hearings which will simply confuse and mislead a public and an industry that needs to learn lessons from this disaster." The three papers have formed a campaign alliance to launch a petition for a public inquiry, hoping to mobilise public opinion in the areas of Britain most badly affected by the disease. The Western Morning News headline the previous day asked: "Why are they so afraid of scrutiny? The Journal told readers: "Why we need a public inquiry", and the Western Mail: "Why we must have a public inquiry". Farmers Weekly also used the whole of the front page with a headline: "Say Yes To A Public Inquiry". Horse and Hound, The Yorkshire Post and the Clitheroe Advertiser are also calling for action. Aug 17

Brussels pays £225m to ease foot and mouth pain
Guardian

The European commission agreed to give the government £225m as part of a foot and mouth compensation package yesterday despite the fact that its own veterinary experts suspect that some British farmers may be guilty of fraud. Under EU law Brussels is liable for up to 60% of all compensation paid by the government and a total of £650m has been put aside to ease the Treasury's pain. Officials said yesterday's payment is likely to be the first of many since the government is certain to send Brussels more compensation claims, which will be closely scrutinised for irregularities. The Dutch government received £24.7m to cover the costs of its own more limited foot and mouth crisis yesterday, while France got £2.1m and Ireland £1.7m. The compensation is in the form of so-called advance pay ments which are based on commission estimates of the value of slaughtered animals or on UK government estimates if they are lower. But Brussels said yesterday that further payments would be approved only after more inspection visits to the UK coupled with financial audits. .....Aug 17

Brecon F&M tests 'negative'
icWales

Tests for foot-and-mouth on sheep in some outlying areas of the Brecon Beacons have come back negative, the Welsh Assembly said today. Officials haves been testing sheep on the outer edges of the Beacons to discover how far the disease has spread. A contiguous cull has been introduced to stem the spread of the disease in the area, which has resulted in the slaughter of around 18,000 animals. Originally the Assembly decided not to carry out a contiguous cull on the hillsides because the sheep were hefted. But it reversed the decision in an effort to combat the spread of the disease in the Beacons area, where there have been 18 cases of foot-and-mouth. (warmwell note:once again, we must point out that the journalists are giving the impression that active virus has been found among the hefted flocks. This is not the case. These tests were for immunity to the disease and although only antibodies could be found, nearly 18000 sheep have been killed in order to protect the so-called 'FMD free status "without vaccination"'.) Aug 17

Farm plague: Blame game begins
The Scotsman

Senior officials at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), formerly the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have told The Scotsman that punitive cutbacks imposed by Gordon Brown were responsible for the department's inability to control the epidemic in its early stages. DEFRA sources claim that two of the three inquiries announced by the government last week will vindicate their department by confirming it was forced to operate on the most limited of resources. The officials also believe the inquiries will raise doubts about the judgment of Professor David King, the government's Chief Scientific Adviser, who was primarily responsible for the controversial decision to insist on the 48-hour contiguous cull.....Aug 16

Sore that was festering long before the foot-and-mouth crisis
The Scotsman

....Improving the lot of farmers was always of secondary concern when Blair appointed Brown. The former union official was a close ally of his namesake Gordon Brown and remained dangerous to the Blair project if he were to remain in the influential position of chief whip. To neuter his impact he was shunted off to MAFF, which has been historically regarded as the weakest of Whitehall departments. It was an unfortunate choice. The representative of Newcastle-upon-Tyne East and Wallsend, Brown's talents lay in backroom dealing and roughing up recalcitrant MPs, not discussing the price of milk with tweed-clad farmers. To his misfortune, he took over the job as the farming industry was suffering from the hangover of BSE, devastated by the worst bout of swine fever for a generation and hit by falling livestock prices. Then came foot-and-mouth. MAFF claimed the budget cuts inflicted on the department by successive chancellors meant it would never have been able to cope with an epidemic of the size and complexity of the foot-and-mouth disaster. It handled the crisis to the best of its ability and any excuses should lie with No 10 and the Treasury, ran the ministry's argument. Downing Street, and the general public, drew a different conclusion. Within a month of the epidemic breaking out, the two power bases were at loggerheads over how the crisis was being handled. No 10 had become increasingly exasperated at MAFF's presentation skills, its failure to control the crisis and its apparent inability to resolve trivial logistical problems. And the chief culprit was the hapless Secretary of State. Mr Brown did not help his cause when he announced prematurely on 12 March: "The disease is already incubating, particularly in Cumbria and Devon, and to that extent we do have it under control." A week later he was forced to qualify his remarks: "When I say it is under control I am speaking in terms of control zones and control measures in place." As the arguments over vaccination swirled round Westminster, Mr Blair began to wonder whether Mr Brown had been telling him the whole truth about this crisis. ....Aug 16

Welsh to consider virus jabs
Farmers Weekly

EMERGENCY foot-and-mouth talks in Wales are set to consider the possibility of vaccinating thousands of sheep.EMERGENCY foot-and-mouth talks in Wales are set to consider the possibility of vaccinating thousands of sheep. The Farmers' Union of Wales claims that the question of using strategic vaccination to protect irreplaceable hefted flocks will top the agenda. The meeting in Cardiff on Thursday (16 August) has been called by rural affairs minister Carwyn Jones. The FUW and NFU Cymru are due to attend. Privately, FUW officials admit that some Brecon graziers who fear the virus could be endemic on common land with 100,000 head of sheep back the idea. While the union continues to oppose vaccination, members wanted to be updated on Government thinking, it said. Some FUW members believe testing is about to be extended to commons in presently clean areas. However, Tony Edwards, Wales's chief vet, told the union that even if he wanted to follow this course of action, he did not have the manpower. FUW deputy chairman Glyn Powell said the meeting was needed to brief county chairman on progress, and why vaccination was not still an option. During three-hour long talks with top DEFRA vets on Monday, members of the self styled National Foot and Mouth Group urged a change of culling policy. Spokeswoman Janet Bayley said their case was given a very fair hearing. Ms Bayley said she felt that the groundswell of opinion in favour of vaccination was now acknowledged at the highest level. posted Aug 16

Whitehall tries to avert scare over landfills
Financial Times

....The government is reacting quickly because, after the mad cow and foot-and-mouth epidemics, it wants to prevent another health scare. The research is thought to show a slightly higher rate of minor birth defects in babies born to women living near landfill sites. Dr Pat Troop, deputy chief medical officer, is expected to say the incidence is only narrowly above the 153 per 10,000 national average for birth defects and to point out some anomalies contained in the BMJ report. But while judging the research as far being from conclusive, Dr Troop will also say the government wants to commission more research into the subject in an attempt to re- assure anxious parents-to-be that they are not at risk. ........Other research showed that children living near some incineration plants had high levels of chemical pollutants in their bodies - including PCBs and dioxins, which are thought to interfere with the body's sexual development. Under European Union guidelines, member countries are obliged by 2013 to halve from 1995 levels the amount of bio-degradable waste disposed of in landfill sites. However, plans for more incineration plants have generally been met with strong opposition from local residents and recycling has yet to take off in Britain in the same way as in many parts of Europe. Aug 16

Farmers' leader blames BBC for epidemic
Independent

First the foot-and-mouth outbreak was blamed on filthy farms. Next it was the nationwide trade in sheep, then Chinese takeaways, innocent ramblers and windy weather. Yesterday the BBC' helicopters became the latest in the line-up to be blamed for spreading the virus. The BBC's accuser was Ben Gill, the president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU). Mr Gill said journalists taking aerial picturesof stricken farms had helped to spread the virus, which can rise "like a mushroom cloud" into the air. "Of course, that was one of the problems we had with our dear friends from the BBC very early on, when they went up in helicopters over infected farms, which was exactly the wrong thing to do because it was spreading the virus," he said. The BBC dismissed Mr Gill's claims, saying it had worked with government agencies, including the former Ministry of Agriculture (Maff), from the beginning of the outbreak. "Both Maff and the NFU have actually praised the way we have behaved," it said. "We have always stuck to the rules, both on the ground and in the air." Aug 16

FILM CREWS BLAMED FOR SPREADING F&M
Daily Mirror

BBC camera crews helped spread foot and mouth disease, farmers' leader Ben Gill said yesterday. NFU president Mr Gill claimed helicopters carrying crews over infected sites helped blow the virus into neighbouring areas. The BBC said: "We always stuck to ministry guidelines." Interviewed on a political website, Mr Gill also said the Government's handling of the crisis was "dreadful", adding: "Lots of mistakes were made." Meanwhile, insurance firms are dealing with a rash of claims from bikers who lost control of their machines on disinfectant-soaked straw. (warmwell note: we really think it is time for Ben Gill to take some time out to read what the experts have been saying saying since February about the spread of airborne virus) Aug 16

NFU president's attack on BBC over foot and mouth 'fanciful'
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS leader Ben Gill, was described as "totally barking mad" in an astonishing tirade yesterday after accusing the BBC of helping to spread the foot-and-mouth virus. .....In an outspoken interview Mr Gill, president of the National farmers Union, claimed helicopters carrying camera crews over infection sites early in the outbreak had helped blow the virus into neighbouring areas. Mr Gill, who farms near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, said the foot-and-mouth infection was far more easily spread than BSE, because the virus could "blow out like a mushroom cloud" from sick animals. ....But Richard North, an independent food adviser, of Wibsey, near Bradford, who works for a political group in the European Parliament, described Mr Gill as having gone "totally barking mad". He said the idea that BBC helicopters could have spread the disease was "fanciful to the extreme" and added: "The ability of a helicopter to spread the disease would be beyond the realms of imagination."....Aug 16

Desperate store pleads for lambs
Farmers Weekly

A SUPERMARKET chain is calling for farmers with lambs to sell to get in touch as it is struggling to meet consumer demand.Somerfield issued this plea after suppliers said they could not meet expected demand from a half-price promotion which begins on Wednesday (15 August). This is despite predictions of 1.5 million surplus lambs in the UK this autumn after foot-and-mouth restrictions led to the collapse of export markets. Somerfield says lamb sales have risen 40% following recent promotions, and the store believes its two-week Megadeals offer could see sales jump 50-fold. A Somerfield spokesman said: "For some reason there seems to be a hold-up in the system and we're crying out for lamb. ... posted Aug 16

Blairs soak up an English summer
The Times

IT WAS the typical start to an English seaside summer holiday: traffic jams, fog and torrential rain. ...After their week-long break in Mexico, the Blairs are spending part of their holiday in the West Country to try to give a boost to the domestic tourist industry, which has been badly affected by foot-and-mouth and the strength of sterling. Instead, the couple looked like a walking, talking advertisement for the Latin American Tourist Board: fit, tanned and relaxed in casual summer clothes and indefinably exotic amid a sea of cagoules, umbrellas and damp hair.....Aug 16

Disaster is looming for thousands of our rural businesses
Western Daily Press

The Forum of Private Business, which represents small companies, says the crisis has had a severe and lasting impact not only on the farming community but also on the private sector in rural areas. The Forum says a virtual standstill in farming has caused severe cash-flow problems for many small enterprises and has backed the Western Daily Press's call for a full and open public inquiry into the disaster.Aug 16

Pig virus setback for farmers
Telegraph

THE livestock industry, still reeling from foot and mouth and BSE, has been hit by another disease. Thousands of pig farms have been infected with postweaning multisystematic wasting syndrome, a condition that increases piglet mortality more than threefold. Farmers said the outbreak was adding to the misery of an industry already devastated by cheap imports, foot and mouth and swine fever. Ian Campbell, spokesman for the National Pig Association, said: "It is the straw that will break some farmers' backs." Aug 16

BBC accused of helping to spread disease virus
Ananova

Farmers' leader Ben Gill has accused the BBC of helping to spread the foot-and-mouth virus. Mr Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union, said helicopters carrying camera crews over infected sites early in the outbreak had helped blow the virus into neighbouring areas. In an outspoken interview with political website www.youGov.com, Mr Gill condemned the Government's handling of foot-and-mouth as "dreadful". He also accused politicians of using him as a "whipping boy" to divert public criticism away from them. The impact of foot-and-mouth on Britain's farming community had been far more serious than BSE, said Mr Gill, because it had affected all sectors of the industry. The foot-and-mouth infection was far more easily spread than BSE because the virus could "blow out like a mushroom cloud" from sick animals, he said. He added: "Of course, that was one of the problems we had with our dear friends (sic) from the BBC very early on, when they went up in helicopters over infected farms, which was exactly the wrong thing to do because it was spreading the virus." (warmwell note: we really think it is time for Ben Gill to take some time out to read what the experts have been saying saying since February about the spread of airborne virus) Aug 15

We'll march to London and bring the country to its knees, vow farmers
Western Daily Press

FARMERS from across the West are planning to descend on London and voice their anger at being a denied a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. Militant farmers have pledged to bring the country to its knees if Tony Blair then refuses to listen to their calls. Farmers' leaders have also revealed they have been holding talks with fuel protesters and already have won the backing of at least one of the hauliers' groups. Foot-and-mouth campaign groups from across the country held a summit meeting in Cheshire and decided to march on the capital next Monday.......David Handley, the Monmouthshire-based leader of Farmers For Action, hit back. He said:"If Tony Blair and the Government ignore what we have got to tell them, then we will have no choice but to organise direct action." Mr Handley added: "I am not going to go into details about what we are planning, but if needs be we will bring this country to a standstill. "Lord Haskins has said he wants farmers in this country to be more like their counterparts in France. If that is what he wants, then fine, we will be following their example and will take whatever action is needed. We are calling on the people on the South West to support us. Rural communities are being brought to their knees and need all the help they can get." Fuel Protest 2000, one of the groups who helped to organise last September's blockades, has thrown its weight behind the day of action. A spokesman said: "There are people who are watching a lifetime of work going down the pan, joined with them are thousands of people who can see straight through the propaganda and spin. This has all been caused by the criminal mismanagement of the Labour Government in the early stages of the disease. "It is time to fight back and hopefully we can show the Government how many of us there are." The Countryside Alliance is also keeping a watching brief on the situation. South West spokesman Mal Treharne said: "The Alliance has consistently called for a clearly transparent and fully independent inquiry. If the three different inquiries now proposed by the Government fit the bill in all these respects, then fine. But the small print of their announcement gives cause for grave concern that they will not......Aug 15

Lord Haskins's fears for farming
The Western Mail

THE Government's Rural Recovery Co-ordinator, Lord Haskins, said yesterday that he feared for remote rural farming communities such as North Wales that he said "do not have a strong tourist trade behind them". He said that farmers are "living on borrowed time" if they do not look to the future in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis. He singled out North Wales despite the National Assembly's Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones going public yesterday in his criticism of the way in which Lord Haskins had started in his post. Mr Jones said that his approach had been "adversarial" and stressed that his views differed from those of the new co-ordinator. Despite an attack in the media yesterday, there was no retraction of the comments which have caused outrage in the farming community. At a news conference in Penrith, Cumbria, one of the worst-hit regions, Lord Haskins said "turning the clock back" to traditional farming methods was a fantasy. Asked about the views of the Prince of Wales, who has urged farmers to return to more traditional methods, he said, "I think that the idea of turning the clock back is not the way of dealing with the problems in Cumbria today. "We have to turn the clock forward. The future is looking at the future, not building up fantasies of the past, like some people might think. I am not mentioning any names. "If farmers want to rely on the past for handouts, they are going to be living on borrowed time." Lord Haskins said he was in favour of both large and small farms, insisting that he had been misquoted in the media over the weekend. ....Aug 15

Another view By Oliver Pritchett Living in a non-urban agri-habitation zone
Telegraph

...."So what about that Lord Haskins from up gert Lunnun?" I said. "He be comin' down 'ere with 'is city ways and tellin' country folks as 'ow they must pull their wellies up. Daft, I call it." "Wouldn't know," Old Brian replied, and he went on staring into the field. "Ah, 'tis your canny country inscrutability," I said. "It's not my place to say." Old Brian spat out the bit of grass and put a new one in his mouth. "You see, I'm just the seasonal landscape developments monitor. My role is to stand here at the gate-face and to track any developments there may be, like Mrs Harris walking her dog, then I report back to the task force."..."What be the task force?" I asked. "That's Old Mike and Old Tony and Old Geoff at the pub. Or, to give them their proper title, the area information resources processing unit. Usually, I just monitor this field, but sometimes I look upwards and do what we call 'blue skies thinking.' If the weather's right."

Old Brian said if I wanted an opinion on Lord Haskins, I ought to go and see Mrs Perkins who was chair of the rustic wisdom and country attitude advisory panel. "You'll probably find her down at the Consignia customer outlet and young persons' confectionery retailer," he told me. "I saw her go down there to collect her pension.".......How do you think that Lord Haskins will get on in his role as rural recovery co-ordinator?" I asked.
"Not too good," said Old Jim.
"If he thinks he can come down from the Smoke and understand country ways he's ferreting down the wrong rabbit hole," I suggested.
"Exactly," said Old Jim. "You have to live here for years and years before you begin find your way round the complex committee structure." Aug 15

Strike threatens work on epidemic
The Times

THE handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic is expected to be thrown into further chaos next week when thousands of civil servants go on strike. Up to 3,000 officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will strike on Monday. Rolling days of non-cooperation around the country will follow. The civil servants will include those handling compensation payments for farmers and those supporting veterinary surgeons. The action follows a ballot by the Public and Commercial Services Union backed by two thirds of members over Defra's refusal to pay officials employed by the old Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the same rate as newcomers being transferred from the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The union is demanding pay rises of £2,000 to £3,000 for each official to match the incoming salaries. Aug 15

Wish you weren't here, Tony
The Times

.....I cannot see any reason why a Prime Minister with no attachment to the"British holiday" not even the odd weekend on the Isle of Wight  should have to subject himself to the horrors of the West Country in the middle of August. Not that he will really be subjected to its horrors at all: the prime ministerial entourage will presumably travel in special convoy, down the hard shoulder or the bus lane (security), just as their hi-spin lo-cost air travel will come without the lo-cost queueing attached at Stansted (security). He will probably stay in splendid isolation on a West Country hotel estate (security) and will venture out to meet the tourists only in carefully calibrated half-hour handshake packages (distaste). In the West Country, of all places! The West Country is full of Conservative and Lib Dem voters and angry farmers and the sort of people the Prime Minister would be desperate to avoid at any time, let alone on holiday; people who would rather be milking cows than pumping the hand of the Prime Minister (though in the absence of cattle they are perfectly happy to milk him). A leading article in the Western Daily Press this week said: "If he wants the West to take him seriously, we suggest he gives the beach a miss and gets out to talk to the farmers whose livelihoods have been destroyed. Perhaps only they can convey to him how the events of this year have scarred the countryside and why they now feel victims of a smear campaign. "We suggest that bed-and-breakfast farmhouses may be a better base than a four-star hotel to learn how tourism has also been brought to its knees. Perhaps the families who rely on visitors for a living may be able to make Mr Blair understand why they believe government mismanagement contributed to a crisis.".....Aug 15

Anger at grouse shoot on 'closed' moorland
Yorkshire Post

A PARTY of licensed grouse shooters sparked anger in Grassington yesterday when they descended on moorland which has been closed since the beginning of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Grassington Moor is currently disease-free but, as it falls within three kilometres of infected premises, biosecurity restrictions still apply. Alan Robertshaw, who lives in Moor Lane just outside Grassington, claimed the precautions being taken by the shooting party were inadequate to guarantee no spread of the disease. He said: "It is absolutely scandalous that there should be one rule for the general public, who have observed these rules scrupulously, and another for these people who are trampling all over the moor. "We are not farmers but we are surrounded by farms and clean, healthy livestock and we want it to remain that way." North Yorkshire County Councillor Shelagh Marshall condemned the issuing of a shooting licence for the moors as "totally illogical". posted Aug 15

Blair holiday gives West Country boost
ITN

The Prime Minister and his family are due to begin the UK leg of their summer holiday and they are heading straight for the West Country. The Blairs' visit is intended to be a boost for one of the parts of Britain worst hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis. While some areas of the West Country are beginning to rebuild their tourist trade, elsewhere the outlook remains bleak. In rural Devon, tourist businesses are still failing to attract enough visitors or make enough money.......Visitor numbers here on Dartmoor are still down 25 per cent. That lost income means many businesses will not have made enough through the spring and summer to see them through the fallow winter period. That raises the very real possibility that some businesses close at the end of the season never to reopen. Malcolm Bell, of South West Tourism, said: "I'm convinced some businesses will fold because they won't be able to make up the gap. Many businesses though will just have to dig into their reserves, increase their borrowing." Aug 15

Blairs prepare for UK break
BBC

A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed the Blairs had returned to Britain and said they would be heading to the West Country on Wednesday for a "few days". They will then fly out to France with low-cost airline Ryanair on the third and final leg of their summer vacation. We are the number one destination for UK holidays, and it is right the number one family should come here Malcolm Bell South West Tourism The Blairs are paying for all of their holiday flights this year, following criticism of their previous summer breaks and accusations that the prime minister is out of touch with ordinary people. They have also been accused in the past of too readily accepting the hospitality of millionaires in exotic locations - a charge the domestic leg of their holiday goes some way towards meeting. Their decision to holiday in the West Country has been welcomed by the region's tourism leaders. Aug 15

March for the truth By Graeme King
The Journal

A protest march in London next week will arrive at Downing Street to call for a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. The march is being organised by South Wales farmer David Handley, a leader of last autumn's fuel protest. He said last night he had turned his attention to the foot-and-mouth crisis as another threat to the health of the rural economy. Mr Handley said he already had notice of 1,000 people intending to support the march from right across the country, and anticipated that number quadrupling in the next week. He said: "Farmers for Action called a meeting in Cheshire yesterday of all campaigning groups on foot-and -mouth disease. "They are all doing very good jobs in their own right, but the only way the Government is going to listen is by a massive number of people acting together. Co-founder of campaign group Heart of Cumbria and a supporter of the protest march, Nick Green, said: "I'm in Death Valley here, there's nothing left. "The culling is going on day by day in Cumbria and it's got to stop. It's an absolute disgrace what is going on. There has to be a public inquiry and we are trying to apportion blame. We want to find out who is guilty in this shambles. We are not asking for a public inquiry, we are demanding one." Mr Handley said the march was planned to start at 1pm at Hyde Park Corner on Monday. "We will be marching to Number 10 Downing Street and will be presenting our petitions stating people require a full and open public inquiry into the handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis," he said. The protest has the backing of 18 protest groups from around the country, Mr Handley said, including the Heart of England network of groups, first established by television presenter Noel Edmonds in Devon.

* Almost one million newspaper readers are being encouraged to lobby the Government to hold a public inquiry. The Journal has been joined by the Western Mail in Wales, the Western Morning News in Plymouth and Farmers Weekly in demanding a full, open and transparent investigation into the cause and handling of a crisis which has cost the country billions of pounds. We believe a properly framed public inquiry, after the outbreak has been eradicated, is the only way to ensure that the rapid spread of the disease, the mistakes, and the often shambolic organisation which has dogged the crisis, do not happen again. So far, 11,283 people have signed The Journal's petition and these other newspapers which also circulate in areas badly affected by the epidemic have announced they are launching petitions......Please fill in the petition form and return it to The Journal .Aug 14

Testing in Brecons tops 16,000 Aug 14 2001
The Western Mail

A FURTHER 1,000 mountain sheep are to be culled in the Brecon Beacons today bringing the total number of animals slaughtered in the National Park to around 16,000. And a widespread programme of random testing in the Beacons is continuing to check the spread of the disease among the area's hefted flocks, which have been bred to graze their own areas, without the need for fencing. The National Assembly said a total of 6,000 sheep and lambs were being culled as part of the contiguous cull on Sunday, yesterday and today. Graziers had previously refused to allow untested sheep to be slaughtered, but they agreed to the cull after being presented with evidence showing that testing all animals before slaughtering was proving too slow to halt the progress of foot-and-mouth. An Assembly spokeswoman said, "These sheep were contiguous to the hefts at Libanus and close to the Nant Ddu Hotel on the A470. Around 4,000 were slaughtered on Sunday, 1,000 were being slaughtered on Monday and the remaining 1,000 will be culled on Tuesday." The 6,000 sheep have not been tested for foot-and-mouth antibodies, but they will be tested for the disease after they have been killed to establish how far the disease had spread. The spokeswoman said that the random testing of 30,000 sheep across the Beacons from Brynmawr to Ystradfellte was continuing....Brecon Beacons National Park chief executive Chris Gledhill called the latest cull "very sad, but necessary." He said, "If we don't stop the disease spreading we will have no sheep left. "The whole thing has been a nightmare for the farmers in this area and we are not out of it yet." .....Aug 14

Trio save pedigree bulls by living in barn for 18 weeks By Richard Alleyne
Telegraph

A VET, his girlfriend and a stockman barricaded themselves in a barn with a herd of pedigree bulls to protect it from foot and mouth disease. Dr Alex Maute, 32, Caroline Kuntz, 30, and Will Rogers, 46, spent 18 weeks with the animals, worth several million pounds. They breathed air from a pump, filtered for viruses, and lived in a sealed office just yards from where the Holstein bulls were kept in the specially designed barn. The three employees were allowed to leave the barn after eight weeks but had to remain isolated from other animals until yesterday. The extreme measures were taken in March when it was thought that the foot and mouth epidemic was encroaching on the Duke of Westminster's estate in Cheshire. Such was the value of the animals, which could bring in £10 million each during their breeding lifetime, that the extreme measures were thought justified. Yesterday the three workers were given the all-clear to live a normal life again after government officials confirmed that the threat of the disease had receded. Tim Heywood, managing director at Cogent, the Duke's breeding company, said: "We were forced to take this action to make sure the herd remains free of foot and mouth. When we sealed the bulls up foot and mouth was getting closer all the time but now the nearest outbreak is a considerable distance away. "We are still maintaining high levels of security. The bulls are being kept separate from the other cattle and no movement is allowed. Even when foot and mouth is a distant memory we will maintain restrictions."...... Aug 14

Foot-and-mouth 'envoy' to question banks
Financial Times

Banks lending to farmers and tourist businesses in Cumbria are to be questioned by Lord Haskins, the prime minister's 'envoy' to the foot-and-mouth-stricken region, about their plans to support the area. Lord Haskins, the chairman of Northern Foods appointed by Tony Blair to co-ordinate the recovery of the Cumbrian economy, said the attitude of the banks was crucial to the future of businesses that might not survive the winter. "The role of the banks is very important. Government has to be careful not to tell them how to run their businesses. But I want to talk to them about how they see the situation running into the winter." His comments came after Barclays said it would not renew its six-month moratorium on debt, due to expire in September. Local businesses, particularly those the tourist trade, depended upon summer earnings to tide them through the winter, said Lord Haskins. .......... Lord Haskins insisted he would approach his job in Cumbria with sensitivity - the north had lost more than 70 per cent of its livestock which was "devastating". His first priority was to listen to people, he said. However, he added: "One of the difficulties about this is that all the parties do get over-emotional. It is not easy to conduct a sensible discussion about the issues. "My job is to talk and calm people down and think about the best options. I am relying on the bogey-man factor dying down when I am face to face with people". ........... Lord Haskins agreed that French farmers received more in European Union subsidies and in help from their own government in supporting the rural infrastructure. But British farmers still could learn from French farmers' ability to market produce locally and work in co-operatives. Aug 14

Mr Blair is heading West . . . but he may wish he'd stayed in London
Western Daily Press

TONY Blair has been warned he will be greeted by a storm of criticism when he arrives in the West Country this week for what was supposed to be a morale-boosting visit. The Prime Minister and his family are returning from their lengthy holiday in Mexico this week to spend a few days in the region before jetting off for sunnier climes on the continent. His visit was devised as a much-needed boost for the region's flagging tourism industry, but following the Government's refusal to hold a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis there is a real danger the visit could turn into a fiasco for Mr Blair. Margaret Beckett's announcement that there will be three separate investigations into the epidemic sparked fury across the rural community. Many believe the failure to call a full-scale public inquiry into what has become the biggest disaster to hit the country smacks of a cover-up.
The Prime Minister, who came under fire for his handling of the crisis, faces even more criticism when he returns to the region. Judy Carless, who runs a tea shop on Exmoor, was a founder member of the Living Exmoor group which was born out of the frustration at the lack of Government action to protect tourism. Mrs Carless said: "Anything that is being done to promote the countryside is a good thing "But this visit by Tony Blair and his family does appear to be an empty gesture given the events of last week"Aug 14

Huge foot-and-mouth test planned
News.com.Australia

AUSTRALIA will test its capacity to respond to an epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease when it stages a large-scale simulated outbreak next year. Authorities plan to launch a massive military-style operation to test the adequacy of emergency quarantine measures, federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss revealed today. "The proposal is to conduct a simulation exercise next year, like a military manoeuvre, to test how in practice we would actually ... deal with a major outbreak of the nature that occurred in the UK," he said in Sydney. "That will involve massive resources ... it will be nationally co-ordinated ... and we will be inviting the international community to also be observers." Mr Truss was brief on details today, but said the simulation would be staged in a community most at risk of being hit by an outbreak of the disease. It would start in the latter half of next year and run for a considerable time, mirroring the UK experience where farmers have battled with a foot-and-mouth epidemic for six months. Britain's epidemic, now officially said to be under control, broke out in February, devastating the farming industry and causing the slaughter of more than 3.6 million animals.State and commonwealth authorities would have to test their responses to issues such as how to treat and dispose of infected animals and how to manage the dissemination of information and the public response, Mr Truss said..... posted Aug 14

Farmer's fury over mixed messages
Yorkshire Evening Press

AN ANGRY North Yorkshire farmer has hit out at confusion caused by conflicting messages in Fortress North Yorkshire's foot and mouth restrictions. Peter Hutchinson, who farms at Westwick Hall, Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, moves his 70-strong dairy herd 15 yards along Boroughbridge Road each time he is going to milk or graze them. He holds a licence to do this issued by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. But because his farm is in the bio-security zone set up to stop foot and mouth spreading to the crucial pig breeding areas of East Yorkshire, he has to disinfect the road every time the cows cross. And on Friday, Mr Hutchinson, 60, was contacted by the Environment Agency, who told him the disinfectant was polluting the nearby River Ure - though it did not say he had to stop disinfecting. But when the Evening Press contacted the EA, a spokesman said it was not concerned about a pollution risk. Instead, he said the EA's only problem was it was not consulted by DEFRA when the farmer's licence was granted. Mr Hutchinson said the two agencies should "get together and sort things out". And he said there was no way he would stop moving his cattle, as that would mean bankruptcy. "It's not very good, is it?" he said. "The two should sort things out because I'm doing what I'm told to by one, but the other were saying they aren't happy about it and at one point looked like they would haul me across the coals. A DEFRA spokeswoman said: "We understand the concerns expressed by the Environment Agency and are liaising with them on this issue."

Sheep were today being slaughtered on Birkwood Farm, Snilesworth, near Northallerton, on suspicion that they have foot and mouth disease. But DEFRA said its random testing of thousands of sheep across a swathe of North Yorkshire was continuing to produce negative results. Aug 14

Farmers blast back at disease claims
Yorkshire Post front page

.....Farmer Paul Muir, whose family business at Westerdale on the North York Moors was wiped out at the beginning of June, said farmers always had to do extra work to supplement their income. He said it was easy with hindsight to attack the Government's handling of the crisis, but the Government had ordered the cull, so it was only fair that it should compensate farmers. "They're making us kill them, so they should pay out. We would be happy to let the animals get over it if they could," said Mr Muir, who, having lost more than 500 sheep and 70 cattle, supported a policy of vaccination. He expects to be out of pocket by the time he has restocked with in-demand animals that are now more expensive, bought with compensation. "I would like to keep on but don't know whether it would be possible, there are no guarantees in any business," he said. He has been without income for nine weeks since he applied for compensation, but the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said his claim, and another by farmer Richard Wilkinson of Sneaton, near Whitby, had been processed and payment could be expected in the next 10 days. Mr Wilkinson, who had almost 300 sheep slaughtered on suspicion of foot and mouth, has been waiting 14 weeks for compensation. The infection was not confirmed, so his family still has its pedigree dairy herd, but he said it was untrue that farmers were raking in cash through compensation.
He said: "People work themselves into the ground for little money. You're not making vast profits, you're ploughing most of the money back. "We are told all the time to diversify - things like bed and breakfast but that's at saturation point already. "The Government isn't bothered about the rural community."
Settle farmer Philip Metcalfe, whose animals were accidentally slaughtered two months ago because of a mix-up in computer records, is also furious at Ministry delays. He claims he was told he would receive extra compensation, on top of the value of the 1,200 animals mistakenly slaughtered, on condition he did not speak to the Press. Within days the disease spread to a neighbouring farm and he heard his animals would have been culled anyway as part of a contiguous slaughter. Since then, despite numerous phone calls and three solicitor's letters he has received no reply. His sister, Katy Edwards, contacted Tony Blair's office and said Downing Street officials twice promised to look into it, but nothing had happened. Ms Edwards said: "We were told it would have to go to the legal team in London and, if we didn't speak to the Press, they would sort something out. Mr Metcalfe said he had asked for an extra payment to ensure he has an income for the next two years while he restocks. He said: "It was awful thinking the animals had all been killed for nothing. I kept my side of the bargain and didn't speak to anyone about it, but if I had known then what I know now I would have gone straight to the press. ...Aug 13

Calls for FM inquiry grow
Western Daily Press

THE Western Daily Press today continues the call for a full public inquiry into the botched foot-and-mouth affair. Tony Blair's decision to hold three separate investigations - but with none of them in public - is simply not good enough. We are joined in our demands by vets, farmers, tourist bosses and politicians including Tory leadership candidate Iain Duncan Smith. The vital question the Press asks is: Why must the investigation of the Government handling of the crisis be held behind closed doors? Among the many critics of the Government yesterday was Somerset vet Roger Eddy, who has been appointed to sit on one of the three official inquiries. He believes the Government is more interested in a whitewash than uncovering the truth. Mr Eddy, a former president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, is particularly scathing about the inquiry which will be headed by Dr Iain Anderson. It has emerged that Dr Anderson has acted as a consultant to the Prime Minister on the Millennium Bug and will report directly to the Cabinet. Mr Eddy, of North Wotton, near Shepton Mallet, said: "One of my major worries is that the review into the handling of foot-and-mouth is in no way independent of the Government. "The chairman was an adviser to the Prime Minister and he is going to work closely with the Cabinet office. There is absolutely no way that the arrangement can be considered in any way to be independent. Aug 13

Why the centre cannot hold... Things fall apart under the meddling of Blair Ltd's experts, says Robert Heller
Observer

The grandest enterprise in the land (Blair Ltd), likes to ape its private-sector counterparts - save for one overwhelming exception. The truly modern business decentralises wherever and as far as possible. Blair Ltd proudly does the reverse. It has only to see a 'problem' to monopolise the solution. Whether it's foot and mouth, teaching standards, the Underground, hospital waiting lists, railway safety or business competition, the Man in Whitehall knows not only better, but best. When the centralised answer (as usual) fails, another monster promptly rears its ugly head. .....Every reorganisation upsets relationships, threatens morale, delivers unexpected and usually deleterious side-effects, diverts management time from external issues (like pleasing customers), and often only paves the way for the next pointless upheaval. .....posted Aug 13

Blair refuses to take a holiday from work
The Times

TONY BLAIR is apparently suffering from the same problem as millions of stressed-out British executives: the inability to relax while on holiday. The Prime Minister can have spent little time lolling by the pool, having interrupted his holiday in Mexico repeatedly last week.......Mr Blair decided to put an end to the speculation over foot-and-mouth and announce three official inquiries. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was taken completely by surprise. ....The Health and Safety Executive emphasises the importance of a good work-life balance. A spokesman said: "Good managers should be able to delegate to enable them to take holidays. Otherwise they will develop all the stress-related symptoms  insomnia, inability to relax, loss of appetite and so on" .Aug 13

Cull let-up could double new cases By Roger Highfield, Science editor
Telegraph

FOOT and mouth cases could double once again, according to a mathematical analysis which shows that the epidemic remains delicately balanced....."If we relax biosecurity, movement restrictions or the cull, we will see a significant resurgence," said Prof Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College. He is tracking the epidemic using a parameter called R, the "case reproduction ratio". When each outbreak generates an average of more than one subsequent outbreak, the ratio is greater than one and the epidemic has the potential to spiral out of control....... Aug 13 (warmwell comment: we consider this a most mischievous and unwarranted headline from the usually fair Telegraph. Imperial College mathematics and its ambitious little group will surely go down in history as providing the most extraordinary "justification" for a damaging, savage and hated policy. See "wrong science)

So, what is the future for our countryside?
The Observer

.......There's a huge gulf between the efficient farmers and the non-efficient farmers: A fifth of farms are industrial-sized, yet they produce 72 per cent of agricultural output. About half of farms are 'lifestyle farms', which have incomes other than farming, and they account for 2.9 per cent of output. In the middle are the small family farms. 'These are useless,' Rickard (Sean Rickard, the former chief economist of the National Farmers' Union. ) says, pointing to a 1997 Manchester University study that showed the net margin per cow for a dairy farm with a herd of 40 cows was around £1. On herds of more than 150 cows it was £500 per cow. Such views are controversial in this time of rural crisis. (warmwell note: you can say that again) But they are being listened to and acted on and now articulated by people with positions of power. The Government is not at all keen on agricultural subsidies. The renaming of the Ministry of Agriculture to the Department of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs was far more than symbolism. The farm landscape may be a vital cog in the wheels of the rural economy. Agriculture, as currently practised, is not. .....An initial move is underway. For example, hill farmers, who were subsidised per sheep bred, were earlier this year paid on the basis of the farm area. This move, part of the Agenda 2000 reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy, took away incentives to breed as many sheep as possible. (warmwell note: it is not difficult to think of other ways in which the hill farmer has been "discouraged" from having sheep)...Detractors argue that if protecting the environment is your aim, then small farmers' record ranks up there with that of the Texan oil barons. The environment could be protected better for less by the National Trust, for example. .....'Environmental subsidies won't sustain small farms,' says organic beef farmer Sebire, who has other business interests. 'The implications are that the world will change. I don't see how economics can sustain the old family farms and the accompanying landscape.'
Instead he sees supply and demand as the main driving force. The huge growth in organic farms has been driven by consumers, supermarkets, and by marketing. In four years 300 farmers' markets have sprouted to satisfy the demand for local produce. The land mass under organic production has almost doubled in a year and accounts for 3 per cent of agricultural production. But this won't work for everybody. 'Big farmers will get bigger. The rest of the countryside will have to diversify. ................... As 1.5 million lambs face the slaughterman, a threat to scale back agricultural subsidies may not appear the most tactful of moves. But Tony Blair was on fairly safe ground when he attacked the EU's 'well out of date' Common Agricultural Policy last month. And he launched his attack in Brazil - one of a host of countries hoping to benefit from a liberalisation of trade in agricultural produce. .................. The momentum for change seems irresistible. Pessimists point to the huge shadow cast by French and German elections. Politicians don't tend to like to have huge piles of manure or pig carcasses dumped outside their residences in the run-up to such polls But even in France, the tune appears to be changing. A recent joint article by the French and German foreign ministers in Le Monde embraced the idea of a compulsory shift from production to environmental subsidies, and a reduction in direct aid over time. Plus ca change? posted Aug 13

Booker's Notebook - Head of rural affairs gives small farmers little hope
Sunday Telegraph

LORD HASKINS, the Irish multi-millionaire appointed by his friend Mr Blair as "rural affairs co-ordinator", to draw up a long-term plan for the future of British agriculture, began by betraying astonishing naivete about his new role, in at least two respects. ...... Lord Haskins's first howler was his warning that farmers could not in future expect compensation for animals slaughtered by the Government in foot and mouth epidemics, and that it was up to them to insure against such losses. Not untypically of a fanatical Europhile, this showed remarkable ignorance of EU law. Compensation in such cases is not decided by the British Government but is laid down by Council Decision 90/424. There is no way other EU countries would agree to repeal this law (although it has been wrongly claimed that Brussels will foot 60 per cent of the foot and mouth compensation bill when, under the arcane rules of our EU budget rebate, British taxpayers will in fact end up paying 83 per cent). ..... Lord Haskins's second howler came when, after talking about how British farmers were "mollycoddled" by subsidies, he was interviewed on the Today programme while holidaying in France. He waxed lyrical about how French rural communities "appear to be more affluent than their equivalents in Britain", obviously without any idea that the chief reason for this is that the French government uses Brussels subsidies and its own tax laws to "mollycoddle" French farmers in a way their British counterparts can only dream of. The same goes for the farmers of Lord Haskins's native Ireland. British ministers like to boast, for instance, about the £1.6 billion "they" are spending on farm subsidies under the rural development fund, without ever letting on that this is a Brussels scheme covering seven years, under which Britain claims £230 million a year while, on behalf of those "affluent" French farmers Lord Haskins is so keen on, their own government is claiming £8.4 billion, or £1.2 billion a year. Even the Irish government, for which Lord Haskin also works under one of his many hats, claims £3.5 billion, or £500 million a year, twice the amount claimed by the UK, although its farming industry is only a quarter the size of Britain's. The truth is that, far from being "mollycoddled", British farmers are forced to compete with their main EU rivals in the famous single market, on a playing field about as unlevel as the north face of Everest. Their greatest enemy is not so much the Common Agricultural Policy as their own Government, which deluges them with a unique overload of regulations and then ensures they receive less financial support than any other farmers in the EU. As he is a generous supporter of the Labour Party, it is highly unlikely we will hear any of this from Lord Haskins. Certainly appointing this outspoken champion of "big is beautiful" to look after the future of Britain's small farmers can be compared to putting a shark in charge of a tank of goldfish. But at least in future the great man might like to check his facts before getting his foot confused with his mouth. See full article Aug 12

How the foot and mouth disaster of 2001 began By Christopher Booker and Richard North
Sunday Telegraph

GIVEN that the Great Foot and Mouth Disaster of 2001 is one of the worst social and financial catastrophes to befall peacetime Britain, it is hardly surprising that, for months, there has been rising clamour for a full independent inquiry into every aspect of how the Government has handled it. Perhaps equally unsurprisingly, the methods now chosen by Tony Blair to allay that clamour have aroused as much suspicion as his earlier refusal to promise one.
Ultimately, the only question that mattered was whether such an inquiry would be genuinely free to investigate the bewildering array of political, scientific and legal questions thrown up by the Government's response to this crisis since it began last February. On the basis of what Mr Blair has now come up with, it seems the answer to that is likely to be "No". For a start, he has cleverly chosen to split the main government inquiry into three quite separate parts, the remit for which seems carefully designed to allow many of the most fundamental questions to slip unanswered down the cracks between them. Furthermore none of these is to be an open, public inquiry. The hearings will be in secret, carried out behind closed doors. (See this important article in full) Aug 12

F&M: Leaders unite to call for inquiry
icWales

Pressure continues unabated on the Government to launch a full-scale public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic which, in Wales alone, has seen the slaughter of 35,000 cattle, 300,000 sheep and 6,000 pigs. The human cost of foot-and-mouth has been equally painful with the lives of thousands of people ruined and our rural economy brought to its knees. The cost to the public purse has run into many billions of pounds and there are serious questions the authorities still need to answer about their decision-making over the past six months. Yet despite a promise made in April by a minister that there would be a public inquiry into the worst foot-and-mouth disaster to hit British shores, the Government now appears intent on avoiding one at any cost....The limited investigation announced on Thursday will hold most of its hearings in private, will not publish any critical evidence supplied by civil servants and will lack any legal powers to force the authorities to hand over sensitive documents. It has been greeted with ridicule by farmers, politicians and the business community, who are insisting that only a completely transparent, full, frank and open public inquiry will do. As the culling of flocks on the Brecon Beacons continues, they are calling on the Government to rethink its opposition to a public inquiry.
Farmers' Union of Wales president Bob Parry said he was disappointed the Government had not heeded demands for a public inquiry.
Edwin Roderick, chairman of the Epynt Action Group, insisted a public inquiry was required across England and Wales.
The Federation of Small Businesses is also backing a public inquiry. 'There are an awful lot of people who want answers to questions: how this could happen and how their trade has been decimated so quickly,' said a spokesman.
Glyn Davies, chairman of the Assembly's agriculture and rural development committee, said Mr Blair was using the three small-scale inquiries to diffuse calls for a public inquiry.posted Aug 12

How many czars does it take to change a light bulb? John Humphrys
Sunday Times

Why has Lord Haskins been appointed by the government as its rural recovery co-ordinator? This is nothing to do with his obvious talents. He is the chairman of Northern Foods and has made it a very large and successful company. ...This is what he was quoted as saying last month: "Farms will get bigger and that's a good thing. A lot of agricultural reformers, like the Prince of Wales, want farmers to stand around being subsidised and making thatched roofs. Well, that's for the birds." He might have added: "Assuming there are any birds left after everything's been sprayed and ploughed....." But he didn't need to. We know what Haskins thinks about romantic notions such as organic farming because he has told us that, too. ..... Now all of this is very curious. Not because he believes those things. .... because his views seem to be out of step with government policy. ...... it even pays grants to farmers to convert and has promised more money in the future. It has spotted that apart from the environmental benefits it may not be a bad way to revitalise some of those rural areas with their vanishing populations and sad, depleted villages. That's because factory farming destroys jobs but organic farming creates them. It is labour intensive. ....there is another puzzle. Why do we need anyone from outside to do the job, whoever he may be? ...... We elect the politicians to take the big decisions about public policy. We pay our taxes, among other things, to finance a civil service that advises the politicians and administers their policies. They are the people who are supposed to make the country run reasonably efficiently and deal with the odd crisis. So when a prime minister creates a new department, as Tony Blair has recently done, and calls it the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, you might think that its own ministers and civil servants would be responsible for co-ordinating any rural recovery that they reckoned was needed. ....Royal commissions were set up by parliament and reported to MPs. Taskforces are set up by ministers and report to them. None of that accountability nonsense here. ...... the recommendations can always be quietly binned and nobody need be any the wiser. Aug 12

A foot and mouth fudge 12 August 2001
Independent on Sunday

Leading Article..... Last week, a plethora of inquiries was announced to answer these questions. One public inquiry would have represented a clearer commitment to unsparing scrutiny...... It has not yet recognised the need to overhaul the way we produce food in this country. Its instincts are still to run to representatives of big food producers for advice. One might wonder whether Lord Haskins, of the giant Northern Foods conglomerate, and Sir Peter Davis of Sainsbury's are best equipped to pronounce on the future of the countryside and sustainable farming, and whether a previous head of the Meat and Livestock Commission is best placed to be an objective judge of another animal hygiene scare. By the same token, the Food Standards Agency's promises to try to wrestle vital information from the meat industry on how much potentially BSE-infected "mechanically recovered meat" (MRM) has gone into our food since the 1970s sounds more like an admission of defeat than a declaration of purpose. It hardly gives an impression of a Government determined to deal ruthlessly with a culture of secrecy......What we need is unsparing scrutiny of farming and food production in Britain. This is impossible without complete freedom of information where our food is concerned. Compare this with what we are being offered  evidence to the foot and mouth inquiry will be given largely behind closed doors with too many cronies as conduits. If there's truth in the adage that we are what we eat, then this Government is 100 per cent pure fudge. Aug 12

Foot and mouth: The dirty war
Independent on Sunday

What is the truth behind the headlines? Are they, as the farmers and some newspapers would have you believe, part of a government plot? Are the farmers more spinned against than spinning? The cost of the foot and mouth epidemic is expected to top #3bn in compensation, export losses and a downturn in the tourist trade. Even that, some argue, is a mere detail: farming was in jeopardy. But what followed was dispute, disinformation and disarray...... Pyres burned, carcasses rotted and disinfectant baths played "welcome mat" at farm gates, and politicians, civil servants, farmers and union leaders braced themselves against blame. A dirty war of words had begun. The findings of an untidy three-pronged inquiry into the handling of the outbreak is unlikely to allow anyone to move on. So just what is behind those foot and mouth stories? Truth or propaganda?.......(warmwell comment: from this hopeful beginning the article dwindles into just a mere collection of eight short newspaper extracts from February to August. It has, unfortunately, nothing new to say) Aug 12

Whitehall disease Beckett opts for secret government
Guardian

Remember the prime minister's first speech to his MPs after winning the 1997 election. Government in the UK was going to change. It would be open, transparent and accountable. Ministers and MPs would be "the people's servants", not their masters. "The people are the masters." Compare that to the obfuscation and confusion sown by Margaret Beckett in her announcement this week of three separate inquiries into lessons to be learned from the foot and mouth epidemic. The government rejected the idea of a single public inquiry on the grounds that it would take a long time and cost a large amount of money. Instead it is setting up separate inquiries into the government's handling of the crisis; a scientific review of the epidemic; and a forward look at the future of farming and food. Each inquiry would work to its own timetable, and whether reports are to be made public is apparently being left up to each chairman. Asked whether evidence into the government's handling of the crisis would be made public, Mrs Beckett said this too would be a matter for the chair of each committee, adding: "I would be slightly surprised if he did because if you look back at previous examples that has not been the case. If I can be perfectly blunt, I would be very surprised." In fact if you look back at the last disaster to hit farming - the BSE epidemic - an open and transparent inquiry into the government's handling of the disease is precisely what did happen. Set up by Labour at the end of 1997 - after the Tories had refused repeated requests for a public inquiry into the causes and human implications of mad cow disease - every aspect of the BSE inquiry was held in public. Open hearings, open access to every transcript, every bit of evidence including all the embarrassing interdepartmental memos in the infighting that went on in Whitehall were exposed in a much-needed cleansing process. This is what Labour ministers expected to happen with foot and mouth. Indeed, Michael Meacher, the previous environment secretary, promised there would be a public inquiry only to be smacked down by Downing Street. Since then, the government has wriggled and writhed and finally come up with its extremely suspicious three-pronged approach. .... MPs must seize their chance and use the select committee mechanism to call witnesses, openly and honestly. posted Aug 12

Farmers have lost enough
Sunday Times Letters (whole column)

....Your headline seems designed to inflame resentment of farmers struggling through this crisis. Farming may be an industry but it is like no other. Most farmers work long hours, seven days a week. Their overheads are affected by the weather, oil prices and currency fluctuations. They compete against European and American producers who receive greater subsidies. If they go under, they lose their home. It is quite convenient for the government that information on the amount paid to certain farmers should come out now. This deflects criticism from the ministers and civil servants who have managed the outbreak and can now hide behind a change of department name or languish on the back benches. ....Aug 12

It was the farmers they wanted to cull all along - Jonathan Miller's Mean Fields column
Sunday Times

The first people caught in the government's exciting new Yorkshire biosecurity cordon are Defra's own contractors, driving around with bits of dead animals stuck to their lorries. Defra has slaughtered the pet goats of a child with cerebral palsy. I wish to speak to Margaret Beckett, the "Deathray" cabinet supremo, about this cruelty, but she is in her caravan. When she briefly emerges it is to tour television studios to confirm there will not be an independent public inquiry into foot and mouth. ...In Whitehall, full disinfection procedures have been ordered. The spread of embarrassing government papers and the risk of infectious public testimony have been completely contained inside the Whitehall information cordon. In fact, the inquiry should be held on television and broadcast live on digital. With people not angling for knighthoods in charge. Light entertainment comes from Elliot Morley, a member of the Labour Animal Welfare Society and the minister responsible for slaughtering sheep found to have immunity to foot and mouth. He is diverting attention from the destruction of the flocks on the Brecon Beacons, leading a credulous retinue of television reporters around the bio-cordon protecting NFU president Ben Gill's farm and the Humberside pig units. What is to be made of the new role for Lord Haskins of Northern Foods, a Friend of Tony, appointed to make explicit the case against farmers?....Scope for manipulation and secrecy to protect ministers and officials is unlimited. Beckett boasted on television that there will be no "all-singing, all-dancing public inquiry". Gill is pleased the inquiries will entirely exclude what he terms "irrelevant" questions.....

The farmers (most of them, anyway) are still too dense to recognise that they are the ones being culled.

I'd thought the foot and mouth debacle was merely an example of state cock-up on a monumental scale - the sort of administrative shambles at which the British civil service is so gifted. But I am almost convinced that in this rare case, there really is an opportunistic conspiracy. Finding itself with the disease, it became in the government's interest for it to spread far and wide, thus permanently reducing the size of the farming sector, with the EU chipping in to help cover the cost. That this is earnestly desired is made clear. Lord Whitty, the food minister, sounds like Lenin. It is a rerun of the Bolsheviks driving the kulaks from their land, with the twist that it is under the cover of a mild disease not dissimilar, for a sheep, from a cold. Aug 12

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Country czar tells farmers to get day job
Sunday Times

.....Lord Haskins, the "farms czar", has suggested small farmers get a day job to make ends meet, while it was reported that Elliot Morley, the minister with responsibility for animal health, had dismissed farmers as an "ungrateful lot". (warmwell comment: although, to be fair, Elliot Morley's remark was made last October in a single letter to a constituent) .....Ian Johnson, of the Southwest National Farmers' Union, said that many farmers were wary of Haskins' new appointment, considering his position as chairman of Northern Foods and Express Dairies. "Because of his background as a food mogul, hearing his views is like listening to a diatribe on blood banks by Dracula," he said. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last night said that Haskins had been speaking unofficially, before his appointment takes effect tomorrow, and that Morley had been commenting outside his departmental capacity.... Aug 12

GM fields spread new superweeds
Sunday Times

SCIENTISTS have found strong evidence that genetically modified (GM) crops can spread long distances from where they have been planted and spawn "superweeds". The researchers found that GM rapeseed can blow into neighbouring farms and that different GM strains can interbreed, producing superweeds that are resistant to a wide range of herbicides. The research, carried out in Canada, will raise more doubts about the trials being conducted in the British countryside. The government is spending £4m on test plantings of GM oilseed rape, maize and beet to see if any of them has an impact on wildlife. It has said that GM crops must be separated from other planted fields by 50-200 metres depending on the type of crop, but the Canadian results suggest this is far from enough. ........Organic farmers are among those at greatest risk. If GM plants are found in their crops they can no longer claim organic status and so may lose their livelihoods. In western Canada one group of farmers has pooled funds to launch a legal test case against Monsanto, the firm that produces some types of GM seed. They want damages for those farmers whose crops have been declared ineligible for organic status and are also seeking an injunction to stop the firm releasing its latest GM crop of herbicide-tolerant wheat. .....More than 75% of western Canada's thriving organic industry grows wheat, much of it for export to Europe. Some industry experts believe that Monsanto's move will cut the world supply of non-GM wheat and force the European Union to relax its anti-GM rules ast year seed imported to the United Kingdom and planted on dozens of farms was found to be contaminated by GM pollen and had to be destroyed. Similarly, research commissioned by Friends of the Earth found GM contamination in beehives 4.5km from the nearest field of GM rapeseed. Last week a leaked memo from the EU's scientific committee proposed extending the separation zones to 5km. Monsanto denies that its plants could promote the development of superweeds. Aug 12

Songbird being driven to extinction
Sunday Times

MANY of Britain's best-loved songbirds, including the turtledove, are being driven towards extinction in much of the country by intensive farming. A study to be published this week shows the areas worst affected are some of the most picturesque in Britain, including the hedges and grass fields of the southwest and Wales. The problem, say the researchers, is that intensive use of fertilisers and overgrazing have left little but grass, driving out plants and insects on which birds feed. "People have tended to think that western Britain, with its green fields and rolling landscape, isn't affected by intensive agriculture of the kind seen on the prairie plains of East Anglia. But grassland over much of western Britain is very intensively farmed," said Rob Fuller, head of habitat research at the British Trust for Ornithology, who led the study for the journal, Global Change. Aug 12

MEPs bid to force EU probe on virus by Robert Benson Agricultural Correspondent
Yorkshire Post (front page)

Ministers and civil servants could still face an embarrassing public grilling over the foot-and-mouth crisis after Yorkshire Euro-MPs asked Brussels to intervene. Tory Euro-MPs yesterday launched a two-pronged drive to persuade the European Union to hold its own investigation. British Ministers on Thursday announced three separate inquiries into the disease outbreak, but insisted none would be held in public. Now the Euro MPs are pressing both the European Parliament and the EU Commission to hold inquiries, which could mean British Ministers and officials facing a public grilling in either Brussels or Strasbourg. Opposition politicians have condemned the Government's refusal to face scrutiny, insisting that only a full, independent, public inquiry will hold former Ministers to account and uncover the full facts about the epidemic. The Euro-MP for Yorkshire and Humberside, Edward McMillan-Scott and his counterpart for the Eastern region, Robert Sturdy, who farms near Wetherby, yesterday stepped into the furore. They issued a joint statement calling on the European Parliament to set up a special committee of inquiry into the disease outbreaks in Britain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands when it resumes at the end of August. They are tabling a motion for the committee to look into the handling of the disease by each EU country itself and also by the national authorities concerned. If the go-ahead is given then Britain could come in for some severe criticism.....Aug 11

Eight million animals 'may be lost' by Robert Benson Agricultural Correspondent
Yorkshire Post

THE Government has been warned that unless it reviews its "knee-jerk approach" to the foot and mouth crisis an alarming eight million animals could be slaughtered by next April. Farm animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming said yesterday the outbreak must be controlled before the winter or risk the disease taking a tight grip in the colder months. The forecast was based on a conservative estimate that the number of outbreaks per day remained stable....In an attempt to avoid the slaughter figures reaching the eight million mark by next April, the organisation has renewed its call for the Government to adopt an emergency vaccination programme. Aug 11

Too many inquiries
The Times Times Leader....And too few guarantees of answers

The cure for foot-and-mouth is beginning to look as bemusing as the disease itself. Parliament is in recess, the Environment Secretary is travelling in a caravan somewhere in France and from the Prime Minister's holiday home in Mexico comes the announcement that there will be not one, not three, but ten separate inquiries into the foot-and-mouth disaster. The details emerged later, at a press conference which Margaret Beckett interrupted her holiday to attend. The small print turned out to be as unsatisfactory as the manner and timing of the announcement. .....The biggest weakness with Mr Blair's Mexican misjudgment does not, however, concern either the doubts about the independence of his inquiries or the decision that they will not be held in public. It is that they may not uncover the truth.
The Government says that the fact that there are so many inquiries shows that there is no attempt to cover anything up. This "never mind the quality, feel the width"approach is unconvincing. The findings of ten overlapping inquiries might easily be less useful even than the Scott report. A single report, which avoided Scott's excesses but answered the central questions, would have been much better. .....He (Dr Anderson) should announce, too, that he will publish evidence and use public regional meetings to air as many issues as possible. He should show that, despite the doubts, he is truly independent. The terms of reference for Dr Anderson's inquiry are too vague. Aug 11

Scientist criticises closed inquiries on foot and mouth
Telegraph

THE decision to hold the inquiries into the foot and mouth outbreak in private was criticised yesterday by one of Britain's leading food safety experts. Prof Hugh Pennington, who led the public inquiry into Scotland's E.coli outbreak, called for greater "openness" and questioned the appointment of Dr Iain Anderson, a Government adviser, to head the investigation. He was backed by Iain Duncan Smith, one of the contenders for the Tory leadership, who described the inquiry proposals as "a mess" that would leave "gaps". It was not conducive to finding the truth, he said. ....... Prof Pennington called for the investigation to be held in public using a format similar to that used by Parliamentary Select Committees. He said: "There is so much concern about foot and mouth and what's happened that, unless things are held in public as much as possible, this is not going to satisfy all the people injured by it. I think openness is the key." Mr Duncan Smith, visiting the Devon County Show in Exeter, said: "My concern about the three separate inquiries is there will be gaps between them." He added: "We should have an inquiry which allows those inquiring to have full access to ministers who were in charge of the foot and mouth outbreak at the time and the papers and officials."Dr Anderson hit back at the claims that he was not qualified to chair the inquiry because of his previous role as an adviser to ministers on the Millennium bug. He described them as "silly accusations".

............... Blood tests are to be carried out on samples of the entire flock of 100,000 sheep on the Brecon Beacons amid fears that the foot and mouth virus may have spread across the Welsh mountain range. The National Assembly announced last night that it was tackling the crisis in Wales by conducting tests on sheep in each of the 51 hefts - the established territories - on open hillsides in the Beacons. In a separate move, several thousand sheep on the Beacons are to be slaughtered before the results of blood tests, following a change of policy. The rural affairs minister, Carwyn Jones, has decided to carry out contiguous culls of stock in hefts surrounding infected flocks. Sheep had been culled in hefts only where the virus was found in blood tests. The Farmers' Union of Wales said it was "somewhat concerned" by the new policy, adding that it had written to Tony Edwards, Wales's chief vet, to seek "a clear explanation of what the strategy is". About 6,500 sheep in the Beacons have been slaughtered, and culling of a further 3,700 began yesterday. The culling of healthy stock is being challenged by Janet Hughes, the co-ordinator of Farmers for Livestock Wales. She was yesterday trying to take out an injunction to stop the cull. Aug 11

Farmers facing fines for flouting virus measures
Independent

Hundreds of farmers have been caught flouting emergency measures introduced to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth and are facing fines of up to £5,000......Trading standards officers have mounted 24-hour patrols in the Thirsk area in an effort to catch farmers who are breaching the rules. North Yorkshire trading standards officers say 35 farmers face prosecution for breaching the rules on the movement of livestock. Foot-and-mouth cases have been found in Thirsk, Settle, the Skipton areas, on the outskirts of Whitby and in the Northern Dales. Farmers need a licence to move animals for slaughter under the emergency measures introduced by the Government to combat foot-and-mouth.......Aug 11

Epidemic lesson must be learnt says vet The Times

THE three new government inquiries into the foot-and-mouth epidemic will be a waste of time if their findings meet the same fate as the report into the 1967 outbreak, a vet who worked through that epidemic said. Ken Tyrrell, the veterinary surgeon who diagnosed the first and last cases of the disease during the epidemic that hit 2,228 farms and led to the publication of the 1969 Northumberland report. He accused the Government of ignoring or delaying action on a host of its recommendations, including the involvement of the Army, swift diagnosis and slaughter, the use of ring vaccination and merits of burial in preference to funeral pyres. "It is as if all our efforts in 1967 were worthless. We recorded our findings for the benefit of future generations, but what was the use? No one has paid the slightest attention" Qualified support for Mr Tyrrell came from Francis Anthony, a former president of the British Veterinary Association, who worked in Cheshire in 1967..."I can remember telling the Government that if they took an axe to the State Veterinary Service then the day they had a war, such as a foot-and-mouth outbreak, they wouldn't be able to cope, and that's what happened. " Aug 11

Balloons launch cancelled
The Times

A mass launch of 30 hot air balloons was called off because of concerns about foot-and-mouth disease. Organisers of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta were afraid that because of the wind speed and direction the balloons would come down on farmland. The balloons, many of which displayed"Support British Farming" signs, were inflated and lifted into the air, but stayed tethered to the ground. Instead of the planned launch, visitors were entertained with aerial acrobatic tricks and balloons in unusual shapes. Aug 11

Farmers angered by 'insensitive' jazz festival
The Times

NEARLY 4,000 more sheep were culled in the Brecon Beacons yesterday as 50,000 music lovers gathered for Britain's biggest jazz festival just a few miles away. The decision to go ahead with the Brecon Jazz Festival at the centre of the most serious current outbreak of the disease was criticised yesterday by farmers' leaders. But organisers claim that the festival-goers attending the event from across Europe would provide an much-needed £1 million boost to the local economy. Gwyn Williams, spokesman for the Farmers Union of Wales, said: "Brecon is in the heart of the current outbreak. I feel it is very insensitive for the organisers to proceed with this event. Thousands of people will descend upon the town to enjoy a weekend of fine music and drink while all around we are struggling to contain this terrible disease." A further 3,700 sheep from two flocks were culled yesterday, bringing the total number of animals slaughtered in the Beacons in the current outbreak to more than 10,000. Aug 11

FOE Welcomes Farming Commission, slams inquiry into foot and mouth.
Friends of the Earth press release

We welcome the announcement of the new Commission on Farming and Food but we are deeply concerned that the Government still insists the Commission has to present policies that fit with increased trade liberalisation. Mr Blair has to recognise that sustainable farming and trade liberalisation are not compatible. Increased trade liberalisation will mean the further collapse of small farming in this country, with the environmental and social impacts that this will bring. It also runs the risk of the greater spread of animal diseases around the world "The Commission has a huge job ahead of it, with confidence in the safety of our food being at an all time low, and farmers reeling from crisis after crisis. It is clear that an overhaul of farming and the food system is essential. The path of intensive farming which this country has followed over the last few decades has failed farmers, the environment and consumers. ... "The foot and mouth outbreak has cost the country billions of pounds, as well as causing severe anguish for farmers and farming communities. We desperately need a public inquiry which invites contributions from those affected by the crisis, an inquiry that has the powers to force Ministers to give evidence and ensure the release of official documents. The public has a clear right to know why the Government failed to listen to official warnings on the likely risk of a foot and mouth outbreak, why they contravened their own advisors advice and built huge pyres around the country, and crucially what advice the Government received and rejected. This limited inquiry announced today by the Government already smacks of a cover-up and risks doing further damage to the public's trust in government" Aug 11

Door shut on foot-and-mouth inquiry
Financial Times

The government on Thursday rejected calls for a public inquiry into its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis by announcing a "closed-door" investigation - due to report early next year. Downing Street announced two inquiries - the main one to investigate government response to the epidemic and another to examine scientific understanding of the disease. The main inquiry will hear evidence from key witnesses in private..Organisations such as the Country Land and Business Association and Friends of the Earth attacked excluding the public from hearings. .... .Aug 11

Officials make reporter strip naked in country lane
Hold the Front Page.com

The chief reporter at the Ilkley Gazette was forced to strip to be disinfected after he took photos at a foot and mouth disease cull. .... The incident happened near Bolton Abbey, but the Gazette agreed not to publish the pictures or reveal the whereabouts of the farm because of the farmer's anguish at the cull. ..... "One man, who identified himself as a DEFRA official, but would not give me his name, ordered me to stop taking photographs but I refused saying that I had permission to do what I was doing." When he left to go back to his car, he was asked by the DEFRA official not to leave the area. He said: "The official said he had called the police and asked if I would wait for them. He asked me not to go past the parked vehicle. This was the first indication I was given that anyone considered I was in a restricted area. "When the police arrived the official told them I had to be disinfected before I could leave. I had to strip all my clothes off, which were sprayed and then I was sprayed myself as I stood naked in the lane. "I was given a white suit to wear and my clothes were put in a green plastic bag and tied up before I was allowed to leave. "There were plenty of officials around at the road block sitting in cars, if I was entering a restricted area they could have informed me. "At no time did I go near the field where the dead animals were and at no time did I approach the wagons where the slaughtered cattle were being loaded." According to a spokesman from DEFRA, Paul was warned not to enter an area of loading described as a 'biosecurity' area. "It was only when I got my camera out of my pocket and refused to stop taking photographs that the incident turned rather nasty." He has now complained to the Department of Food and Rural Affairs. Aug 11

Restrictions increased
Westmorland Gazette

INCREASED restrictions put in place as part of the stringent biosecurity regime in the Penrith Spur have started to take effect this week. The five 24-hour disinfection stations on roads heading out of the infected area will all be up and running by the weekend. But fears are growing that the measures, though accepted as necessary by farmers in the area, could lead to serious welfare problems for sheep. Most sheep would usually have been sheared by now, but farmers have chosen to leave their stock alone because of fears about spreading foot-and-mouth. The new restrictions imposed when DEFRA declared the Penrith Spur a Specially Infected Area include requirements that sheep shearers must be issued with special licences before they can clip sheep there. Mike Sanderson, who is NFU group secretary for most of the areas inside the Penrith Spur, said: "It is going to be a devil of a job to get them clipped now."He said it was not too difficult for farmers to shear a few of their own sheep, but if farmers were in or around their 70s, as many are, or if they had a large number of sheep, it would be difficult and there were serious welfare concerns if the animals went unshorn. Blow Fly strike and the resulting infestation of maggots in the hind end of the sheep becomes more likely if a soiled and matted fleece remains on during the summer months. Sheep can also become kessen, which means that if a sheep ends up on its back, it cannot get back on its feet because of the weight of the wool. In the worst cases, if the sheep are not found, they can die or even have its eyes pecked out by birds. If sheep are not clipped, their fleeces will not grow again to protect them through the harsh Cumbrian winter..... posted Aug 11

Cull vets risk virus spread by Alistair Driver
Farmers Weekly

GOVERNMENT vets testing sheep for foot-and-mouth are breaching guidelines by failing to wear proper protective gear, according to video evidence. Vets blood-testing sheep in the Brecon Beacons exposed their clothing to the virus by keeping overalls open and tying clothes around their waists. Teams wore no head covering, face masks or gloves as they handled the animals they were testing for foot-and-mouth. The infringements were seen in video evidence of testing on 27 July which has been obtained by FARMERS WEEKLY. Leading international foot-and-mouth expert Professor Fred Brown of the Plum Island Animal Disease Centre in the USA branded the vets "foolish". They ignored basic measures to prevent cross contamination, he said. "The vets were foolish not to take these basic safety precautions." Ironically, this breach comes weeks after the government sent videos to more than 85,000 livestock farmers, setting out biosecurity precautions for producers. British Veterinary Association vice-president Peter Jinman said exposing clothes risked spreading the disease if the garments were taken to another farm. "Clothes can spread the virus when they have brushed against animals carrying the disease," he said. .....The video was shot by John Dobson of the Foot and Mouth Group, which has attacked the government's handling of the crisis. "It is completely hypocritical of the government to blame farmers for spreading foot-and-mouth when its own vets could be spreading the disease." Aug 10

Our reporter is stripped and sprayed by DEFRA
Ilkley Gazette

ILKLEY Gazette chief reporter Paul Langan has complained to the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) after being ordered to strip in a country road so he and his clothes could be sprayed with disinfectant after taking photographs of animal culling. The incident happened as animals, slaughtered in a contiguous cull, near Bolton Abbey, were being loaded on to trucks.
" I was given permission to use the road on foot as far as the driveway. Walking down the road I was ignored by DEFRA officials working in the field opposite, but when I stopped on the private driveway and turned round to take photographs of what was happening, they started to pay attention to me. "One man, who identified himself as a DEFRA official, but would not give me his name, ordered me to stop taking photographs but I refused saying that I had permission to do what I was doing." According to a spokesman from DEFRA, Mr Langan was warned not to enter an area of loading described as a 'biosecurity' area. The spokesman said that according to the official at the scene he ignored the warning, entered the area, then entered a nearby property risking infection of animals there. When told that Mr Langan claimed he had permission to go to the property from a DEFRA official at the road block, the spokesman said: "That's not what the case officer on site said. He said he asked you not to enter that area. You are saying one thing, the case officer is saying another." Mr Langan said that while being made to strip naked in the middle of a country lane was a 'bit humiliating', he had no qualms about taking full measures to stop foot and mouth disease. But he maintains that he was given permission to go where he went ....It was only when I got my camera out of my pocket and refused to stop taking photographs that the incident turned rather nasty
....DEFRA has no powers to prevent anyone taking photographs of their activities from a public highway or from private property. Mr Langan said: "But DEFRA officials have the power to forcibly disinfect someone so once they had decided they were going to disinfect me there wasn't much point complaining. They said I could keep my pants on while they sprayed me but I didn't want to drive home in wet pants - I also wanted to give the DEFRA official a good view of my rear end so he was well aware of what I thought of his actions.
"I believe that the so-called biosecurity loading area was deliberately extended by the DEFRA official to ensure I was in it." . Aug 10

Disease inquiry format is 'a mess' - Duncan Smith
Ananova

The Tory leadership contender said there should be no limit to their remit and is also worried about the gaps between the separate inquiries. ..... "And some of those gaps are going to be the area that we want to know about. Information is going to fall between the gaps. "We really need to have all this brought together, and the idea of separating them out smacks to me a little bit of evasion and not about finding the truth. A lot of this seems targeted at the rural community rather than about the rural community. He said he was always suspicious when a Government decided to divide up responsibility, and said there should be a single "umbrella" inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak....Aug 10

More culls as fresh cases emerge
BBC

..The Welsh Assembly has said that between 2,000 and 4,000 animals are expected to be killed in a bid to halt the virus. Meanwhile, three new cases of the disease have been announced in Wales on Thursday - two in hefted flocks on the Brecon Beacons and one in sheep and cattle at a farm at Llwyndu, Abergavenny in Monmouthshire. The latest cull will come as a bitter blow to the farming community in the Beacons which, in the past few weeks, has witnessed the slaughter of 6,500 sheep. But rural affairs officials have insisted they are confident that the mass cull of tens of thousands of animals will not be necessary. The results of the latest tests in the Brecon Beacons have shown lower levels of antibodies than the five flocks tested earlier in the area. Mr Jones said:" We strongly suspect that the disease is spreading slowly from Pen-y-Fan and that has been born out in the tests that have been carried out so far." (warmell comment: by "tests" we can only assume he refers to the tests for antibodies. These are the only tests being carried out. Once again we would explain that this test cannot indicate live virus. It shows only that an animal has had the disease and recovered with no ill effects. It is difficult to see how even mere assumptions can then be made about the source and spread of FMD virus let alone any definite conclusions.) Carwyn Jones says he is confident "It indicates how important it is that we cull quickly and that we take appropriate measures, firebreaks, where necessary so the disease doesn't have the chance to spread any further". They also claim that the results of these new tests show (new tests ?) that this particular outbreak started in Libanus and spread to Pen-y-Fan, and not the other way around. Mr Jones said he was encouraged because the flocks which have tested positive were near the initial cluster of cases in Libanus and tests further afield have proved negative indicating the disease was not endemic. (?) Aug 10

No public inquiry: Julian Rush and Justin Rowlatt
Channel Four News

So, there are to be three different inquiries into the foot-and-mouth outbreak. None of them will be held in public....... The announcement - by the Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett - received a cautious welcome from the National Farmers Union - but brought angry accusations from opposition MPs that the Government is engineering a cover-up. .......there are uncomfortable questions. Like were the scientists at the foot and mouth lab at Pirbright sidelined?
Then there are questions about the validity of the computer models used to drive the culling policy.
And at the root of Britain's unpreparedness: had the State Veterinary been cut back too far?
And perhaps most important of all, should vaccines have been used instead of culling?
The chairman of the science inquiry seemed to hint tonight he was thinking that way. Believe it or not, the three inquiries announced today bring the total of inquiries into different aspects of foot and mouth to ten. Of the others, perhaps the most important is that by the National Audit Office into the cost effectiveness of the government's handling of the crisis. And its the Select Committee where we may get a handle on the politics of it all, when it grills ministers and top officials. Behind the apparent return to normality in rural Britain, there's still deep hurt and rage. Reporting in months, these inquiries will be pivotal: but farming is due for the biggest shake-up it's seen for centuries - the debate has only just begun. Aug 10

Curious timing for three-pronged attack
The Times

THE Environment Secretary was on holiday and enjoying the delights of a caravan tour of the Dordogne when she was summoned to Whitehall to welcome the Prime Minister' s announcement of not one but three independent inquiries into her department. ..... Department officials, who privately admitted that they had been given very little advance notice of the briefing, looked more than a little harassed. ..scathing was David Handley, chairman of pressure group Farmers for Action, who described yesterday' s events as"totally unacceptable". "We' re talking about the biggest disaster to hit British farming for a very long time, at massive expense to the tax-payer, and it has been openly admitted that there has been mishandling of the disease," he said. "If you have got nothing to hide and nothing to worry about, then you' ve got nothing to fear from a public inquiry. The public has the right to hear the whole truth." Friends of the Earth also branded the inquiry plans as"totally inadequate" and said the situation smacks of a cover-up. A spokeswoman said: "We desperately need a public inquiry which invites contributions from those affected by the crisis, an inquiry that has the powers to force ministers to give evidence and to ensure the release of official documents." Aug 10

Government is accused of foot and mouth cover-up
Telegraph

THE Government was accused last night of seeking to prevent full scrutiny of its handling of the foot and mouth epidemic after announcing three separate inquiries into the crisis - none of them public....The announcement came as the Welsh Assembly ordered the culling of thousands more sheep on the Brecon Beacons and the Devon County Show opened without any farm animals for the first time in its 106-year history....as most of the evidence will be heard in private and only the findings published, the Government was accused of a cover-up. Critics claimed that Dr Iain Anderson, chairman of the inquiry into the lessons of the epidemic, was a trusted adviser to Tony Blair who had chaired a previous task force on the millennium bug, and was therefore unlikely to criticise his handling of the epidemic. Tim Yeo, the Tory agriculture spokesman, said the inquiry process fell far short of the Opposition's call for a full public inquiry which would rebuild confidence and ensure "that the full facts of Labour's initial dithering have been uncovered and properly scrutinised". "Only a full, independent, public inquiry will hold former ministers to account and uncover the full facts about this terrible epidemic," he said. ...Friends of the Earth gave a guarded welcome to the Commisison on food and farming but described the inquiry into foot and mouth as "totally inadequate". Aug 10

The blame game - Daily Mail comment July 31 2001

Foot-and-mouth, contrary to pre-election assurances, is not tailing off. New outbreaks are still running at about four a day. In addition, Ministers are hugely embarrassed by the discovery that the taxpayer is being overcharged for the clean-up of contaminated farms.

How convenient then that there are now claims that farmers are conniving in the infection of their own animals to win compensation. No hard evidence has yet been produced, though one farmer in Wales says she was offered an infected sheep for #2000.

We seem to have been here before. In March, Downing Street tried to turn attention from the Government's failure to contain the disease by suggesting that 'dodgy farmers' were helping to spread it by transporting sheep round the country to make fraudulent claims for EU subsidies.

Now it has now ordered an investigation into these latest claims. Proof of fraud might eventually be established.

But is is not odd that a regime which refuses to allow its own role in this tragedy to be properly scrutinised in a public inquiry has no qualms about putting the farmers' behaviour under the spotlight?

(Daily Mail comment this morning July 31)

TOP

NEWS ARCHIVES back to 28th April

More culls as fresh cases emerge
BBC

..The Welsh Assembly has said that between 2,000 and 4,000 animals are expected to be killed in a bid to halt the virus. Meanwhile, three new cases of the disease have been announced in Wales on Thursday - two in hefted flocks on the Brecon Beacons and one in sheep and cattle at a farm at Llwyndu, Abergavenny in Monmouthshire. The latest cull will come as a bitter blow to the farming community in the Beacons which, in the past few weeks, has witnessed the slaughter of 6,500 sheep. But rural affairs officials have insisted they are confident that the mass cull of tens of thousands of animals will not be necessary. The results of the latest tests in the Brecon Beacons have shown lower levels of antibodies than the five flocks tested earlier in the area. Mr Jones said:" We strongly suspect that the disease is spreading slowly from Pen-y-Fan and that has been born out in the tests that have been carried out so far." (warmell comment: by "tests" we can only assume he refers to the tests for antibodies. These are the only tests being carried out. Once again we would explain that this test cannot indicate live virus. It shows only that an animal has had the disease and recovered with no ill effects. It is difficult to see how even mere assumptions can then be made about the source and spread of FMD virus let alone any definite conclusions.) Carwyn Jones says he is confident "It indicates how important it is that we cull quickly and that we take appropriate measures, firebreaks, where necessary so the disease doesn't have the chance to spread any further". They also claim that the results of these new tests show (new tests ?) that this particular outbreak started in Libanus and spread to Pen-y-Fan, and not the other way around. Mr Jones said he was encouraged because the flocks which have tested positive were near the initial cluster of cases in Libanus and tests further afield have proved negative indicating the disease was not endemic. (?) Aug 10

No public inquiry: Julian Rush and Justin Rowlatt
Channel Four News

So, there are to be three different inquiries into the foot-and-mouth outbreak. None of them will be held in public....... The announcement - by the Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett - received a cautious welcome from the National Farmers Union - but brought angry accusations from opposition MPs that the Government is engineering a cover-up. .......there are uncomfortable questions. Like were the scientists at the foot and mouth lab at Pirbright sidelined?
Then there are questions about the validity of the computer models used to drive the culling policy.
And at the root of Britain's unpreparedness: had the State Veterinary been cut back too far?
And perhaps most important of all, should vaccines have been used instead of culling?
The chairman of the science inquiry seemed to hint tonight he was thinking that way. Believe it or not, the three inquiries announced today bring the total of inquiries into different aspects of foot and mouth to ten. Of the others, perhaps the most important is that by the National Audit Office into the cost effectiveness of the government's handling of the crisis. And its the Select Committee where we may get a handle on the politics of it all, when it grills ministers and top officials. Behind the apparent return to normality in rural Britain, there's still deep hurt and rage. Reporting in months, these inquiries will be pivotal: but farming is due for the biggest shake-up it's seen for centuries - the debate has only just begun. Aug 10

Curious timing for three-pronged attack
The Times

THE Environment Secretary was on holiday and enjoying the delights of a caravan tour of the Dordogne when she was summoned to Whitehall to welcome the Prime Minister's announcement of not one but three independent inquiries into her department. ..... Department officials, who privately admitted that they had been given very little advance notice of the briefing, looked more than a little harassed. ..scathing was David Handley, chairman of pressure group Farmers for Action, who described yesterday's events as"totally unacceptable". "We're talking about the biggest disaster to hit British farming for a very long time, at massive expense to the tax-payer, and it has been openly admitted that there has been mishandling of the disease," he said. "If you have got nothing to hide and nothing to worry about, then you've got nothing to fear from a public inquiry. The public has the right to hear the whole truth." Friends of the Earth also branded the inquiry plans as"totally inadequate" and said the situation smacks of a cover-up. A spokeswoman said: "We desperately need a public inquiry which invites contributions from those affected by the crisis, an inquiry that has the powers to force ministers to give evidence and to ensure the release of official documents."

Government is accused of foot and mouth cover-up
Telegraph

THE Government was accused last night of seeking to prevent full scrutiny of its handling of the foot and mouth epidemic after announcing three separate inquiries into the crisis - none of them public....The announcement came as the Welsh Assembly ordered the culling of thousands more sheep on the Brecon Beacons and the Devon County Show opened without any farm animals for the first time in its 106-year history....as most of the evidence will be heard in private and only the findings published, the Government was accused of a cover-up. Critics claimed that Dr Iain Anderson, chairman of the inquiry into the lessons of the epidemic, was a trusted adviser to Tony Blair who had chaired a previous task force on the millennium bug, and was therefore unlikely to criticise his handling of the epidemic. Tim Yeo, the Tory agriculture spokesman, said the inquiry process fell far short of the Opposition's call for a full public inquiry which would rebuild confidence and ensure "that the full facts of Labour's initial dithering have been uncovered and properly scrutinised". "Only a full, independent, public inquiry will hold former ministers to account and uncover the full facts about this terrible epidemic," he said. ...Friends of the Earth gave a guarded welcome to the Commisison on food and farming but described the inquiry into foot and mouth as "totally inadequate". Aug 10

Foot-and-mouth inquiries row
The Times

TONY BLAIR was accused of trying to spread the blame for the foot-and-mouth epidemic after it emerged yesterday that ten inquiries were to be held into the outbreak. ....The decision not to hold a full independent inquiry with public evidence sessions was strongly condemned by MPs and farmers' groups, as was the timing of the announcement, which was made by Mr Blair from his holiday home in Mexico. It took even officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by surprise. ....The inquiries announcement came as the Welsh Assembly said that it would cull thousands more sheep on the Brecon Beacons. Aug 10

Countryside lobby attacks inquiry 'secrecy'
Guardian

The government yesterday responded to the public clamour for an inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic by announcing three, but none of them in public. ... Her decision prompted criticism from opposition parties who claimed Whitehall officials were determined to hide their initial chaotic response to the crisis, as well as the internal government row about vaccination of livestock. Paul Tyler, the shadow leader of the Commons, said a secret investigation was outrageous. "An incestuous investigation will satisfy nobody, and merely make both farmers and taxpayers more suspicious," he said. ..There was also criticism yesterday at the choice of Sir Donald Curry to chair the inquiry into the future of farming England. Sir Donald chaired the meat and livestock commission during the BSE crisis. The BSE inquiry found the MLC failed to meet its statutory objectives and "hyperbole displaced accuracy" in some of its campaigns on meat safety. ....Ms Beckett said the officials' control of the disease had been a "howling success". Aug 10

Downing Street wants to exploit foot-and-mouth: to vilify farmers and modernise' farming by Peter Oborne
The Spectator

......... dirty tricks have once again become deniable. .....Campbell's replacement as press secretary, Godric Smith, ..... has nothing in common with the gangsters, rogues and cheats who have made made themselves at home in Blair's Downing Street. Partly for that reason, he genuinely hasn't got a clue what's been going on. That is why he has been able this week, with a clear conscience, to reject suggestions that there was anything fishy in the way that stories about millionaire farmers appeared in last Sunday's press.

Few others shared Godric Smith's confidence. Ever since the foot-and-mouth epidemic began six months ago, people around Tony Blair have waged a vindictive, unscrupulous and unrelenting campaign to ensure that farmers rather than the government itself emerge as fall-guys for the calamity.
Ministers have colluded in claims that farmers started the epidemic by not taking proper precautions, that they have ripped off the tax-payer by overcharging for the clean-up operation, and even that farmers have been deliberately spreading the disease. And now we have this grotesque smear that the epidemic has turned stock-owners into millionaires. ..... It is impossible to prove one way or another whether ministers inspired the Sunday Times story, though internal evidence suggests that they did. ... One of the first things that New Labour did on winning power was to make the information service harder, more professional  and stuffed with party henchmen. Press officers under New Labour never release information without a reason. Last weekend they could not have been more helpful. Information was available, even though (as later emerged) the money has not yet been paid out, and the final decision about compensation not even been made in most cases. One Sunday editor said, We tried to follow up four stories. We only succeeded with foot-and-mouth. The press officer came back to us instantly and did not even ask what story we were chasing before plying us with information.' ....Downing Street is determined to harness urban hostility to and incomprehension of the countryside in order to win the public-relations battle and isolate agricultural people. The smear in the Sunday papers was a classic softening-up exercise for Monday's announcement that Lord Haskins, head of Northern Foods and a Downing Street crony, is to take charge of the rural recovery programme'. This was an amazing appointment. Putting a supermarket boss in charge of the countryside is like making Reynard the Fox national co-ordinator for chicken coops. Lord Haskins has never made any secret of his contempt for British farmers.....the Prime Minister claimed in the Commons that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons shared his reservations about a full-scale inquiry. The current edition of the Veterinary Record makes a nonsense of that assertion. A letter from Barry Johnson and Bob Michell, past president of the RCVS, expresses concern about the repeated misrepresentation in parliament' of what the RCVS council called for in June....The shameful suspicion is that Tony Blair is scared witless of an independent inquiry because he fears that it will show that the real blame lies with incompetence and venality in government, and nowhere near the farmers that Downing Street is so keen to smear. .. Aug 10

Ten Inquiries Into Foot And Mouth
Sky news

There are now 10 separate inquries into the foot and mouth crisis - but the Government denies inquiry overload. The Government announced three inquiries of its own on Thursday. These will look at the Government's handling of the outbreak, the science involved and the future of farming and food. Another seven non-government investigations are also underway. These include inquiries by the National Audit Office, the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Tourism Committee, the Ombudsman and the Food and Veterinary Office. Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, who broke off from her caravanning holiday in France to announce the move, said it would be "an inquiry process" rather than an "all singing all dancing public inquiry".
More culling
She denied charges of inquiry overload, pointing out that only three were Government probes and that they examined different aspects of the crisis. The inquiry into the handling of the outbreak, which has cost the UK economy billions of pounds with 1,936 cases reported and nearly four million animals slaughtered, is to be chaired by Dr Iain Anderson, of BT. The announcement came as the Welsh Assembly said it was to cull up to 4000 more sheep on the Brecon Beacons. ...... Conservative agriculture spokesman Malcolm Moss labelled the plethora of inquiries as "an attempt to deflect attention from the Government's mishandling of the crisis from day one". "We believe the only way to get to the truth of this problem is to have a full public inquiry where witnesses have to turn up and give evidence on oath," he said. Aug 10

Outrage at Blair's farm chief U-turn
Western Daily Press

There was anger and incredulity among farmers after Lord Haskins, the new 'rural recovery co-ordinator', indicated that a mass vaccination programme had been the right answer all along. After millions of animals were horrifically slaughtered and thousands of farmers left distraught, Lord Haskins said if there was a repeat of the foot-and-mouth epidemic a mass vaccination programme would have to be "considered very seriously now"....Farmers leaders said the Labour peer had been brought in by Tony Blair to do a 'hatchet job' on the industry, and his comments about vaccination were insensitive. "A vaccination programme should have been considered very seriously a long time ago - they do it everywhere else,"said Kenton Honeybun, the vice-chairman of Farmers For Action and a Wiltshire dairy farmer. "There is a case for vaccination, but the reason this got out of hand in the first place is through Government incompetence." Aug 9

Culling teams caught breaking infection rules
Telegraph

....So far trading standards officers and police who patrol the 900-square mile zone around Thirsk have found 77 inadequately disinfected vehicles out of the 569 checked since they were set up at the end of July. Of the 1,165 farms surveyed in the disinfection crackdown, 80 lacked footbaths at their entrances. A spokesman for North Yorkshire trading standards disclosed that culling teams dispatched by the Government were among those cautioned for failing to meet disinfection standards. The official said it was the machinery, rather than the vehicles of the culling teams, that had been found with suspected traces of animal waste and should not have been taken outside infected areas. The incidents would be included in official statistics. So far offenders have only been cautioned, but a number of incidents have arisen that may result in legal action, according to trading officers. .......Jeremy Moody, secretary of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, which represents the industry, said some of his members had expressed "extreme concern" about a minority of valuers. Mr Moody said: "Defra has scored an amazing own goal. You cannot blame the farmers for this. They would want as good a price as possible for their livestock. But the way it has been organised by the Government has left the whole system suspect." Aug 9

Farm worker killed himself amid fears of virus spreading by Brian Dooks
Yorkshire Post

..."I just can't go on with this torment in my head any longer with this foot and mouth. I don't want blaming for going about my job which I love so much. I really love all my family." Mr Sleightholme, who said Andrew had not sought medical help, said the farm worker was fastidious about foot and mouth disease precautions but became depressed at the thought that people might blame on him for spreading such disease. Until foot and mouth affected the area Andrew was a happy, normal person. Mr Sleightholme said the only verdict he could record was suicide, but he added: "I do it with great regret." Aug 9

Another day, another FMD fraud allegation
The Scotsman

THE running sore of allegations about foot-and-mouth sharp practice by the farming industry continued to fester yesterday. The latest allegation concerns unqualified livestock valuers who worked in collusion with farmers in Cumbria and Yorkshire to give inflated compensation payments for slaughtered animals. ....... on a day when it was confirmed that at least eight farmers in England have been charged with breaking bio-security rules. It also came on a cold, wet day when five new cases of the disease were confirmed in the Penrith spur area of Cumbria, the sort of early autumn weather some farmers have always feared would reveal that the epidemic was far from over. ..Jeremy Moody, secretary of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, admitted that many of his members had expressed concern about unqualified work being done, particularly in North Yorkshire. But, for both Yorkshire and Cumbria, he insisted that the fault had been with DEFRA staff who had not stuck to the approved lists. ...Aug 9

'New broom' to sweep away foot-and-mouth debris
Independent

.Mark Addison, 50, a former chief executive of the Crown Prosecution Service, was taken on four weeks ago to oversee "delivery" in the new rural affairs department, which has been heavily criticised for its handling of the disease. ....The post was created as part of a shake-up to modernise the bureaucratic culture of the old Ministry of Agriculture. Mr Addison's arrival follows the departure of several senior civil servants including Jenny Bacon, who recently resigned as head of the division responsible for overseeing foot-and-mouth.
Downing Street and Treasury ministers have been frustrated by the handling and growing cost of the foot-and-mouth crisis. And the Prime Minister was said to be livid at being given out-of-date information by Ministry of Agriculture officials about foot-and-mouth when he faced William Hague at the dispatch box before the election. Mr Addison, a former private secretary to Baroness Thatcher at Downing Street, is believed to have been brought in with the approval of Downing Street and Sir Richard Wilson, the head of the home Civil Service, to help spearhead the modernisation programme. But he could meet resistance from civil servants who administer the vast common agriculture policy payments and implement the Government's farming standards Aug 9

NFU to mount legal fight over foot-and-mouth payouts
Independent

...The NFU says that at least 150 farmers - whose animals were culled in February and March in the early stages of the epidemic - now face ruin because they received far less than the "generous payments" offered by the Government's standard scheme, which came into effect at the end of March. Early in the crisis, farmers had their animals valued at current market rates. However, after the Government introduced its compensation rates, the value of animals soared. Early on, farmers received about £700 for a breeding cow, but months later this rose to£1,400....The Government has admitted the compensation values it introduced on 22 March were "generous" to soften the blow for farmers. ...Aug 9

New safety fears over burial pit
BBC

The membrane in one of the three pits at Ash Moor(Devon) has needed 30 repairs, even though it has never been used. It has sparked fears that dangerous material could leak out at some point in the future. The huge barrows were built to bury foot-and-mouth carcasses and have so far cost £7.5m. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says there are now no plans to use the pits, but the site will be kept for the next year for emergency use in case foot-and-mouth flares up again. But local people fear if the pits ARE used, toxic leachate from rotting carcasses may leak out. A construction report carried out by the contractors shows there were 29 holes and rips in the membrane of the first pit built. All the faults have now been repaired. DEFRA says it was all part of the initial construction work, but that hasn't allayed the fears of protesters. "Each repair creates an inherent flaw. The patch put on each of those repairs will in itself pose another problem. We have a document saying that cell nine at Ash Moor cannot be guaranteed leak free, that is from the people who tested the cell," said Ron Dawson, a member of the action group. Defra says it is usual practice for companies to issue a disclaimer. Property sales in villages near the pit have stagnated DEFRA has written to locals saying if the barrows are used, compensation is possible if it can be proved that properties have been devalued. Aug 9

Vets condemn 'needless' slaughter by Helen Studd
The Times

VETS from Cumbria have written to the Government to express concern that they are being asked to order the slaughter of animals that do not need to be killed in order to contain the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The group of 60 from the Lakeland Veterinary Association, which comprises all but a handful of vets in the county, claimed that they are forbidden to carry out blood tests where diagnosis of the disease is in doubt. Instead the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) insists that they order the slaughter of potentially healthy animals on the spot. According to Ian Richards, chairman of the association, however, failure to allow a "normal diagnosis" has led to thousands of animals being culled for no reason. It has merely served to increase the farmers' mistrust of veterinary officials and inflate the Government's compensation bill. ....Mr Richards said it would make no difference to the containment of the disease if the sheep were left for a few days while their blood was tested. Such a policy might have saved several farms. Cumbrian vets have been asked to assist in testing 84,000 sheep in the Penrith area but they maintain that their skills have not been used ..... vets have been excluded from meetings to decide the veterinary policy in the county, despite holding vital knowledge about the locality and livestock. Suggestions they have made to ease the pressure and improve welfare on farms, which are overstocked as a result of movement restrictions, and their opposition to the Government's policy of reopening the Lake District to walkers, have been similarly overlooked. Aug 8

Down on the farm: a tale of cowardice, panic and dithering
Independent

'Having failed to sort things out itself, the Government has, as usual, gone fleeing to big business for wisdom' One thing must surely be clear about foot-and-mouth disease by now. A similar situation could never be handled this way again. The Government will choose its time, rewrite the rule book and embrace a vaccination policy. Public opinion would not countenance another mass cull. A weak attempt will be made to rewrite the chaos of the past six months as a success. No one in town or country, hill or dale, will believe it......In the wake of the fuel crisis and in the run-up to the election, the Prime Minister was running scared of any confrontation with a major interest group claiming to represent the consumer against big government. Never mind that the export-driven large farmers who dominate the NFU were disproportionately in favour of a cull, whereas smaller farmers were not. The NFU is the rural equivalent of the CBI. Both claim to represent the interests of, respectively, farmers and business. Really, they represent big farming and big business and their views and interests are often at odds with those practising on a different scale or with different priorities. ....... the intervention of the NFU's Ben Gill who said that the public would never be persuaded to consume meat from vaccinated herds. ......The Government looks both incompetent and profligate. So to add grim satire to the tale of woe, a fresh army of officials is sent forth to work out the exact worth of every animal - before killing it. Death never came so expensive. The carcasses mount, the countryside bleeds. And it isn't even over yet. Aug 8

Farmers' leader rejects vaccination claims
Financial Times

The first thoughts of the man put in charge of reviving areas hit by foot-and-mouth disease have been dismissed as "bilge" by Ben Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union. Lord Haskins, who has been appointed by the government to help local authorities and agencies stimulate economic recovery in Cumbria and the other areas worst hit by foot-and-mouth, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "the case for vaccination has now been made worldwide". ....Given his public antipathy towards the organic movement, it is not surprising he is a big supporter of genetically modified foods. Whatever Lord Haskins comes up with in September, it is unlikely that he will mince his words. In a single speech last year he reportedly advocated legalising cannabis, advertising on the BBC, and disestablishing the Church of England. Aug 8

The politics of farm subsidies
The Times

...(letter) Politicians have also learnt that food can be a big bargaining chip. It is credited with being the tool with which the US beat a starving Russia into submission over the arms race, ending the Cold War. So it is politicians, not farmers, who are hanging on to subsidies....Aug 8

As the dirty tricks campaign against farmers gathers pace Daily Mail

..everything it has done has been designed, not to bring the disease outbreak to an end but to kill as many animals as possible and so inflict maximum damage on Britain's small livestock farmers.....why the government's propaganda machine been so consistent in its effors to blacken the farmers and, wherever possible, blame then as the real cause of the problem....all this against the background of a strategy for tackling the disease which has left every international authority on foot and mouth totally baffled by its nonsensical impracticality.....unprecedented"contiguous cull policy" under which millions of animals have been killed just because they are on farms within 3 km of a case of infection....tens of thousands of animals are still being killed every week on the hills of South Wales and Cumbria...well aware that they will find enough "antibodies" to justify continuing theslaughter for months to come....appalling environmental and social cost which will follow the wiping out of the animals which keep those areas looking picturesque for the tourists, ....the Government's contempt for the countryside..led it into a catastrophe for which, one day, it may have to pay a terrible political price. Aug 7 (full article - see Best of the Press)

Notebook By Vicki Woods
Telegraph

At last, Labour has managed to spin foot and mouth THERE'S nothing like the word "millions" in a headline, is there? The news that ruddy-faced Jim Goldie, a Dumfries and Galloway stock farmer, is being paid (an unconfirmed) £4.2 million in slaughter compensation has finally got suburban Britain exercised all over again about the foot and mouth debacle. ... Notebook By Vicki Woods News: Brussels inquiry into farm payouts fraud At last, Labour has managed to spin foot and mouth THERE'S nothing like the word "millions" in a headline, is there? ....... THE millions that worry me aren't the millions of pounds being trousered by a few score of the country's most successful stock breeders. They're the millions of cows, sheep, pigs, goats, deer and "others" (what are these others? Camels? Giraffes? I've seen no news pictures of dead giraffes, even in the cutesy-animal friendly tabloids) that have been uselessly slaughtered by Maff, aka Defra, when they should have been vaccinated instead, like Dutch cows. (Holland is now clear of foot and mouth, though they got it later.) The official Defra website is a sight to see, yards and yards of clipped, official slaughter statistics listed region by region: the hot-spot areas going on endlessly and odd little pockets popping up, like "Mr C Crow of Canewdon, Essex (2 goats)". Yesterday the site showed that 3,686,000 animals have been slaughtered to date; 22,000 were "awaiting slaughter" and 18,000 carcases were "awaiting disposal". These are terrifying numbers.....Aug 7

No 10 denies foot and mouth millionaires leak
Telegraph

THE Government sought to defuse a row with farmers yesterday over the mounting cost of compensation for cattle slaughtered as a result of the foot and mouth epidemic. ..... Downing Street denied that ministers had leaked details of at least 47 individual farmers who stood to receive compensation of more than£1 million each in an attempt to justify moves to require the industry to take out insurance against such epidemics in future. ..... Some farmers believed that the information had been made public in an attempt to embarrass them and deflect attention from criticism over the Government's handling of the disease. Mr Blair's spokesman said the details of the £1 million-plus compensation payouts were released by a press officer at the Department for Rural Affairs in response to a query from a journalist. The idea that the Government was in some way briefing against farmers was "nonsense". ..... He denied reports that the Government had already decided to require farmers to insure themselves against future disease outbreaks. ....... Downing Street said Mr Blair accepted the need for some sort of inquiry into foot and mouth once the outbreak was over. However, it was not intended to mount a full-scale public inquiry because it would take too long .Aug 7

Brussels inquiry into farm payouts fraud
Telegraph

THE European Commission has launched a fraud inquiry into compensation payments to British farmers following a highly critical report by EU veterinary inspectors on the Government's handling of the foot and mouth epidemic.....The EU has a major say over the policy because 60 per cent of the compensation payments for foot and mouth come from Brussels under a little-known 1990 decision. EU officials say the first "bill" submitted by the Government is around 800 million euros (#500 million) for culling up to the end of June, although nothing has been paid so far. If there is evidence of fraud or over-payment as a result of mismanagement, the EU can withhold the funds. The inspectors were clearly surprised by the size of the payouts for pedigree cattle. "There was no upper limit that can be attributed to an animal, and valuations of up to £15,000 were noted in the individual case files." They were also astonished to discover that a major "milk establishment" chosen for a random check was carrying on business as usual as if there was no epidemic. It said the plant, which re-exported milk products to the rest of the EU, had received no visits by British officials to check if the controls were being enforced, and had not even been told what the new rules were supposed to be. The report, which was delivered to the Government confidentially two months ago but is only coming to light now, makes clear that EU experts had little confidence that Britain had contained the disease by the early summer. It complained that the animal census data and serological surveillance was so unreliable that it was hard to interpret the shape of the epidemic. ....Aug 7

Farm supremo paints grim picture
The Times

In comments likely to infuriate the farming industry and embarrass the Government, Lord Haskins, the Labour peer, suggested that for any future outbreaks vaccination was the answer. If animals were vaccinated companies would be more likely to offer insurance cover against foot-and-mouth, saving the Government millions of pounds in compensation payouts. Lord Haskins, who, as rural recovery co-ordinator, is in charge of helping the countryside get back on its feet, held out a gloomy prospect for 557,000 farmers as he predicted that half the current 240,000 farms would disappear in the next 20 years. In an interview with The Times, he said that farmers had been mollycoddled for too long and called for a massive shake up of farming subsidies. His comments came as Welsh hill farmers faced the prospect of a cull of up to 80,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons, where 6,500 animals have already been slaughtered in the past ten days. ...suggested that European countries would now be reluctant to back the same mass slaughter policy used to tackle the current foot-and-mouth outbreak in Britain. "The macro view has changed. Vaccination would have to be considered very seriously now," said Lord Haskins. Despite widespread calls the Government has refused to instigate vaccinations during the outbreak mainly due to opposition from the farming industry (warmwell comment: for "farming industry" read the NFU unelected executive). Although they have never ruled it out Downing Street has said the policy needs backing from both retailers and farmers. .."There will be no rush to vaccinate,"said one senior official. Aug 7

Scotland gets all-clear over foot-and-mouth
Glasgow Herald

ALL Scotland with the exception of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders will be officially declared free of foot-and-mouth disease from next Monday, the Scottish Executive announced yesterday. Aug 7

Farming out the blame
Guardian

Leader: It will go down in history as the foot-and-mouth crisis, but it is looking more like the government operating from hand to mouth. The latest snap development is the appointment of Lord Haskins as "rural recovery coordinator" to advise on the whole rural economy, including tourism, small businesses and farming. Lord Haskins is highly qualified for the job. He is a successful businessman, interested in farming, with a reputation for getting things done. But hang on - he has got the same job description as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that was created only a matter of weeks ago. Has the prime minister already lost faith in the department he set up to consider the rural economy as a whole rather than just farming? ....Aug 7

Government to blame on payout, says farmer
The Times

....It's a myth that people have been created millionaires through this because they had their stock before. If we are millionaires now, we were always millionaires before foot-and-mouth took hold." Mr Hall was devastated when the herd and flock he had developed since 1947 contracted the disease. His initial reaction, as someone who can earn as little as £600 in a bad year, was to take the money and leave farming for good. However, the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, he said, and he now plans to use the money to rebuild part of his stock. "Although the compensation will go a long way to help me, it's a myth that it will replace the same quality of animals. Even if we wanted to do it all again, it would be impossible," he said. Aug 7

THIRD CULL ON THE BEACONS
Glasgow Sunday Mail

A THIRD mass cull of sheep on the Brecon Beacons began yesterday after foot-and-mouth antibodies were discovered in another 1300 animals. posted Aug 7

Spin claims
Channel Four News

As plans are drawn up to test thousands more Welsh sheep for foot and mouth disease - Tony Blair has appointed a rural recovery co-ordinator to oversee the areas worst hit during the crisis. But farmers leaders are not impressed: they say that Government ministers are behind a smear campaign to discredit their industry. Our science reporter Julian Rush has been investigating foot and mouth disease: what is spin and what is true? ....It's getting lonely in the Brecons. Ten thousand sheep have already been blood-tested: six and half thousand culled. Now Welsh Assembly officials have told graziers they want to widen the testing area - to take in up to a hundred thousand sheep. Those whose animals are culled will be compensated - but the weekend newspaper reports, highlighting a few high compensation payments, have reinforced farmers' beliefs they're the victims of a government smear campaign. The campaign - if campaign it is - began with headlines - based on a leaked memo - about the inflated costs for cleaning and disinfection. The cleanup was suspended amid great publicity. On Friday, it was resumed to no publicity, officials admitting the true cost was a third of that claimed. Then came Nula Preston and her story of a phone call offering to infect her animals for £2000. What few reported was the phone call happened five weeks earlier, in June. Ms Preston says she told DEFRA officials then, who took no action. And now this weekend's claims of farmers who've made millions, the implication - a greedy compensation rip-off. Remember though, this is a government-approved compulsory purchase scheme, animals bought to be destroyed to stop the disease spreading. And compensation is decided by independent independent valuers

Witness today's appointment of Lord Haskins as Rural Recovery Coordinator. The boss of Northern Foods has the ear of the Prime Minister - and is no fan of small, inefficient farms. Given that wider context then, farmers won't abandon their belief that ministers have already made their minds up about the future of farming in Britain. And like the sheep, they think they're to be culled. Aug 6 (warmwell note: interesting letter re the appointment of Lord Haskins received today)

Foot-and-mouth: should there be a public inquiry?
Evening Standard

(Talking Point Message Board)

There will be no public enquiry ..... Their answer came from the delicious Mrs. Bucket when she was put in charge of DEFRA(who incidentally is now away from her desk for seven weeks). Mrs Bucket stated, when asked about a public enquiry ' the public will know what they need to know' Do the public, for whom she has such an apparent disregard, have no rght to know where their taxes are being spent and on what? The 'compensation' paid to the Scottish farmer was, in fact, not compensation but the buying price offer made by the government for the prize herd which was then taken away and killed in the contiguous cull meant to eradicate Foot and Mouth disease. This herd had taken over 32 years to build up and is now lost for ever without even having suffered from F & M but forced to die on the advice of the so called 'experts' whose policy does not appear to have worked to date. ... Aug 7

Millionaires in the land of despair
Daily Mail

See this story and Daily Mail comment - and other news stories at the excellent new site:http://www.bbfb.freeserve.co.uk .."the policy of culling has been an unmitigated disaster... it has brought misery to farmers whose herds have been slaughtered, driven many off the soil and threatens to turn swathes of the countryside into wilderness..a regime so loath to acknowledge its mistakes...." Aug 6

Cull terror grips Welsh hillsides
Farmers Weekly

THOUSANDS more sheep are to be tested in Wales as fears grow that more animals than expected have been exposed to foot-and-mouth disease. Aug 6

Foot-and-mouth tests to be extended
Ananova

Plans are being drawn up for a massive extension of foot-and-mouth testing in the Brecon Beacons. Around 10,000 sheep have already been tested for the disease in the Welsh mountain range. That number could increase ten-fold under plans being drawn up by Welsh Assembly officials. They are looking to test over a far larger area of the Beacons, which would take in between 60,000 and 100,000 sheep. The plan is being discussed at a meeting with graziers in Brecon. Aug 6

Farmers hit back in money row
BBC

Farmers' leaders have reacted angrily to suggestions that some farmers are profiteering from the foot-and-mouth crisis. MPs have announced an investigation into the cost of compensation for slaughtered livestock, after it emerged 37 farmers had each made claims for more than £1m. Farmers have been further angered by one minister's suggestion they should take out insurance against future outbreaks of the disease. Aug 6

Probe into £1m cull payouts to farmers
Yorkshire Post (front page)

...Yorkshire farmers have scorned suggestions that they are profiteering from the disease and accused the Government of creating a smokescreen to divert attention from its alleged mis-handling of the crisis. The payouts will be scrutinised by both the National Audit Office, which checks spending across Whitehall, and MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. The European Union, footing up to 60 per cent of the British foot and mouth bill, is also reportedly setting up its own investigation into the payments and is threatening to withhold millions of pounds in compensation over allegations of fraud. Aug 6

Why all the moaning about fair compensation?
Telegraph

READING the headlines about "foot and mouth millionaires", one can only conclude that Mr Blair has unleashed his army of moles to undermine British agriculture. As Chief Mole he has done his best to build a network of mistrust and doubt between farmer and taxpayer.....The size of some compensation cheques has, it appears, shocked ministers and embarrassed the National Farmers' Union. The fundamental point is that these animals were slaughtered by a Government ruling. If your house were in the path of a new London airport you would expect compensation at a level which considered the replacement value of a new house. .... The taxpayer was led to believe last week that the cost for cleaning and disinfecting each farm was £100,000. It is now admitted that the true figure is more likely to be £25,000 to £30,000 per farm. Cleaning away a determined virus is a costly affair. The fault is that financial accountability was ignored until recently. In the ensuing panic no responsibility was taken for the costs involved. We need structure, planning and budgeting, not knee-jerk reactions. I was told of a contractor said to be receiving money for supposedly being on three different farms on the same day. Why has this been allowed to happen? Why has the Government not been in control? (Filed: 06/08/2001)

Jonathan Miller's column Now we're shooting sheep because they've got better
Sunday Times

Government ministers are putting it about that dodgy sheep bits infected with foot and mouth are for sale so farmers can collect compensation for having their sick animals killed. I doubt it. I wouldn't hand over #2,000 to a bloke in a lay-by on the A470.

What do you do if it doesn't work? Call trading standards? .....Aug 5

The forgotten epidemic
The Times

Foot-and-mouth hasn't gone away, but the election promises have, leaving farmers feeling betrayed, vilified and alone ...just as they were beginning to contemplate the future again, the painstaking work of disinfecting their farms was bought to a sudden halt on the Prime Minister's instructions because of concern about the cost. It was all very different before the May general election when farmers were promised that no expense would be spared to eradicate the disease and help them get back on their feet. ... posted Aug 5

'Don't let our sheep die, mummy'
The Times

SINCE February, Caroline Davies has watched her Welsh farming community struggle to cope with the seemingly unending grief of foot-and-mouth disease. "I was talking to one dairy farmer and both of us were on the edge of tears," she says. "When he knew his 80 cows were going to be killed, he took out his camera and went around his land taking photographs of all of them. He just wanted pictures so he would remember them." (posted aug 5 )

Lucy Pinney The Times

Little rags of infected sheep's wool were everywhere. Maff decreed that it all had to be destroyed with blow-torches...in her opinion the costs spiralled out of control because Maff was so disorganised and the contractors so dishonest. "Everyone was 'ghosting'  putting down that their blokes were working at a farm when they weren't." After making me promise to conceal her identity, she added: "And my boss was one of the worst." posted Aug 5

Pressure group takes DEFRA to court over beacons cull
Wales on Sunday

A PRESSURE group is taking out an injunction against the National Assembly and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to stop the cull of healthy animals in Wales. Farmers for Livestock Wales co-ordinator Janet Hughes, said her organisation was desperate to call a halt to the slaughter of animals which, she claimed, posed no threat to other livestock. Mrs Hughes pointed out that the animals being culled on the Brecon Beacons had only been tested for antibodies not for the live foot-and-mouth virus. Mrs Hughes stressed that scientific evidence showed that healthy animals did not become infected with foot-and-mouth virus from contact with animals that have antibodies to the disease. "There have only been two cases ever of this happening in the whole world. It is so rare as to be almost impossible. "It is ridiculous that they are killing perfectly healthy animals because they have antibodies to foot-and-mouth disease. "They are being persecuted just because they have an immune system. "There has been so much talk and no action to stop the cull. "I just had to do something - I couldn't sit and watch them kill healthy animals any longer," she said. Mrs Hughes, of Churchstoke, has now instructed solicitors ...American (sic) foot-and-mouth specialist Professor Fred Brown had agreed to give expert evidence in support of the action. Aug 5 (warmwell note: Professor Fred Brown FRS O.B.E. is, of course, a Lancastrian even if he is working in America at present)

Third cull deepens Brecon misery
Sunday Telegraph

FOOT and mouth misery deepened yesterday with a third cull of sheep on the Brecon Beacons after antibodies were discovered in 1,300 animals on Friday night. The slaughter took the total of sheep and lambs culled in the national park to 6,500 in the past eight days. Another 4,000 sheep brought down from the mountains have been tested and the results are due early this week. More livestock are to be tested in the surrounding area.......the Government has denied accusations by farmers' leaders that it is mounting a smear campaign against them to deflect attention from the Government's poor handling of the crisis. Aug 5

Food agency under fire over 'BSE in sheep'
Independent on Sunday

The Food Standards Agency was reprimanded yesterday by the scientist in charge of the experiments designed to investigate whether sheep have been infected with BSE. Professor Chris Bostock, the head of the government- funded Institute for Animal Health, where the tests are taking place, said a statement about the experiments issued by the FSA on Thursday was premature and unhelpful. Aug 5

Brussels will cancel aid if fraud is proved
Independent on Sunday

The European Union is threatening to withdraw hundreds of millions of pounds in aid from the UK over allegations of fraudulent foot and mouth compensation claims. Up to 60 per cent of the British taxpayers' £2bn bill for the foot and mouth epidemic is being paid for by Brussels  thanks to a little-known European Council directive on foot and mouth disease dating back to 1990.....The bill will be paid "soon", said an EU official, but it will demand the sum back if fraud is detected. "The European Commission is pledged to do its own checks for fraud," said Thorsten Muench, the EU's consumer protection spokesman, adding: "We will ask for money back if fraud has been committed. After all, it is European taxpayers' money." The matter of EU aid has become an open secret in Whitehall but received little public attention. If the EU begins to ask for its money back, that could leave the Government seriously out of pocket.

Aug 5

Furious Welsh farmers turn on whistleblower
Independent on Sunday

Ms Preston has received a series of warnings following her decision to tell this newspaper she received a mystery telephone call offering to sell her an infected sheep for £2,000. Perverse as it may seem, an infected herd can be worth a lot more money than a healthy one. The next day, the Government announced it was cutting back its "generous" compensation scheme for slaughtered animals. The police are also investigating the incident. Ms Preston, who lives with her disabled mother at their farm near Nevern, Pembrokeshire, said people have told her that because of her, compensation was being cut. "But it isn't my fault," she says. "I would like to make it clear it is not to do with me." (warmwell comment: we think it is a deliberate misrepresentation to use the word "whistleblower" in this context. The farmer reported a strange phone call - as others have done in the past at a time when it did not suit anyone to report it except the Farmers' Weekly (8th June) . She was most certainly not "informing" . No farmer in his senses would accept such an "offer" even if he was tempted. But farmers are justifiably angry at a continuing smear campaign in some of the media.. )

Crying all the way to the bank
Sunday Times

....Just weeks previously Goldie had been among the most prosperous and respected farmers in Scotland. He had built up one of Britain's finest and most valuable herds of pedigree Charolais and Limousin cattle, plus 531 Texel sheep. It all came to an end on March 20 when Goldie spotted the telltale lesions on cattle on one of his two farms at South Bowerhouses, Dumfries and Galloway. The slaughter started the next day. When ministry vets realised there had been movements of people between that farm and the other operated by Goldie before the outbreak had been detected, the cull was extended there, too. By the end of the week, one of Britain's finest herds of cattle had been reduced to ashes - along with millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. The fields were left in a silence that Goldie describes as "sad and eerie". For despite his cash windfall, Goldie is not interested in spending the money on high living. Nor is he planning to add to it from the £3m his land is estimated to be worth. ...Contacted by The Sunday Times to discuss his settlement, Goldie insisted that the figure of £4.2m was inaccurate, despite evidence from offficial sources and within the industry that he is the largest single benefactor of the government's compensation deal for farms affected by foot and mouth. For Goldie, this is not an issue about money but about how to rebuild the farm and the livestock he loved. The time since the slaughter has been spent, along with Kay, his wife, and sons Hamish and Bruce, in cleaning and disinfecting outhouses and buildings, waiting for the day when they can recreate what they believe was an honest and profitable business. ..Can it be right that a small group of individuals - 37 in total - should be paid more than £1m each from the public purse to satisfy a minority interest at a time when all industries are bearing the brunt of a global economic downturn? Many think not. Among those voicing concern over the scale of compensation packages is Austin Mitchell MP, a member of the agriculture select committee. "There is serious concern about the scale of these costs and we shall be inquiring into this as soon as parliament reconvenes after the summer break," said Mitchell, when he was approached by The Sunday Times with evidence of the payments. ...(warmwell comment: another most extraordinary headline in view of the farmer's actual situation in this story of high compensation, one that the Sunday Times was most anxious to get.) See also Cull makes 37 millionaires

Additional reporting: Pauline Taylor
Sunday Times

.....the day after Major's comments were published, the farming minister Lord Whitty emerged from his bunker to announce a fresh initiative that would not only address the specifics of the foot and mouth clear-up, but also the foundations of Britain's agriculture industry. ......Breaking this reliance on the public purse or European subsidy will be no easy task. But there are precedents to follow. Sugar beet farmers, for example, are threatened by the spread of rhizomania - a fungal disease that disrupts root growth. In many ways it parallels foot and mouth, with entire farms being ripped up as soon as a single case is discovered. The difference is that farmers hit by such a catastrophe are compensated by other farmers - not the public. ... ....Tales are rife about double-invoicing among clean-up contractors, collusion between farmers and valuers to inflate compensation deals and even the deliberate infection of farms. While most of the evidence is anecdotal, investigations are under way. ...... Each time these stories surface, the public's sympathy with farmers is eroded further, sympathy which men such as Goldie need every bit as much as their cheques. Goldie does at least recognise that things have to change. Asked why, for instance, he never insured his animals, he hesitates. "It had been so long since there was a case. Very few people took out insurance because it seemed so unlikely. We know that if it happens again the rules will be very different," he said. Meanwhile, he faces two years without an income while he restocks his herd - and then another decade or more to establish the pedigree bloodlines of the past. ....Aug 5

New estimate suggests No 10 was wrong to panic over cost of farm virus clean-up
Independent on Sunday

Controversy over Tony Blair's decision to suspend the foot-and-mouth clean-up was reignited yesterday when it emerged that it would cost less than a quarter of the sum predicted by the Government. Instead of the £800m figure quoted last month as a reason for halting the programme in England, the cost of disinfection and other procedures is now not expected to surpass £200m. "Number 10 saw a couple of high bills and panicked," said an insider. "The average figure was never going to be that high but it was a good excuse to tighten up the whole system." ..... The clean-up of farms affected by foot-and-mouth was resumed by the Government last night but with strict rules to cut costs and prevent farmers cashing in. ... Surveyors hired by Defra will set the market price for cleaning-up farms under the rules. Accountants have cancelled several contracts with farmers where costs have spiralled. .... If farmers do not adhere to the clean-up rules, the Government may tell them to pay for the clean-up themselves. Aug 5

Farmers claim £1m payouts
BBC

Nearly 40 farmers have lodged compensation claims of more than #1m each for livestock slaughtered in the foot-and-mouth cull. Cheques for more than £1m have already been paid to 37 farmers - mostly pedigree cattle breeders - the Sunday Times says. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed the 37 claims had been received, adding: "We are considering them and where we agree with the valuation of the livestock the money would be paid." The largest single payment - the paper says - is £4.2m to a farmer in Dumfries whose herds of Charolais and Limousin cattle were culled in March. Where we agree with the valuation of the livestock the money would be paid Defra spokesman News of the "compensation millionaires" follows denials by ministers that they have squandered billions of pounds in fighting the disease. ....Aug 5

Forecasting & Reviewing Foot & Mouth Disease Control
Australian FMD Forecasting and Reviewing Site

Update: Control of this outbreak has weakened enormously since shortly after 26th April. The early sections below relate to predicting the course of the outbreak before that time. The best prediction of its future course at this time is that it will not end ..... Aug 4

BBC Today programme Aug 4th .."vaccination would have cut the bill for FMD by £3 billion and would still enable significant savings."
Listen to the extract

Prof Midmore, Helen Browning and Dutch chief vet all in favour of vaccination... characteristic comment from NFU spokesman (Ian Gardner)"utter rubbish...not at all impressed" and suggests no one knew where the "rings" were so we couldn't have vaccinated at the beginning. Keith Sumption says we did know where the hotspots were, we could certainly have vaccinated at the beginning. Prof Midmore's view is that the government could still save"hundreds of millions of pounds" if they vaccinated now

Vaccination "would have saved billions
Telegraph

Vaccinating animals against foot-and-mouth disease would have been at least #3 billion cheaper than the slaughter policy, a study has claimed. Ministers and the National Farmers' Union have resisted calls for vaccination, but the study by economist Professor Peter Midmore of the University of Wales says huge savings could have been made. And the continuing costs could still be halved if jabs were introduced, according to his research. The Government's slaughter policy will have cost £5 billion by the end of the year, the professor says. In contrast, vaccinating animals in rings surrounding outbreaks would have cost between £1.5 billion and £2 billion, he says....Aug 4

New foot and mouth case is described as "deeply disturbing"
Craven Herald

FARMERS around Bolton Abbey found themselves in the foot and mouth spotlight yesterday (Thursday) after a case of the disease was confirmed in nearby Beamsley. The virus was found in cattle belonging to JT and LM Croft of New Hall Farm. The animals - 89 cattle, 280 sheep and 300 lambs - were being kept at Lowfields Farm, Beamsley. It has brought the number of infected premises in the Craven and adjoining Ribble Valley area to 101. Contiguous premises and dangerous contacts are currently being identified. Ward representative for the area Coun Chris Knowles-Fitton said he was deeply saddened to hear the news and expressed worries for the farmers in his constituency. "We keep hearing that the tail of the disease is getting shorter but cases are still appearing. It is deeply distressing news for everyone in the area," he said.....Aug 4

Vaccination 'would have been £3bn cheaper'
Ananova

..Ministers and the National Union of Farmers have resisted calls for vaccination since the epidemic began. But a study by an economist at the University of Wales shows a huge saving could have been made. And the continuing going costs could still be halved if jabs were introduced, according to the research. The Government's slaughter policy will have cost £5 billion by the end of the year, the professor says. In contrast, vaccinating animals in rings surrounding outbreaks would have cost between £1.5 billion and £2 billion, Professor Peter Midmore says.
The study, for the BBC, takes into account the costs of slaughter, compensation, the effect on the export market and the impact on tourism.
Dr Richard Rowe, of Vets for Vaccination, said the study's findings were "what we have thought all along". He said he had no idea why the Government had refused to vaccinate: "You just wonder whether our Government are perhaps not very good at science and their sums aren't very good either.".... Aug 4

More Brecon sheep face cull
icWales

More sheep are to be culled in the Brecon Beacons after further tests revealed levels of foot-and-mouth antibodies, the Welsh Assembly announced tonight. Around 1,200 animals were in the latest batch to be tested for the disease that is crippling the National Park. A total of 5,200 sheep have already been culled in the Beacons since last Friday. Tonight's results have confirmed farmers and grazers fears that the disease has affected more of the animals which roam the Welsh mountain range.(warmwell note:the disease has affected them, and left them none the worse. For this, they are being killed. The blood tests are not showing active virus since the tests being done cannot do so. Assumptions are being made - and believed - that have no scientific or veterinary justification - only a political and economic one) Aug 4

Foot-and-mouth vaccine 'little help'
BBC

A computer model of strategies for controlling the UK foot-and-mouth outbreak suggests mass slaughter is the best way. The model found that vaccinating animals in the worst-affected areas could have helped only marginally. At worst, it says, replacing slaughter with vaccination in buffer zones would have let the outbreak spread out of control. The model appears to vindicate the government's persistence in slaughtering animals to end the outbreak. The results of the modelling are reported in the Veterinary Record, the journal of the British Veterinary Association. The modelling assumed the control policies which were in operation from 20 March - a ban on all animal movements from 23 February, and a policy of stamping out the disease by slaughter. Aug 4(warmwell note: it is regrettable and understandable that the BBC should have given this article in the Veterinary Record such a headline - but see the remarks of a veterinary scientist on reading it yesterday. "This modelling study does NOT say that vaccination per se would not and could not have been effective - instead it says that this particular buffer zone/band style of vaccination - which it is claimed is all that could have been done at the time for resource reasons would not have been effective. They did not for example model blanket vaccination using high load vaccine within and around emerging hotspots combined with slaughter of definitive IPs, or any of many other possible vaccination strategies that could have been considered had resources not been the constraint they claim they were. Were these assumed constraints real?.")

Farm clean-up resumes amid cost-cutting
Financial Times

The operation to clean up farms affected by foot-and-mouth disease was resumed on Friday after the government said its review of the clean-up costs should lead to substantial savings. The move came as Lord Haskins, the chairman of Northern Foods, was appointed to head the rebuilding of the Cumbrian economy following the damage inflicted by the crisis. The secondary cleaning and disinfecting of farms was halted after ministers realised it was costing more in England than in Scotland. Aug 4

Vaccinate now call by Soil Association
Soil Association

With new outbreaks continuing to occur, particularly threatening pig production farms in Yorkshire, no one can claim that the disease is under control. The Soil Association believes that the time has come for a change of policy as the massive cull of hefted sheep continues in the Brecon Beacons. Helen Browning, Chair of the Soil Association, 'We have been advocating a policy of voluntary vaccination since March and are still hopeful that reason will prevail. The Government and farming organisations must recognise vaccination could have a key role to play if we are to have a chance of controlling the disease before winter makes the task even more difficult.' See also More organic farms within GM danger zone"'This just goes to show yet again that the government are completely unwilling to listen to the majority of its electorate who are opposed to GM trials taking place, and instead appear to prefer listening to a few very large and powerful biotechnology companies." Aug 4

Costly farm clean-up firms must repay excess
The Times

.........The department will withhold payment where the health and safety of those carrying out the work would be endangered, when buildings are in an unreasonable state of cleanliness or disrepair  meaning cleansing would effectively be betterment  and when the costs would be "disproportionate". But Tim Yeo, Shadow Agriculture Minister, said that the resumption of the disinfection scheme highlighted the total confusion in the Government's handling of the outbreak. He said: "Only last week the Government abandoned this scheme to the dismay of thousands of farmers in the countryside" .... The NFU was concerned, however, about the circumstances for withholding payment, a spokesman said. Some farm buildings can be old and slightly dilapidated, but not in serious disrepair, he said, and may not warrant having payment withheld. The Welsh Assembly announced last night that more sheep are to be culled in the Brecon Beacons after further tests disclosed foot-and-mouth antibodies. A total of 5,200 sheep have already been culled in the Beacons since Friday last week. Aug 4

Search to find a way forward from the foot-and-mouth crisis
The Scotsman

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It was born out of the intellectual ferment of the Scottish Enlightenment in 1783. It is a non-party political body of some 1,200 experts of inter-national standing. ....."Vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease was, in my view, a serious option. Although questions remain, I note with interest that it has now been reconsidered late in the day. However, do we have the right vaccines to deal with foot-and-mouth disease? How effective are current decontamination methods? (They are not very effective, in my experience.) ... The RSE committee will make its own, independent, balanced judgments and invite evidence, not only from specialists, but from the man and woman in the street. ... We must do all we can to be prepared, should there be a further major outbreak. Lessons are there to be learned from the foot-and-mouth epidemic and we must take from it what we can. The committee's focus will be on the disease, its impact and an assessment of the options. For I am increasingly struck by the similarity being found between the genes of Homo Sapiens and some other life forms - and equally by the increasing commonality being found between a growing number of human and animal diseases. BSE has made this abundantly clear and now, although foot-and-mouth disease makes no significant, direct impact on human health, it has demonstrated how rapidly a virus can spread through a population. The RSE committee is currently in the process of being set up. ...." Sir William Stewart is a distinguished scientist and is the president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Aug 4

Three letters to the Newcastle Journal (copied from) Journal

...If Northern farmers want an end to the costly and ineffective slaughter policy, which seems to be the opinion of many who write to The Journal, perhaps they should be applying pressure, not just to the Government, but to their own union. If the NFU were faced with mass resignations, maybe they would be forced to alter their obdurate stance on this issue. Aug 3

Foot and mouth closes on pig heartland
New Scientist

Fears that foot and mouth disease may soon reach the heart of the UK pig industry have led to calls for a "firebreak" of vaccinated animals to be created around the region. Vaccination would represent a U-turn for the government, which has so far pursued a slaughter-only policy in trying to eradicate the disease....But many vets fear that, without vaccination, the disease will soon spread to some of the three million pigs further east. Michael Meredith, a vet at the Pig Health Information Centre in Lolworth, Cambridgeshire, says:"The existing multi-billion pound burdens for taxpayers and rural businesses could go stratospheric if the foot and mouth virus gets into the country's main pig farming region. Why on earth is strategic vaccination not being used to create a protective wall around it?" Compared to sheep and cattle, pigs shed much higher amounts of the virus. "Infection of sheep is barely detectable, but infection of pigs is a conflagration," says Meredith.....DEFRA has been widely criticised for its handling of the crisis. Many observers believe earlier vaccination would have saved some of the millions of healthy animals that have already been killed. Some claim that the National Farmers Union has been allowed to dictate government policy. The NFU has so far rejected vaccination in favour of widespread slaughter. Aug 3

Expert fears big 'sacrifice' of pigs
Yorkshire Post

Brian Dooks Expert fears big 'sacrifice' of pigs TWO million pigs are in danger of being sacrificed to the foot and mouth crisis unless strategic vaccination is used to create a protective firewall around the outbreaks in North Yorkshire, it was claimed yesterday. Former Cambridge University researcher Michael Meredith added to growing calls for vaccination after the former head of food policy research at Bradford University, Prof Verner Wheelock, warned the Government vaccination was the only alternative to a doomsday scenario. Dr Meredith said: "The existing multi-billion-pound burdens for taxpayers and rural businesses could go stratospheric if FMD virus gets into the country's main pig farming region, which is only 40 miles from recent foot and mouth outbreaks. "Two million pigs in the Humber area of Yorkshire are in danger of becoming the next tragic episode in the UK's endless economic and emotional pain of foot and mouth disease." Aug 3

Foot-and-mouth, controversy persists...Calls mounting for inquiry into handling of British crisis
National Post on line (Canada)

LONDON - Almost six months after foot-and-mouth disease hit Britain, both the virus and the controversy surrounding it are proving hard to eradicate. Yesterday, officials in Wales continued the slaughter of hundreds of sheep in an attempt to contain a new outbreak, and former prime minister John Major joined those calling for a public inquiry into the government's handling of the outbreak. In a letter printed yesterday in The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Mr. Major said many rural people believed the official response to foot-and-mouth had been "geared more to the political interests of the Labour government than to the economic interests of farmers and the rural community." He called for a public inquiry to determine whether Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, was premature when he declared in May the battle against the livestock disease was "in the home straight." "Our rural communities -- both present and future -- deserve no less," Mr. Major wrote. Aug 3

Finnie's £10m fails to appease farmers
Scotsman

Ross Finnie came in for criticism from opposition parties for his apparent failure to convince the European Union that Scotland should be treated as a separate foot-and-mouth-free region which could resume exports of meat and livestock. His defence was that Scotland could not be declared officially free of the disease until at least 30 August - which would be 90 days after the last case emerged, assuming that no more occur - and that the EU's standing veterinary committee will not discuss any appeal until mid-September. ...He also said that it would be "almost impossible" to meet one requirement for lifting the export ban which was to block all imports of livestock, meat and milk products from England. At the least that would mean police and possibly army controls on the 26 roads which cross the Border. He said the European commission and the EU veterinary committee had imposed the strict conditions because they saw the outbreak in Britain as a whole as unprecedented. ... "the European Commission is appalled at the severity of the disease in the UK as a whole and it is proving extremely difficult to convince them that we could be treated separately"..Fergus Ewing, the SNP MSP and rural development spokesman, would have none of that. ... He said that EU law recognised that the ban can be lifted for zones which have become disease free even if those zones are only part of member states. Now, he claimed, it was clear that Westminster remained in charge, and went on:"What was the point of going through the pain of a slaughter containment policy - to eradicate the disease in Scotland - when Ross Finnie now turns round and says that there is to be no gain." Aug 3

Farmers' fury at 'scams' claim by Whitty
The Times

LORD WHITTY, Food and Farming Minister, was heckled by farmers yesterday after he blamed them for poor practices which, he claimed, had exacerbated the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The Minister used an emergency conference on the future of the sheep industry to point the finger at the industry and demand change. .....Farmers were also incensed that the Government appeared to blame the spread of the disease on sheep movements, when they were legal and normal farming practice. Ian Frood, vice-chairman of the National Farmers' Union livestock committee, who farms near Basildon, Essex, said last night: "He gave us an unpalatable message. He was direct and brutal. I now feel very frightened for the future and we know there are going to be terrible problems this autumn." Ben Gill, NFU president, last night described the conference as "positive" and called for tighter restrictions on illegal meat imports. He said: "It (the virus) came from illegal imports. That's what hurts and hurts very much." Aug 3 (warmwell comment: once more, Ben Gill appears confident that he has all the answers to questions that continue to worry the rest of us.)

Pig farmers hope to avert foot and mouth disaster
Telegraph

PIG farmers in Yorkshire said yesterday that they were placing their faith in disinfection to prevent foot and mouth devastating the pig industry as much as the sheep trade. With half a million pigs in the Vale of York, and a million in east Yorkshire, fear has been rising over the possible spread of the virus from outbreaks in North Yorkshire around Thirsk and Whitby. Some 800 pigs were slaughtered in a contiguous cull in Thirsk on Monday, but the farm proved negative in tests, so the nightmare of a major infection in pigs has not yet occurred.... Aug 3

You're a hazard, minister told
The Times

THE Minister for Rural Affairs was turned back from a footpath yesterday by a farmer who accused him of putting farmers' livelihoods at risk. Alun Michael had donned walking boots to trek up a newly opened footpath at the foot of Helvellyn in the Lake District. Peter Lightfoot, the farmer who owns the land, sent the minister and his party back down the track to disinfect their feet, telling them it was foolish to put farmers' livelihoods at risk so close to the end of the tourist season. He and other farmers in the area dismissed the Government' claim that walkers cannot contribute to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, and said that reopening footpaths would almost certainly lead to new cases in the area.
"They took the 'footpath closed' signs down yesterday and within hours there were dogs running loose with the sheep. With just another month and a half left of the summer, why open the paths now?" Mr Lightfoot asked.He has already lost more than a thousand sheep to foot-and-mouth and has just 230 of his flock left. With the Penrith hotspot less than a mile and a half away on the other side of the valley he feels particularly vulnerable to the disease. Aug 3

Farmers may have to insure against foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Farmers may be forced to insure against outbreaks of foot-and-mouth in the future. Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Lord Whitty says the current system is "absurd". He told Channel 4 that the farming industry and insurers would have to begin to pay their way in future times of trouble. "There is no immediate question that we are insisting on mandatory insurance but I think in the longer term some of the costs will have to be borne by the industry or their insurers," he said. Talks would be held with farmers and insurers ahead of any moves Aug 3

Foot-and-mouth emergency plan to reopen landfill sites
Ananova

Landfill sites could be pressed back into service under emergency plans to cope with a surge in foot-and-mouth cases. Residents concerned about health risks protested against their use at the height of the epidemic. But they could see old sites reopened or new ones built if the outbreak reignites during the autumn, when conditions help the disease to spread. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says a private report detailing the proposals were purely "contingency plans". Ministers have been warned landfills and incinerators could be needed if that happens and millions of animals have to be slaughtered. Aug 3

Youth hostels crisis in wake of foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Many youth hostels in England and Wales may be forced to close as a result of a dramatic fall in visits due to the foot-and-mouth crisis. Roger Clarke, chief executive of the Youth Hostels Association, says the charity may be forced to sell significant numbers of its 230 properties..... "We shall have to sell hostels where it hurts, places which are popular and are doing well, but we have no alternative unless there is assistance from Government that we don't foresee at the moment. "We have had plenty of sympathy, but no practical help of any great significance." Aug 3

Government urges farmers to grow more trees
Ananova

Countryside and forestry minister Elliot Morley said: "The Government's schemes for assisting creation of new woodlands contribute strongly to our aims of promoting biodiversity, landscape improvement and sustainable agriculture. "We have reviewed certain rules applying to the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme in England, and decided that a more flexible approach should be adopted to allow individual applicants to benefit more widely from the scheme. "As well as providing more general benefits, this will contribute particularly at this time to our plans for aid recovery from foot-and-mouth disease. "We intend to make this change to address a particular need, in advance of a more general review of our strategy for woodland expansion, on which we will be welcoming a wide debate next year." See note from FFA website Read also Richard North's latest updateAug 3

'Vaccinate - or you face doomsday'
Yorkshire Post

...LIVESTOCK farmers were warned yesterday that a possible "doomsday" scenario awaits them unless the National Farmers Union agrees to relax its objections to vaccinating against foot-and-mouth disease. Independent food consultant Prof Verner Wheelock said unless vaccinations were introduced, then the disease could last well into next year, devastating many more farm businesses and harming the entire British economy. NFU president Ben Gill, who farms near Easingwold, will receive a letter today from a consortium of individuals, headed by Prof Wheelock, pleading with the organisation to rethink its negative stance. The group also includes the owner of the Broughton Hall Business Park, near Skipton, Roger Tempest, a Yorkshire Dales farmer, Simon Foster, of Airton, near Skipton, who has seen his livestock slaughtered because of the disease, and Berkshire cattle dealer Peter Harvey.( See letter from Prof Wheelock)"They are averaging about four a day and this is despite the good weather which is supposed to kill the virus, the increased efficiency of the culling operation and despite biosecurity being stepped up. So this actually means things are getting worse. "If the disease is not under control by November then it is hard to see the battle having been won by this time next year. A vaccination policy is now essential in combination with killing infected animals." He added that it was absolutely unbelievable the Government had relied on advice from scientists who were not experts in foot-and-mouth and had totally ignored the advice and opinions of leading world experts in this field. Aug 2

On the Today Programme, Radio 4 this morning,

Ben Gill once again suggests that that vaccinated animals pose a risk of re-infection to other non-vaccinated stock. See what Professor David King said in April about the effectiveness of vaccine, however.

Paper says ministers have approved vaccination contingency
Ananova

The decision to go ahead with vaccination would be dependent on advice from Government chief vet Jim Scudamore. A Defra spokeswoman said: "Vaccination has always been an option. Professional advice so far is that it won't help at the moment. "There have always been contingency plans in place for vaccination." Aug 2

Farm ministry ready to order vaccination
The Times

THE Government is so concerned about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in North Yorkshire that ministers have approved a contingency plan for a "firebreak" vaccination screen. Five months after the outbreak began, with the spread of the virus around Thirsk and Whitby threatening the pig industry of East Yorkshire, ministers have been forced to accept that the controversial approach may well be needed. Ben Gill, the president of the National Farmers' Union, which has been strongly opposed to vaccination, has accepted that if slaughter failed it might be necessary. Aug 2

Police struggle to patrol blue zone
The Times

A SHORTAGE of resources is jeopardising the security of the foot-and-mouth bio-security zone in North Yorkshire only days after its enforcement. Elliot Morley, the Agriculture Minister, said the scheme was still largely reliant on self-regulation because the authorities were struggling to pull together sufficient resources to police the 800-square-mile area. There is a maximum of one police car for every 100 square miles, so checking the trail of farm lorries at the heart of the blue zone between Thirsk and York was almost impossible yesterday.....Many of the farmers using the trading facilities of Murton livestock market near York yesterday did not even know whether their farm was within the zone; many letters explaining the new regulations have not arrived Aug 2

Whitty has blunt message for sheep farmers
The Times

SHEEP farmers are to be given a blunt message today that upland over-grazing is no longer acceptable. Lord Whitty, the Farms Minister, is to insist that farmers must reduce the size of their flocks and spend more time looking after the landscape. He will also make clear that the Government has no intention of keeping up the level of subsidies paid to farmers for production alone. ....Aug 2

1000 miles of Lake district footpaths reopened
Guardian

1,000 miles of Lake District footpaths reopened Special report: foot and mouth disease Rebecca Allison Thursday August 2, 2001 The Guardian Walkers and climbers were given access to some of the Lake District's most popular areas for the first time in five months yesterday after foot and mouth restrictions were lifted from more than 1,000 miles of footpath. Closure of the footpaths in the Lake District national park and around Alston and Hadrian's Wall in Cumbria on February 28 saw visitor figures plummet by 5m at an estimated cost of £288m to the local economy. ... Council leader Rex Toft said: "A balance had to be struck between helping the tourist industry while doing what we could to protect our livestock against the further spread of foot and mouth. It has been an agonising time leading up to this decision but I feel we have struck that all important balance." Visitors are still being asked to keep well away from livestock, and farmers will be allowed to ask for diversions if they think public footpaths pass too close to areas where cattle and sheep congregate. Cumbria tourist board chief executive Chris Collier said last night he was pleased to welcome visitors back". Meanwhile, as thousands more sheep were brought down from the Brecon Beacons for blood tests, the Farmers' Union of Wales warned that moving the flocks to testing areas could be contributing to the spread of the disease. The union's deputy president, Glyn Powell, said: "What is happening at the moment is you are moving outwards and you may very well be pushing the disease as you interfere with the flocks on the hill. "I believe we should have worked from an outer ring and moved inwards like on a dartboard." More than 5,000 sheep have already been culled on the Brecon Beacons. Farmers are awaiting results from tests on a further 1,200 and another 4,000 are being brought down from the mountains for testing on Friday.

The other main Welsh farming union, the National Farmers' Union (Wales), which has so far supported the Beacons cull, last night pressed for some sheep to be saved. The union wants healthy animals to be put into quarantine and later used to restock the hills.

However, a Welsh assembly spokeswoman said all precautions were being taken to stop the further spread of the disease. (warmwell comment: if you kill all the sheep no more sheep will get it, it's true)

She dismissed the NFU's call as impractical, as sheep can harbour the disease for many weeks and would therefore have to be quarantined for a lengthy period. (warmwell comment: the implication being that it is far better to kill the lot which is easy and practical than to keep and quarantine some of these ancient Welsh sheep to restock later on...much better to plant spruce perhaps? The far more civilised and practical plan of vaccination looks like being shelved until the hills are ethnically cleansed of the traditional sheep blood-lines) Aug 2

Millions of lambs facing slaughter
BBC

Farmers expect they will have to destroy up to two million lambs which cannot be exported because of foot-and-mouth controls. The government is likely to outline plans for the slaughter at a sheep industry conference on Thursday. Aug 2

Conference to discuss foot and mouth's forgotten victims
Ananova

NFU president Ben Gill says it has been "an unspeakable nightmare" for every farmer who has lost animals because of the disease. He added: "But for every one of them there are many 'forgotten victims' whose animals have not been slaughtered who are in an even worse situation without any light at the end of the tunnel." Members of the sheep industry are meeting at the conference, to be addressed by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Lord Whitty. The industry is facing problems including a surplus of lambs caused by the foot-and-mouth export ban, the knock-on costs of keeping those animals, and a drop in market value for the sheep. Aug 2

Times cartoons Aug 1st - with grateful thanks to Phil and to The Times

Foot-and-mouth to be long-time woe for Argentina
Reuters

an article that appeared on June 26...

A COSTLY MISTAKE

Regunaga said Argentina should not have stopped vaccinating three years ago and emphasized the need to work with neighboring countries affected by the ill -- Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia -- to eradicate it throughout the region. "Under my administration we will not stop vaccinating. I do not support ending the vaccination campaign until the neighboring countries are foot-and-mouth free," he explained. "Especially if they cannot control their borders." "It shouldn't even cross our minds to stop vaccinating until at least 2003," he said. Argentina is negotiating the possible reopening of markets in the European Union, the country's main export market for beef..posted Aug 1

You must vaccinate or be damned Mr Gill
The Times

see below

For the entire Simon Jenkins article n the Times - please see
"Best of the Press"

'It is all too little, too late' BY HELEN STUDD
The Times

Yesterday he woke up to hear his own cousin, a North Yorkshire farmer, berating ministers on Radio 4's Today programme for their handling of the epidemic. Peter Almack, who faces a daily struggle to keep his farm infection-free, says new restrictions in North Yorkshire have come too late, when flocks may already be infected."The ministry has simply not been keeping checks on their employees and subcontractors," he said over his farm gate yesterday. "It is their people that have caused foot-and-mouth to spread and it's the Government's responsibility to police them. When I moved cattle in May each container was inspected and sealed, yet government contractors load up lorries with infected animals and roam the countryside with them. There's no doubt in my mind that's one of the reasons why foot-and-mouth is still spreading and the Government is the one responsible." Aug 1

Diseased politics
Telegraph

....Throughout, Labour's preoccupation was with political rather than veterinary considerations. In consequence, it tended to vacillate over key decisions. The question of how to dispose of carcasses was decided as much on the basis of the television impact as of sanitary criteria. The reluctance to bring in troops during the early weeks owed more to the fact that it was a Tory idea than to any assessment of the science. The confusion over whether the countryside was open reflected Downing Street's prevarication over the timing of the election. Yesterday, on the BBC's Today programme, the Agriculture Minister Elliot Morley, again flagged up the possibility of vaccination: a grisly case of shutting the pen gate after the sheep have been slaughtered.

But the price for his posturing has been the worsening of the crisis itself, and the ruin of livelihoods and lives. Only once did we glimpse the real Mr Blair: when, in an unguarded moment, he was filmed discussing the election date with Romano Prodi. For a split second, we saw the man behind the mask. posted Aug 1

Pay strike threat by MAFF staff BY JILL SHERMAN WHITEHALL EDITOR
The Times

....Officials from the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) are furious that they earn on average #2,000 to #3,000 less than civil servants from the former Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) who have been transferred to work with them. ....Aug 1

'Evidence' of virus spread found
Evening Standard

by Geraint Smith, Science Correspondent ..Someone is retailing foot-and-mouth disease. It isn't farmers. Whoever is doing this must have guaranteed, continuous supply of diseased animals. The only group that has that is the knackermen or the slaughtermen. "Defra is trying to shift the blame onto farmers for this disease spreading, but it is their contractors that are doing it."

..... another 1,500 sheep will be slaughtered in the Brecon Beacons and tests on 50,000 sheep are to be carried out in the Thirsk area of North Yorkshire. posted Aug 1

Farming crisis cost us £40 each by Patrick McGowan
Evening Standard

The huge size of the bill to the British taxpayer from foot-and-mouth disease was revealed today as the Government made desperate attempts to keep costs under control. Already £2.28 billion has been spent - well over £40 for every person in Britain - and that figure does not include lost tax revenues from farmers and other businesses, particularly tourism. The £2.28 billion includes compensation for slaughtered animals as well as bills for vets, disposal of corpses, disinfection and clean-up operations. The figure was issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Last week, the Government announced, to howls of outrage, that clean-up operations on farms were being temporarily halted when it emerged that costs were spiralling out of control and Defra was paying £100,000 per farm in England and Wales compared with just £30,000 in Scotland. Last night, Defra halted the practice of paying farmers standard sums as compensation for slaughtered livestock which in many cases had been well above market values. ... The fate of the remaining sheep in the Brecon Beacons is being decided today after tests found more animals grazing in the Powys national park to be infected with foot-and-mouth. In all, there may be as many as 40,000 animals at risk. (Read Christopher Booker on the cost of the outbreak ) August 1

Head off the plague
Letter to Times

....He could stop the epidemic in its tracks, at a cost of only #3.50 per animal, by vaccinating now. The case has never been stronger for what he and his advisers have always believed in as a "last resort" policy. Ben Gill, president of the NFU, whose opposition to vaccination caused Blair to abandon the idea in April, said recently that "vaccination may well form a part of future policy". Surely the future should begin now. Lady Emma Tennant in Sunday Times posted Aug 1

Slaughter of the lambs - How I see it- Robert Hardman
Daily Mail -(scanned)

Urban Britain has grown bored of the foot-and-mouth saga, believing the worst of it to be over. Reports over the weekend that farmers have been offered infected animals in order to wipe out their livestock and grab the compensation have served only to drain the remaining drops in the pool of pblic sympathy. But the rural reality is very different...As we reach the end of Swaledale, we halt at one of Britain's most uplifting views. There, bathed in sunlight below us, is most of Cumbria - The Eden Valley stretching across to the Lakeland Fells in one direction and the Solway Firth to another. And then it dawns on me. There is something very wrong. There is not a single animal to be seen.......the life has gone out of this county...who the hell is going to put it back?Aug 1

Inquiry call
Channel Four News - Julian Rush

A 'repeated mis-representation' of what WE think is required.
That's what senior members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are saying tonight after the Government cited them in support of its statement not to hold a full public inquiry into foot and mouth disease.
It's still up to Tony Blair to decide what kind of inquiry will be held - he insists he doesn't want a tribunal-style body which will take years to come up with a result.
But the vets are determined there should be a full and independent investigation A further thousand sheep are to die in the Brecons: the latest blood tests returning positive. Farmers there, as so often, resigned but furious. And yet the government continues to give the impression it has set its stall against a public inquiry into the way outbreak has been handled. The Royal College is frequently cited by ministers in support of their position. It's all left some members of the Royal College furious. In June its ruling council passed a motion calling for a full independent inquiry. Now the two senior vets behind the motion have written to the Veterinary Record to complain: In the letter, they write: "...we are concerned at the repeated misrepresentation, in Parliament, of what it - the motion - said." "RCVS Council was quite clear that an inquiry merely into the scientific aspects... was insufficient. The inquiry must be free to pursue all aspects, including the political aspects..." Political aspects like: was science-based policy subverted, when Tony Blair so publicly took control, to make things look good for a June election? Then, the epidemic was "under control" and we were "on the home straight". It all depends, of course, on what you mean by a public inquiry. Everyone's agreed the Phillips Inquiry into BSE isn't the way to do it. It took three-years, cost £35million and lawyers had a field day. Most agree with the RCVS - follow the model of 1967 - the Northumberland report into that outbreak took 18 months. But there doesn't seem to be a formal mechanism for asking the important political questions. Which might explain why ministers, when asked, won't commit themselves, even to a Northumberland-style inquiry. So in the void, the clamour for a public inquiry grows:

The Financial Times: "...the best way to learn the lessons.."

The Independent: "if ever a scandal cried out for a public inquiry, it is this one."

The Daily Mail: this is "a regime that can't bear the slightest breath of criticism."

In fact, there WILL be an inquiry that might get to the root of much of policy and politics.

The National Audit Office and the Commons Public Accounts Committee are to run a year-long investigation. They may yet turn out to be the saviours of those who want the foot and mouth crisis properly examined. July 31

County is to hold public virus probe
Exeter Express and Echo

Devon is to stage its own foot-and-mouth inquiry in public even if the Government does not hold a national one into the outbreak. Members from all parties on the county council's Executive Committee yesterday voted for a Select Committee-style investigation into how foot-and-mouth broke out in Devon and its effect on tourism and agriculture. If a national inquiry is arranged later, the evidence taken by the county will be passed on. July 31

A Brecon farmer's struggle
BBC Wales

...father-of-three Mr Davies, 40, told BBC News Online the unfolding tragedy on the hills threatens to kill off a century-old way of life as well as his sixth-generation family farm... "It is like a bereavement watching your generations of animals killed, but, even though I know these farmers well, I don't feel able to talk about it with anyone. It is a tremendous emotional upheaval for everyone. We could be witnessing the grand finale of farming

It is an unspoken thing in the village - it is just too hard to talk about, so I just sit here and watch the news.....

Without the hefted system, the hills would become absolutely chaos If my sheep have to be culled, they would be impossible to re-establish and it is absolute rubbish to claim otherwise. Without the hefted system, the hills would become absolutely chaos. The refusal to use vaccinations is horrendous. Every other country which has had foot-and-mouth disease is using vaccinations made Britain - we must be the laughing stock of the world." July 31

'More bad news' could follow cull
BBC

As a cull of 1,500 more sheep on the Brecon Beacons is prepared, the Welsh Assembly has warned there could be "more bad news". In a meeting on Tuesday morning, graziers agreed with Welsh Assembly officials on a second mass cull, following the weekend's slaughter of 4,000 animals in the national park..A further 4,000 sheep will be brought down from the Beacons and tested on Thursday, as farmers fear the chance of saving remaining hefted flocks is dwindling. The Welsh Assembly's rural affairs committee, which is in recess, will convene on Tuesday to discuss the latest outbreak ....
But Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones said on Tuesday morning that epidemiologists' tests had established the latest Beacons outbreaks had not come from any "sinister or illegal" source. (warmwell note: these "tests" must be multi-faceted indeed. The Elisa test - the one used on these sheep to test for antibodies does NOT show the presence of current active virus. That can only be done with the lab-based VNT test, too time-consuming for the government. One is left wondering which third possible test established the "source" of the infection - sinister or not - to which Mr Carwyn Jones refers here. It would be reassuring to be able to believe what one reads in the press at this tragic time)

Second cull ordered on Brecon Beacons
Ananova

A second cull of 1,500 sheep on the Brecon Beacons has been ordered. The Welsh Assembly's move comes after further tests revealed evidence of foot-and-mouth disease. The disease has been discovered in a second batch of tests on around 2,000 sheep. ( warmwell.note: confusion of terms again. i.e.the tests revealed antibodies that confer immunity. The existence of active virus has been assumed without testing)

The blame game
Comment from the Daily Mail

Foot-and-mouth, contrary to pre-election assurances, is not tailing off. New outbreaks are still running at about four a day. In addition, Ministers are hugely embarrassed by the discovery that the taxpayer is being overcharged for the clean-up of contaminated farms.
How convenient then that there are now claims that farmers are conniving in the infection of their own animals to win compensation. No hard evidence has yet been produced,....jul31

More foot and mouth found in Brecon Beacons despite cull
Yorkshire Post

...The latest news comes the night before Assembly members are called back from their summer recess for a Rural Affairs Committee meeting to discuss a £65m rural recovery plan announced by Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones last week.
(Carwyn Jones:)"Vaccination is not appropriate either. Many of the sheep are already infected, and others will be incubating the disease. "Vaccination will not protect these animals. (sic) Tests to distinguish vaccinated animals from those with the disease exist, but are complex and just not practical for widespread use."July 31

Farmers 'in limbo' on disinfection
Yorkshire Post

OPPOSITION leader William Hague last night called on the Government to resume secondary cleansing and disinfection of farms. Ministers ordered the suspension of the work pending a review of the costs involved. Some reports suggested that the disinfections were costing #100,000 per farm. Mr Hague claimed there was widespread anger among farmers in his Richmond constituency who had lost livestock. "Many farmers are very cynical about the fact that the decision was taken almost as soon as Parliament rose for summer recess when the problem about expenditure must have been apparent before then," he said.Mr Hague added: "Many farmers have been left in limbo by the decision to suspend disinfection and feel that they are yet again being penalised after experiencing levels of distress that we can only begin to imagine." ..... July 31

NFU leader calls for renewed effort to kill foot and mouth
Yorkshire Post

Mr Gill is backing the new bio-security cordon which is being thrown around a 900-square mile area in North Yorkshire in an attempt to isolate the infection hotspot near Thirsk. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs yesterday gave details of the measures announced by Food Chain Minister Lord Whitty last week. They include the bio-security intensification around 1,200 livestock holdings stretching from North-allerton to the outskirts of York and from Harrogate and Ripon to Malton and Helmsley...Mr Gill, whose own farm near Easingwold is within the new bio-security zone, acknowledged that the tighter security would come as a blow to North Yorkshire farmers. ...Defra's regional operations director Dr Stephen Hunter said 40,000 sheep in the Vale of York would be blood-tested in the next fortnight to establish if they had the disease. ...... Dr Hunter defended the delay in the introduction of the measures, saying it took time to arrive at reasonable, enforceable and practical solutions. July 31

Foot and mouth 'war zone' declared in North Yorks
Guardian

Government vets are to test 50,000 sheep in North Yorkshire in the most intensive campaign yet against foot and mouth, amid renewed concern the virus could spread to Britain's premier pig farms a few miles south. Police and council trading standards officers yesterday started patrolling roads and farm gates round the clock in a new 900 square mile biosecurity zone near the town of Thirsk....In North Yorkshire, the security measures will mean officials from Defra riding shotgun on licensed milk and feed lorries to ensure vehicles are properly disinfected. Farmers or hauliers breaking regulations face fines of up to #5,000. It follows the decision to slaughter 9,000 pigs at Skip ton-on-Swale, near Thirsk, as a precaution because their breeding unit was classed as a "dangerous contact". The owners run another farm nearby (warmwell note: 8 miles away according to the Yorkshire Post) which went down with foot and mouth at the weekend.
The action follows the culling of 4,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons after tests showed foot and mouth anti-bodies, indicating they had contracted the disease and subsequently recovered. Tests are being undertaken on another 6,000 animals in the area, raising fears many more will be slaughtered. Ministers will wait 30 days to assess the success in North Yorkshire before deciding whether to either introduce biosecurity zones elsewhere, or finally opt for a limited vaccination to curb the spread of foot and mouth. Alarm bells will start ringing if anti-bodies are found in any of the 50,000 - raising the prospect of slaughter on a scale exceeding the Beacons weekend cull July 31

More foot-and-mouth found on Brecon Beacons
Ananova

....Further tests on 2,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons have found positive results of foot-and-mouth. A spokeswoman for the National Assembly for Wales said officials are contacting graziers in the area individually to discuss what steps to take next. The news comes after 4,000 sheep in the Beacons were culled because of foot-and-mouth. Graziers in the area had feared the worst after tests were carried out on more sheep in the area. July 31

FOOT AND MOUTH PAYOUTS SCRAPPED
Daily Record

BIG payments to farmers hit by foot and mouth were scrapped by the Government last night. And growing evidence was emerging last night of herds being deliberately infected. (warmwell note: this evidence is not further explained however)

Foot-and-mouth 'cost $3.25bn' By Ed Crooks and Jim Pickard
Financial Times

cost of foot-and-mouth disease to the British taxpayer has risen to $3.25bn (£2.28bn), the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs revealed on Monday. The size of the bill has led to urgent attempts by the government to bring the costs of cleaning up farms and the slaughter and disposal programme under control. On Monday night ministers halted the practice of paying standard sums, often well above market prices, as compensation for some slaughtered livestock. From now on independent valuers will asses all compensation levels based on market prices. The figure for the cost of foot-and-mouth covers government spending on vets, slaughter and disposal of animals, disinfection and other clean-up costs. It does not include lost tax revenues or other losses borne by farmers and other businesses..... July 31

Compensation clamp - Julian Rush
Channel Four News

The generous payments for farmers whose animals had been infected with foot and mouth disease are being phased out from today. In future, independent valuers will assess compensation levels on a case-by-case basis. Ministers say they had decided on the move BEFORE new claims emerged that the unscrupulous might be trying to infect animals so that farmers could claim the compensation payments. ....In the Brecons, they're waiting for the results of the latest blood tests - amid evidence of inconsistent policies.

In Brecon, positive results lead to wide culls. In the Lake District, the policy is to kill as few as possible of the similar hefted flocks - the Herdwickes.

This - as tomorrow a clinical virologist will present the Welsh Assembly with her plan for vaccinating the Brecon sheep. Dr Ruth Watkins says the culling policy is based on flawed science. There is scant evidence, she says, antibody-positive sheep are potential carriers. (See warmwell page on antibodies) First results from the latest Brecon blood tests may come tomorrow. Unless Dr Watkins can persuade the Welsh Assembly to change its policy, the slaughter teams will be back in the hills again. July 30

Virus equipment dumped on farm By Robert Davies, Wales correspondent
Farmers Weekly

BLOOD-SAMPLING equipment found dumped on a farm has fuelled claims that foot-and-mouth is being spread deliberately. Alan Thomas, who farms near a cluster of foot-and-mouth cases in Wales, was stunned to discover a full veterinary blood sampling syringe on his land. The sealed container and a pair of rubber gloves were lying near a footpath, about 200 yards from his farmhouse at Travellers Rest, Llangattock, he added. Mr Thomas said he had no idea whether the equipment was linked to the foot-and-mouth epidemic but the syringe was the same type vets used on his livestock. Alan Morris of the Farmers' Union of Wales said he was horrified that a farmer could chance upon a blood sample, whatever the reason for it being taken. "We have heard claims about the careless disposal of protective clothing, and allegations of contractors leaving infected farms to shop or visit a pub," he said. "There must be an immediate high level inquiry into this find and into a new claim that the virus is being offered for sale." FARMERS WEEKLY reported almost two months ago that farmers had been offered diseased livestock so they could infect livestock and claim compensation. Now the national media is reporting claims by Pembrokeshire farmer Nuala Preston who said she was offered an infected sheep carcass for £2000. ... "I have probably opened a can of worms but hope some good will come of it." But Ms Preston, who farms at Trefoel Stud, Crymmych, said a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth should also probe claims that infective tissue is being traded. July 30

Pig cull starts as vale is threatened - Brian Dooks
Yorkshire Post

ONE of the biggest foot and mouth culls in the region was underway in North Yorkshire yesterday as the Government ordered the slaughter of nearly 9,000 pigs to reinforce its determination to stop the virus spreading across the Vale of York.
The sows and piglets, valued at more than £500,000, are on a high security, disease free, intensive breeding unit at the Second World War bomber airfield at Skipton-on-Swale, between the A1 and Thirsk.....Ministry vets, who began supervising the slaughter on Saturday, have not found any sign of infection in the animals during the first two days of the operation, but they are being killed as a precaution because the unit is regarded as a dangerous contact....Their owner, Robin Bosomworth and his son, Trevor, had 211 cattle slaughtered at Abbotts Close Farm at Sutton Road, Thirsk, after foot and mouth disease was confirmed there on Friday. Nearly 300 cattle had to be slaughtered at their home at Marderby Hall....they are eight miles away. Richard Lister, a pig farmer from Boroughbridge, said: "I know Trevor and his father have run the enterprises separately and there has been no contact involving staff or machinery for at least a month. July 30

£40,000 BILL AS BOY'S PETS ARE SLAUGHTERED
Cumbria News and Star

A CUMBRIAN family face a legal bill of up to £40,000 after their teenage son's pet goats were slaughtered because they were deemed to be a foot-and-mouth risk to 1,500 nearby cattle. Christine and John Hodgson, of Pear Tree House, Newton Arlosh, near Wigton, withdrew their challenge in the High Court in London yesterday against the decision by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to cull the animals after blood tests revealed six of the nine goats had developed positive antibodies. Just hours later, at around 2pm, Defra officials moved onto the premises to slaughter the animals. The goats, with names including Billy, Spot, Weather, Izzy and Milky, were the much-loved pets of the Hodgsons' 16-year-old son Joseph, who was born with cerebral palsy and has learning difficulties. A Vietnamese pot-bellied pig was also killed....The court costs could be as much as #40,000. We just don't have that sort of money. It is a tragedy the Government insists on slaughtering animals with antibodies. "These are healthy animals which have never shown any signs of the disease and by virtue of having developed antibodies are now naturally vaccinated.."
(warmwell comment: if the goats had had this highly infectious disease before developing antibodies as the "tests" claim, how was it that the pig, their constant companion, remained unaffected?)Calls for a vaccination campaign to beat foot and mouth were enthusiastically welcomed at a public meeting in Penrith last night. More than 300 people packed into Penrith Rugby Club to hear a succession of speakers call for vaccination and "direct action'' to change Government policy.posted July 29

Inquiry into farmers 'infecting sheep'
Guardian

The government last night ordered an investigation into claims that farmers have been deliberately infecting healthy animals with foot and mouth disease in scams to get compensation far above the market values of their animals. ..The move by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) follows months of alleged scams culminating in a farmer revealing that she had been offered an infected sheep for £2,000. ..The inquiry is also to investigate widely reported suggestions that illegal livestock movements have contributed to the spread of foot and mouth. ...Ministers believe the government has been ripped off (sic) because only one in 10 farmers in affected areas has used a standard rate valuation designed to hasten culling and provide swift compensation; the rest have used indepen-dent valuers who have negotiated much higher packages....A government source estimated last night that the price of animals had risen by 50% during the crisis. Many cattle fetching £600 in January, when a market still existed, are given a paper value of £900 when trade has all but ceased. ..At the weekend, 4,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons were culled when an outbreak was confirmed. One new case of foot and mouth was confirmed yesterday, bringing the total number to 1,902. July 30

Prices rigged to inflate farmers' foot and mouth compensation
Guardian

...."What has made quite a few people in the government angry is that, to help farmers, a standard rate was intro duced on compensation designed to speed up the culling process and fast-track help. To make it attractive, the rates were pitched quite generously - all in the upper quartile of average valuations..." (See Today)July 30

Farmers face virus fraud inquiry
The Times

The inquiry by investigative officers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is focusing on Cumbria where there have been numerous reports that farmers and possibly slaughtermen have offered infected sheep and cattle, tails and ears for sale to disease-free farms. It has been ordered by Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, and the two other ministers responsible for agriculture, Elliot Morley and Lord Whitty...There is anger and concern inside the Government that some farmers might be seeking to take advantage of the generous foot-and-mouth compensation scheme. Farmers are paid £90, for example, for a slaughtered ewe, more than double the value for a poor quality animal. An urgent review of the scheme, which was introduced on March 22 to speed up the cull of infected farms within 24 hours, is taking place and ministers might even scrap it to prevent further abuse. ...A Defra spokesman last night officially confirmed that an investigation was going on. "We cannot yet say much about it, people are not being very open with us,"he said. July 30

Scots farming leader attacks Blair
BBC

...Jim Walker, NFU Scotland president, said Mr Blair had turned his back on farmers following his general election victory. Mr Walker also said he was worried many sheep farmers were facing bankruptcy because of the lack of a lamb export market. People are going bankrupt and just because foot-and-mouth is not in the headlines any more doesn't mean the problem has gone away." He added:"Tony Blair was never too busy before the election to fit us in but he's turned his back now he's got his election victory. ... July 29

The blame game - Daily Mail comment July 31 2001

Foot-and-mouth, contrary to pre-election assurances, is not tailing off. New outbreaks are still running at about four a day. In addition, Ministers are hugely embarrassed by the discovery that the taxpayer is being overcharged for the clean-up of contaminated farms.

How convenient then that there are now claims that farmers are conniving in the infection of their own animals to win compensation. No hard evidence has yet been produced, though one farmer in Wales says she was offered an infected sheep for #2000.

We seem to have been here before. In March, Downing Street tried to turn attention from the Government's failure to contain the disease by suggesting that 'dodgy farmers' were helping to spread it by transporting sheep round the country to make fraudulent claims for EU subsidies.

Now it has now ordered an investigation into these latest claims. Proof of fraud might eventually be established.

But is is not odd that a regime which refuses to allow its own role in this tragedy to be properly scrutinised in a public inquiry has no qualms about putting the farmers' behaviour under the spotlight?

(Daily Mail comment this morning July 31)

TOP

Slaughter is mark of a failed policy COMMENTARY BY MAGNUS LINKLATER
The Times

THE slaughter of 4,000 irreplaceable Welsh Mountain Sheep on the Brecon Beacons, is not only unjustified, it is stark evidence of a policy that has failed scientifically, practically and politically.
These animals did not need to die. The majority of them were already carrying antibodies - clear evidence that the disease had been with them for some time; they were thus no longer infectious.

The small minority that may have been incubating the disease could, and should have been vaccinated, both to save the breed and to stem the epidemic.

What the Government's scientific advisers seem incapable of recognising is that killing sheep is not only crude, it is proving wholly ineffective. By the time the disease has been identified in a flock it is almost certainly several jumps ahead. The men from DEFRA have been attempting to catch up with it for the past six months, so far with conspicuous lack of success.

The point about vaccination is that it would mean, for once, being in front of the disease rather than behind it. By vaccinating the "hefted" sheep on the Brecon Beacons, a "cordon sanitaire" would be created, which would be quick and less distressing than slaughter. (the rest of the article)

Britain Defends Latest Foot And Mouth Cull
Reuters

Elliott Morley said a further 6,000 sheep on Wales' Brecon Beacon hills were being tested for the virus as farmers' leaders and animal welfare groups called for vaccination as an alternative to the devastating culls."The disease is cycling within the flocks so there is a very high risk of active disease taking place,"Morley told BBC Radio of tests on Hested (sic.i.e.hefted) sheep in the Brecon Beacons. "In these circumstances you do have to cull the sheep."...Sheep with the antibodies can develop and pass on the highly-contagious infection which causes blisters on the feet and mouths of cloven-hooved animals. Some 6,000 more sheep may be slaughtered next week if test results prove positive....Vaccination is a problem in sheep. I'm not aware of any country that does vaccinate sheep in relationship to foot and mouth....The British government has been wary of adopting a large-scale vaccination program against the disease. It is fearful of angering farmers by losing the ''foot-and-mouth-free'' status for British meat which gives it access to valuable export markets. (warmwell comment. It is hard to credit such a catalogue of inaccuracy and misinformation in one news article. Please see any of the vaccination pages or read Alan Beat's latest update.)

Army's carcass dump blamed for latest outbreak
Times

BLAME for a devastating new outbreak of foot-and-mouth was being placed yesterday on a mass burial site for culled animals in a military firing range in Wales. The cull of 4,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons began last night after valuers agreed compensation for the doomed flocks. What farmers and local businessmen want to know, however, is how the disease reached the area so long after the Prime Minister said that the battle against foot-and-mouth was on the "home stretch".

Brian Powdrill, chairman of Brecon Beacons National Park, and Christopher Gledhill, the chief executive, have written to Rhodri Morgan, Welsh First Minister, calling for vaccinations to be considered for sheep in the Beacons. Carwyn Jones, Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, has ruled out that option, however, saying: "If we started to vaccinate sheep, we would have to vaccinate all 11 million sheep in Wales."

Cull will leave hillsides without a speck of hope BY DOMINIC KENNEDY
The Times

...David Jones, group secretary for the National Farmers' Union in Brecon, representing 210 farmers, nearly all of whom farm sheep, said hefted flocks were irreplaceable. "The only alternative would be for a farmer and his men to stand there on the hill with their dogs for days on end getting their sheep back to their heft. Younger farmers have said that if they get foot-and-mouth, they are not going back to farming. They'd rather go on a building site or drive a van. At the moment, there's nothing in it anyway." He said that there were serious implications for the economy beyond the farm gate. "The amount of consumers that are riding on the back of those sheep is phenomenal. There are so many people relying on those sheep being where they are. The haulier, the feed merchant, the petrol garage, the shop in town, myself, and so you go on." posted July 28

'Only jabs will halt disaster'
Western Daily Press

The Government is being urged to rethink its vaccination policy, with campaigners warning of a new foot-and-mouth catastrophe in autumn. Two Tory MEPs have warned agriculture commissioner Frans Fischler to put the EU on a war footing to guard against a return of the disease later this year.Their calls coincided with the publication of yet more research illustrating how badly the countryside has been damaged by the disease. Compassion in World Farming says vaccination is now essential, following tests revealing a significant number 4,000 sheep culled in the Brecon Beacons carrying the disease. Campaigners believe tens of thousands of free-ranging sheep may now be infected, raising fears that foot-and-mouth will erupt again when the colder weather leads the animals to become more stressed in the autumn. CIWF says all healthy animals should now been vaccinated. Political and legal director Peter Stevenson said "We vaccinate chickens, cattle and pigs against other diseases so we cannot leave animals vulnerable to foot-and mouth purely on economic concerns that we could lose our export trade."July 28

Prince shows his solidarity with the countryside By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
Telegraph

THE Prince of Wales visited the Game Fair yesterday, for the first time in more than a decade, underlining a different aspect of his message - that the rural way of life was at risk.. .....No Labour minister attended the fair, always one of the high points of the country year and this year the first national country show of the summer because of foot and mouth. Richard Burge, director of the Countryside Alliance, said it was preposterous that officials at Margaret Beckett's new Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had not advised any ministers to come. Oliver Harwood, a senior member of the Country Land and Business Association, which organises the fair, said he was sorry that Mrs Beckett had been unable to attend.July 28

Million lambs from the hills face slaughter
The Times

...The Government believes there are 1.3 million too many mountain lambs, mainly from Wales, Cumbria and Devon, which are usually exported to the Continent. With the export ban imposed in the wake of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, they form a huge surplus. July 28

Beacons sheep cull 'vital'
BBC

The Welsh Rural Affairs Minister has been defending the slaughter of 4,000 sheep on the Brecon Beacons...It had been due to begin on Friday morning but was delayed for most of the day because the value of the animals could not be agreed on - with one grazier demanding £1m for his flock...David Prosser and his wife Doreen have been farming in the Brecon Beacons for the past 30 years and 1,000 of their ewes and lambs are being prepared for slaughter. Our whole livelihood has gone. I just do not know what the future will bring Farmer's wife Doreen Prosser Mrs Prosser said: "It is impossible to explain how I am feeling. There is just a big hole in my stomach. "This is it, our whole livelihood has gone. I just do not know what the future will bring." Farmers' Union of Wales deputy president Glyn Powell said: "Where does it all end? The hills here roll into each other and there is no physical barrier. They go on for miles and miles. "This disease is consuming the heartland of Wales.".....July 28

Plea for aid 'ignored' in Dales crisis
Yorkshire Post

...Officials at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have failed to respond to an urgent request made by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward almost two months ago for £2.5m in emergency aid to keep businesses in the Dales alive...The agency has not even received an acknowledgment of its request, and is now likely to protest to Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett. Her Department's failure to reply to the request has angered business leaders in the Dales, where the rural economy has been crippled by the Settle cluster of foot and mouth cases with a quarter of a million animals slaughtered on more than 400 farms.Rural tourism in Yorkshire, worth £1.7bn a year, has been losing up to £75m a month. .July 28

HORROR ON A PLATE
Cumbria News and Star

Wigton-based artist Paul Scott's new exhibition at the Beacon in Whitehaven tackles important, up-to-date issues in an unusual manner - through pottery.He prints images on to ceramic plates depicting aspects of Sellafield, Marchon and the foot and mouth epidemic. ....It is quite a shock to see this kind of plate, usually decorated with idyllic country scenes, depicting Sellafield and Marchon's chimneys - not to mention slaughtered cattle. The Beacon's own valuable pottery collection is on display next to Mr Scott's work, showing the stark differences between the two....Flicking through the visitors' book, the reaction has been largely positive. ...this really hits home. You drive around the countryside and it seems so bare in some places because of the lack of animals in the fields. These plates show that very well. The animal is notably absent.."I hope a set is going to No. 10," said one comment...July 28

Farming co-operative gives its backing to Journal campaign by Nikki Sargeson Hold the front page co.uk

The Newcastle Journal's campaign for an independent public inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis has received the backing of one of Northumberland's largest farming co-operatives. Cheviot Farmers will be circulating the paper's petition forms to all of its 300 members, calling for Prime Minister Tony Blair to sanction a full, impartial and public investigation into the epidemic. .".many farmers feel the Government is trying to bury this away" July 28

Horror from the heart
Telegraph

Foot and mouth has inspired a gripping children's novel, says Jonny Beardsall ....Michael Morpurgo: The horror was foot and mouth disease. "People in towns don't understand what it has meant to farmers. It's not because they're ignorant . . . they've read the papers and watched the news, but they cannot appreciate what it is like for those who've lived through it.... It wasn't coming across in the press. You saw the plight of the poor animals, but rarely the human side. You didn't see the harsh reality for those farmers who, every day, had to go round checking for sores and blisters with hearts in their mouths... Angry but not vitriolic, he does not blame anyone. "I just resent the way that politicians kept saying it was under control and treated us like children when everyone here knew this was not the case. I'd rather they'd been frank and said, 'ts a hellish thing, we're doing our best' "I'm not a scientist or even a proper farmer, but I do think we should have vaccinated as well as culled very early on. It seems to me that if they'd done that and not worried about exports for a minute, we'd be a lot better off now." July 28

FRIDAY JULY 27 2001 - "We are sleepwalking to disaster" Dr Richard North today.

Culling - what alternative?
Channel Four news report with Julian Rush

The four thousand are to die because one hundred and twelve tested positive for antibodies to foot and mouth. The Welsh Assembly's Rural Affairs Minister insists the cull is necessary to stop the spread of the disease.....the alternative - a detailed plan for vaccinating the Brecon sheep, drawn up by a clinical virologist, Dr Ruth Watkins. Exactly the body of evidence Mr Gledhill was referring to. It's been sent to England's Chief Vet, Jim Scudamore. We asked several times today to speak to him, but he was not available.July 27

Farmers fail to keep paths closed by Clive White Bradford Telegraph

Footpaths across most of the area will be re-opened from midnight tonight - despite deep fears by Worth Valley farmers that they would be hit by foot and mouth disease...But Councillor Kris Hopkins (Con, Worth Valley) said he had collected a 700-name petition within a short time because feeling was so strong. He said: "DEFRA have drawn arbitrary lines and have been contradicting themselves for four months. "Farmers in the Worth Valley are dismayed and fear further outbreaks. ..July 27

FAMILY `DEVASTATED' AS LEGAL BID FAILS TO SAVE PETSAnanova

..Stephen Smith QC, for the family, told a judge the goats had tested positive for the virus (i.e.there were antibodies) and there was no defence to the slaughter order sought by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He told Mr Justice Harrison: "Yesterday, sadly Mrs Hodgson signed the forms and the slaughter is going ahead today." Expressing sympathy, the Judge said: "It tugs at the heartstrings...
"These animals are his life and compensation will not compensate Joseph for the loss of these animals," said Mrs Hodgson. .July 27

Widespread protest after cull decision
Craven Herald

Helen Waite tried to save her livestock which was grazing on land in Burnside, Skipton, after foot and mouth disease was confirmed at her Silsden farm..."I had been fighting for a week with the ministry and lost. We tried to make DEFRA realise that we didn't think they were a risk but they thought they were. The animals had to go."posted July 27

Radio Four Today Programme
Listen BBC Today

one of the Brecon graziers, Julia. She said that she was going to have to help with the cull today, because "The Ministry haven't got the skills - we don't want them knocking our sheep around". She went on to say, "It's not a day you want to go up on the hill with your dogs to gather your sheep in......"
She said they hadn't been given a chance to discuss the situation properly and that the only road open to them was the long, difficult and expensive legal road, which Julia said "a simple farmer like myself can't take on". She said that DEFRA had frightened people into letting them take their animals - that there had been a really strong graziers' association, but that had been broken up and "they're now picking us off one by one". It's absolutely bloody tragic!
The programme also interviewed a ministry vet from the 1967 outbreak, who accused this government of "mismanagement, cruelty and ignorance" and said, "There's no need for this mad cull - this bloodlust - this working on the basis that if you have an empty field, you don't have the disease!" He also advocated on-farm burial and spoke out against "moving infected animals around the country for rendering". He mentioned that there is a rendering plant near Warrington and also an outbreak near Warrington and said he felt that the infection had come either from the plant or, more likely, from a lorry carrying infected animals.
Finally, Jim Scudamore was spoken to, who was rather put out when the first question he was asked was about FMD in general, and said his understanding was that he was going to be asked about the Brecon sheep. The interviewer went on to press the point that Tony Blair had said that they were on the home run and would be down to zero FMD cases by 7 June, to which Jim S. replied that they had achieved a great deal, they were left with 3 or 4 hotspots - they had always said there would be a tail - and they had to get on top of these tails now!
When asked about the Brecon sheep, Jim S. said that some had been found with antibodies at a high level, some at a medium level and some with no antibodies (but they could well be incubating the disease). These results showed that the disease was still present in the flocks and had not passed through, because of the levels of the antibodies. The interviewer asked if this meant that there was a possibility that all sheep on Brecon were going to be slaughtered - and J.S. didn't really answer that - said they would be testing, and would also be testing all contiguous farms.
The interviewer ended by saying that we had lived with FMD for many years and the handling of this outbreak had been driven by political considerations. J.S. denied that and said that the principles of disease control had been no different now than at any other time. July 27

Pressure maintained for public inquiry
Farmers Guardian article July 27

Farmers' foot and mouth disease compensation cheques are being paid by the
"EU Livestock Reduction Fund"

according to Farmers Guardian readers who have contacted FG to support our call for a public enquiry into the disease. Compensation cheques are paid directly into farm bank accounts rather than being sent first to the farmer. FG readers say they only became aware that cheques were not drawn on DEFRA or the Government when they were alerted by bank staff. This has reinforced many farmers' fears foot and mouth is being used by the Government as an excuse to reduce the number of farmers and their livestock. ..July 27

Cull will leave hillsides without a speck of hope
The Times

THE future of Welsh Mountain Sheep, one of the toughest breeds in the world, looked bleak today as slaughtermen were scheduled to begin culling 4,000 of them on hillsides famous to ramblers for stunning waterfalls and steep spruce forests.
"The lambs are on the hillsides with their mothers," Gareth Davies, 40, who has 600 ewes, said. The next spring, when the lambs go back as the future stock, that's the place they know and that's the place they stay. There's no dividing fences but 99.9 per cent of the stock will stay in their walks. If you went and bought sheep from the market that weren't from this area and turned them straight out the gate, there's very little chance they would come back through the gate. They would be trying to find their own home."
"The amount of consumers that are riding on the back of those sheep is phenomenal. There are so many people relying on those sheep being where they are. The haulier, the feed merchant, the petrol garage, the shop in town, myself, and so you go on." July 27

Uplands will revert to scrub, say owners
Telegraph

LARGE expanses of Britain's most scenic countryside are in danger of degenerating into wilderness and scrubland due to Government bungling of the foot and mouth crisis, some of Britain's leading estate owners warn in a report out today....Many tenants, says the report, will keep the compensation money they get for their culled animals and get out of farming. Few estate owners had any plans for using the surplus grassland. A third said they would have redundant buildings. Some old ones would be destroyed because they were too difficult to disinfect. The owners and their agents expressed anger with the Government for mishandling the epidemic. July 27

Queen sympathises with rural victimes
Telegraph

..she has a good grasp of what is going on..July 27

Beacons cull could wipe out entire flock
Telegraph

MARKSMEN will begin culling 4,000 sheep on the Brecon Beacons today, amid fears that the foot and mouth epidemic could wipe out the entire flock. The cull was ordered after blood tests in five areas, including Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in the range, showed flocks had been exposed to the virus. The animals showed antibodies to the disease rather than full-blown foot and mouth. ...Glyn Davies, chairman of the assembly's rural affairs committee, predicted further culls, saying "vast tracts" of the British flock could be wiped out. He said: "It will probably mean a lot more sheep will be culled in other parts of the UK on top of these 4,000."....The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs tried to play down the seriousness of the Beacons cull. It said it had tested "tens of thousands" of sheep and discovered no traces of the disease outside areas where it was already known to exist.July 27

Protests greet Blair's morale-boosting trip
Telegraph

Prime Minister faced renewed calls for an inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis yesterday as he ventured out on what was meant to be a morale-boosting visit to the Lake District. Tony Blair was confronted by a handful of angry demonstrators shortly before opening a national mountaineering exhibition at the Rheged Discovery Centre near Penrith. Later he endured an occasionally heated private meeting with tourism and farming officials desperate to see the Government provide more practical help. Despite Downing Street claims that tourism figures, even in Cumbria, have climbed back to between 70 and 80 per cent of what they would be in a normal year, many businessmen say they are in urgent need of direct financial aid. Businesses are closing on a daily basis, and survivors say that unless they receive more help, they too will face bankruptcy.
Deborah Cowin, a member of the Cumbria Crisis Alliance, said: "Visitor numbers may be up, but in March they were virtually nil so there's only one way the figures could have gone." Asked whether he might have preferred to have holidayed in the Lake District, he said: "It would be a good idea, wouldn't it? It's a wonderful place." July 27

Court 'test case' on compensation
Farmers Guardian 27 July 2001

Welsh Assembly Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones is being taken to court for non-payment of interest on compensation for stock slaughtered as part of the foot-and-mouth cull. Fellow Assembly Member Peter Rogers, who farms on Anglesey and is Conservative agriculture spokesman, says he is taking the action as a test case for the hundreds of farmers shortchanged as a result of delayed compensation payments. July 27

Foot and mouth ashes fear
Gloucester Citizen

Ash from foot-and-mouth livestock pyres has been transported from the region's worst-hit farms to be buried in Gloucestershire. The news has angered the Forest of Dean Foot-and-Mouth Action Group, which was furious to discover that ash from pyres which have burned across the South West is to be buried at the Bishop's Cleeve landfill site. They said it may trigger another outbreak. The ash being stored in Gloucestershire in large containers at a depot in Coleford is coming from Devon where the disease is still causing devastation to farmers. It is not clear why ash is being stored from other parts of the region in the county but the allocation of landfill sites was made by the Government during the epidemic. Although the risk of reinfection is minimal, Carole Youngs, who successfully campaigned against the slaughter of healthy animals during the crisis, says even a minimal risk is not acceptable. July 27

Dissidents 'could raise disease risk'
Yorkshire Post

DISSIDENT landowners who have started to remove signs saying public rights of way have been re-opened are devaluing the system of foot-and-mouth restrictions, causing confusion and increasing the risk of the disease being spread, it was claimed yesterday. Since the council began putting up its green signs marking the footpaths and bridleways which are considered safe to use, it has received a growing number of reports that many are disappearing. Following an emergency meeting called by Pateley Bridge Town Council on Tuesday, to which all parishes in Nidderdale were invited, the 66 people present voted unanimously against co-operating with the county council in the re-opening of rights of way. July 27

Protesters Jeer Blair In Cumbria
Sky News

Tony Blair was jeered by farmers today as he claimed the tourist industry was back in good health again after the foot-and-mouth crisis...demonstrators at the Rheged Centre said Mr Blair's figures about the recovering tourist industry did not tell the full story. Deborah Cowin, who runs the Necessary Angel Art and Crafts shop in Keswick, said a revival in trade during October would be too little too late to keep many people in business.July 27

Audit office foot-and-mouth inquiry - Valerie Elliott
The Times

THE Government's public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, has begun an urgent inquiry into the handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The investigation, ordered by Sir John Bourn, the Comptroller and Auditor General, will examine every aspect of the crisis in terms of value for the money spent by the Government. A team of auditors has started work on a report that will be scrutinised by the Commons' powerful Public Accounts Committee.

News of the NAO move emerged after Tony Blair was jeered by farmers on a trip to Cumbria over his failure to set up a public inquiry into the outbreak. The Conservatives joined the call for an inquiry yesterday, saying that for Mr Blair to promise only an internal inquiry with an unspecified remit at an unspecified time was inadequate. July 27

Plug danger loopholes, say farmers
Ely Standard

MORE time and money must be pumped into protecting the UK from illegal imports if serious human, animal and plant diseases are not to be brought into the country, says the NFU. The UK has been exposed to a host of diseases from swine fever and foot and mouth to potato brown rot....Foot and mouth has been a complete catastrophe but this could pale almost to insignificance compared with what would happen if serious human diseases like Ebola ever reached our shores....In March the Association of Port Health Authorities warned of "serious deficiencies" in the current controls for preventing illegal meat from entering Britain. July 27

.

Graziers may challenge virus cull
Farmers Weekly

Edwin Harris, chairman of the Commoners' Association, says there is strong support for applying for an injunction to limit the slaughter to just these animals. His members want the remaining animals to be re-tested at a later date and claim it could take 20 or 30 years to fully restock the hills with hefted sheep. Blood tests on the first 4000 head showed that up to 10% of sheep in some hefted flocks carried virus antibodies, indicating in contact with foot-and-mouth. The Welsh National Assembly immediately ordered the destruction of the lot. NFU Cymru president Hugh Richards fears that all the 40,000 free roaming sheep in south Powys and adjoining commons could be wiped out. July 26 (this suggests that what was found was only antibodies - not current virus.)

Beacons prepares for sheep slaughter
BBC WALES

The Graziers Association is meeting at the local army barracks to decide whether to seek a legal injunction. Thousands of sheep face slaughter The cull proposals are being prepared for a farm which had already tested positive for the disease and 6,000 more sheep are due to be tested. ...In a letter to Carwyn Jones, Brecon Beacons National Park chairman Brian Powdrill said vaccination would be a better solution than a cull. He said: "We are facing a disaster that is rapidly turning into a tragedy. "The disappearance of hefted flocks will have a disastrous effect on traditional land management in the area and wide ranging social and economic effects on the farming community." ...Farming leaders in Powys said they were worried about whether flocks on the hills can ever be successfully re-stocked. July 26

Ministers under fire over sheep cull
Ananova

Compassion in World Farming criticised the Government for following its "flawed" mass slaughter policy and ordering the cull of 4,000 sheep in the Brecon Beacons. It also warned that the crisis would reach mammoth proportions unless the Government took the necessary precautions before the cooler autumn months....July 26

Farmers fight to stop mass cull
Western daily Press

Farmers could take legal action this morning to prevent a huge cull going ahead after foot-and-mouth disease was discovered in sheep on the Brecon Beacons. The National Assembly told graziers at a meeting in Brecon yesterday that it planned to cull 4,000 animals, beginning this morning, after antibodies were found in sheep on the mountains.
But the chairman of Brecon Beacons Commoners'' Association, Edwin Harris, said later, "We are considering taking out an injunction to stop them slaughtering the sheep that are not showing antibodies. These could be retested at a later date. I think we should fight it.
"The atmosphere here is terrible. It's all doom and gloom. Everything has gone. Everything is finished. It could take 20 to 30 years to restock the hills. Until then the Beacons would be empty....July 26

Farm virus official quits amid disquiet
Independent

The most senior civil servant involved in the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth epidemic has resigned amid growing disquiet among ministers at the soaring cost of the operation. Jenny Bacon took over 10 months ago as head of the Ministry of Agriculture's animal health and environment division, which is responsible for the emergency measures necessitated by the disease. She was responsible for liaising with Downing Street over the foot-and-mouth figures and "putting the final touches" to ministers' statements on the crisis. Her decision to leave the post coincides with the mounting concern felt by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Margaret Beckett over the rising cost of the clean-up operation and the way that farmers are being compensated....
Mr Blair is said to have been unimpressed by Maff. His mood was described as "livid" by one aide after he faced William Hague at Prime Minister's Question Time, armed with out of date and incomplete statistics. July 26

New cull fears for 40,000 Welsh sheep
Independent

The Welsh authorities ordered the slaughter of 4,000 sheep yesterday after blood tests revealed the animals may have been exposed to foot-and-mouth disease. The culling plan for the Brecon Beacons raised fears that a cull of the 40,000 sheep grazing in the hills of south and central Wales may be necessary.....
A tourism college will be opened in the Lake District, the Government will announce today, as part of a drive to revive the area in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth disease. July 26

Front Page News Paths stay closed as Dale fears disease
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS and parish councils in Nidderdale, where foot-and-mouth disease remains a threat just "over the hill", are defying Government instructions to reopen public footpaths and bridleways..... in Nidderdale councillors representing the majority of parishes attended an emergency meeting called by Pateley Bridge Town Council and unanimously agreed to oppose the reopening of rights of way and refuse to co-operate in taking down closed signs....
But the official line from North Yorkshire County Council is that the rights of way open tomorrow and the closed signs will be taken down  with or without local co-operation. Any "foot-and-mouth risk" signs put up within the highway boundary will be removed.
...some sectors of the rural economy were daunted by the paperwork involved in Government measures to alleviate the financial burden. July 26

Government orders
Yorkshire Post

FROM the moment foot-and-mouth was first detected back in February, the official reaction to the spread of this virulent virus has been marked by incompetence and confusion. Conflicting advice was given about how the disease was carried and how it might be prevented. A video was eventually produced detailing the hugely costly and time-consuming procedures that farmers would need to take to prevent the disease visiting its horrors upon their farms  but this was only delivered after the worst of the epidemic was over. Not for the first time, the men from the Ministry were playing catch-up with a disease which has always been several moves ahead of their clearly inadequate contingency plans. It is no different today. Whitehall's mandarins seem to think that the decline in the overall number of cases across the country means that it is now safe for them to order every council in the land to open its footpaths to the general public. ....The people of Nidderdale are right to resist this overweening power. This is not a case of the farmers protecting their interests against those of the hotelier, the landlady, the rambler and the retailer of outdoor clothing. Everyone who lives and works in Nidderdale has an interest in keeping foot-and-mouth out of their idyllic landscape. And no-one would gain if the footpaths and by-ways were opened at the very moment when the risk of infection was at its highest. July 26

Villagers voice theur fury and fears in petition - Dave Black
The Journal

Shopkeeper Shirley Potts is leading a village revolt against the Government's reluctance to hold a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis. Dozens of people in Longhorsley, Northumberland, have signed The Journal's petition calling for an inquiry since Shirley put it up in the village store, where she is a partner, earlier this week. More than 5,500 people have now joined the demand for a public inquiry into the crisis, which has crippled the North's rural economy and wrecked the lives of thousands of people.
We believe a properly framed public inquiry is the only way to ensure that the rapid spread of the disease, the mistakes, and the often shambolic organisation which has dogged the current crisis do not happen again. The Journal believes only a public inquiry would ensure that a major industry - which provides thousands of jobs, is the mainstay of the rural life and contributes millions to the economy - never again has to endure what has been witnessed in the past few months. July 26

4000 sheep to be slaughtered in the Brecon Beacons
icNewcastle

The announcement follows an urgent meeting between graziers and Welsh Assembly officials. Mr (Carwyn) Jones added: "We are well aware that the loss of these hefted flocks will have serious environmental consequences for the Brecon Beacons. "For that reason we are already in discussions with the European Commission about the special support which will need to be made available to encourage the re-introduction of sheep onto the areas of the Brecon Beacons." July 26

From today's Farmers Weekly interactive

FWi users suspect virus cover-up

By Donald MacPhail - WHAT have you got to hide, Mr Blair? That's the question FWi users calling for a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis want answered. More than 99% of site users who have so far responded to a FWi poll believe there should be a full-blown public investigation.

EU food safety threat to farm firms

- FARM-BASED food processing and retail businesses could be forced to close in 2004 because they do not meet EU requirements on food safety.

Re-opened footpaths betray farmers'

- By Donald MacPhail RE-OPENING public footpaths is betraying farmers who have taken stringent measures to keep foot-and-mouth at bay, claims a farmers' leader. National Farmers' Union Cumbria delegate Peter Allen says disheartened producers will question why they bothered taking such efforts.

---

Magnus Linklater The Times July 28 Above all it would begin the process of halting the disease. Ring vaccination would surround an outbreak and stifle it. The best estimates are that vaccination clears the acute phase of infection in about three weeks. The majority of those animals carrying the disease clear the virus within three months. They are then an effective barrier against it spreading: vaccinated sheep have never been implicated in spreading the disease. One of the most effective advocates of vaccination is herself a Welsh sheep farmer, but also an expert virologist. Dr Ruth Watkins has, in her time, managed outbreaks of hepatitis in human beings and knows as much about the control of viruses as most of the Government's own scientific team. She says that a properly administered vaccination programme would make slaughtering hefted sheep completely unnecessary, and has drawn up a detailed report on how and where to vaccinate. It is one of the best-argued and most convincing scientific documents I have seen throughout this whole sorry saga.

TOP

As fuel prices rise so does anger
Western daily Press

The countryside, already in crisis, now faces the prospect of a new hike in petrol cost and a return to the barricades as the world's producers plan to force up the cost of crude oil .....A rise in the bulk price of diesel this week, sparked by a statement of intent from the oil-producing cartel OPEC, has already hit hauliers, who say the current situation is almost a carbon copy of the sequence of events that led to last year's crisis. And this year, angry farmers and rural hauliers have the added ingredient of resentment caused by the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Many industry spokesmen, politicians and individual fuel protestors are predicting a return to the blockades and say distraught farmers have nothing to lose. July 25

Foot and Mouth payouts "inflated"
The Times

A spokesman for Defra last night confirmed that there had been concern about valuations throughout foot-and-mouth affected areas but that the main investigation was on settlements made in the Settle-Clitheroe cluster. The spokesman was unable to say why the department's regional offices had not selected valuers from the CAAV official list and said that this was part of the inquiry.
The Government pays £500 for valuers to determine farm compensation and the valuer is also entitled to 1 per cent commission fee on the total farm settlement. A total of £893 million has so far been paid in farmers' compensation and valuers have received £4.8 million for their services and travel expenses.
Jeremy Moody, secretary of the CAAV, last night accused the Government of mishandling the payment of compensation. July 26

Clean-up halt sends wrong signals
Western Daily Press

....What do you think the EC is going to think when it looks at a government that apparently does not want to get on top of this disease? We do not want to start changing the terms and conditions now." (Tim Bennett) Farmers have been made to crawl down slurry channels"like rats in a sewer" to get rid of the foot-and-mouth virus, say National Farmers' Union officials.
The (NFU) union says it has received hundreds of complaints about the way DEFRA vets have handled the clean-up. They say the operation has been poorly supervised and has gone completely over the top in dozens of cases. July 26

Prince warns of farms collapse By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 25/07/2001)
Telegraph

THE Prince of Wales spoke yesterday about the "nightmare" of foot and mouth and warned that a flare-up of the disease in the autumn could spell the end of the countryside as we know it...."The anguish in the countryside goes on and not just where foot and mouth is still spreading. And believe me, it has not gone away even if it has come off the front pages of the newspapers," he told a press conference at St James's Palace.
As three new outbreaks were confirmed in Cumbria, taking the UK total to 1,887, the Prince spoke of "a real problem developing in the autumn and winter" when cooler weather conditions will favour the virus. Farmers are anxious that seasonal movements of lambs and young breeding ewes could again spread the virus far and wide. With outbreaks averaging up to four a day, the farming industry expects the epidemic to run well into next year - making nonsense of the Government's election claims that it was in the final stages of defeating the disease.July 25

Farm outlook grim, says Prince BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
The Times

.."The anguish in the countryside goes on and not just where foot-and-mouth is still spreading"..The Prince, who is said to be "emotionally driven"in his crusade to help the countryside, said yesterday:"Even before the disaster of foot-and-mouth, average farm incomes were £5,200 per farm and last year alone 20,000 jobs were lost in agriculture. Behind these figures is a way of life and culture at risk of collapsing." July 25
(comment:This rather oddly worded and slanted article says that the Prince " clearly spoke out yesterday to send a message to farmers to bear down on the disease this summer " - not a phrase actually likely to have come from the Prince)

Prince launches own initiative to revitalise rural shops and firms By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 25/07/2001
Telegraph

THE Prince of Wales launched his own initiative to revitalise rural areas yesterday, using a team of company executives currently dealing with measures to regenerate inner cities. The Countryside Agency has already pledged £150,000 over three years to aid the project - Business in the Community-Rural Action.
... The Prince urged business leaders to support local shops and services. "Buy your food locally for your stores, for your restaurant, or for your canteen. And why not even buy your office furniture from local craftsmen?" The Prince paid tribute to the women of rural communities who had a "remarkable talent" for enterprise.
" The utter tragedy of foot and mouth has been the effect on these enterprising farming families who had already diversified only to have the ground cut from under them." ...... The Prince, who has taken executives on fact-finding tours in Wales, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Shropshire, said they could help "to keep living communities and entire cultures surviving within our unique and glorious countryside so that people born and bred there can find an economic future". He added: "The consequences if we fail are too awful to contemplate." ..............
Alun Michael, Minister of State for Rural Affairs, said the Government was already channelling billions of pounds into the countryside. (sic) But he added: "I support and applaud this initiative by the Prince of Wales." ..... He wanted businesses to regenerate market towns and "provide expertise and resources to strengthen rural communities". Charles Secrett, executive director of Friends of the Earth, said the Prince had articulated the "huge challenge" facing the Government over the rural economy. He called for increased organic farming and renewable energy sources which could both provide major new industries bringing jobs to rural communities. Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket chain, said it would encourage "rural markets" in its store car parks where local entrepreneurs could sell fruit, vegetables and arts and crafts.July 25

The Government must hold a full public inquiry into foot-and-mouth 25 July 2001
Independent

From the chaos that has emerged out of the foot-and-mouth crisis in the past year, we can say only one thing with confidence: that the average person in Britain has little idea what is going on. .....The Prince of Wales was right yesterday to suggest not only that the problems of the foot-and-mouth epidemic are not solved, but also that the future of the countryside is "one of the most crucial issues of our time''. When addressing the foot-and-mouth issues, hard facts are needed in order to assess the problems, and to identify where things have gone wrong. At the moment, hard facts remain in woefully short supply.
A public inquiry should seek to analyse the problem, and find answers to the most important questions. How did the epidemic spread so fast? Was (sic) the culling justified? Did compensation work? And, above all, what lessons can be learnt for the future?
.....The Government, on the one hand, is unhappy that, in the words of the Agriculture minister, Lord Whitty, it is "being taken for a ride". Farmers are equally indignant that, as the National Farmers' Union puts it, they have been left "in limbo". It seems extraordinary that, at this late stage, the Government has suddenly woken up to the fact that it has not been able to "estimate and organise the financial implications accurately" July 25

Vets' body in call for national agency Vic Robertson
The Scotsman

A NATIONAL veterinary agency linking the state and private sector has been called for by the British Veterinary Association. It says this is needed not only to deal with the current foot-and-mouth crisis but to meet likely future demand due to EU enlargement with the inclusion of less developed eastern European countries.
....We need a national veterinary agency to link public and private sector vets together into a manageable co-ordinated and efficient body. The present arrangements are archaic, terms and conditions are archaic and even the basis of employment is archaic." He added: "We are not prepared. The public will not swallow a repeat of such massive slaughter and the sight of funeral pyres across the land. July 25

Farm dismay as clean-up pay is halted
Yorkshire Post

FARMERS yesterday attacked the decision to halt spending on cleansing and disinfecting of farms affected by foot and mouth disease after the Government became alarmed over the size of the bill. There are suggestions it could top £800m and the Prime Minister has ordered an audit of the secondary cleansing and disinfecting of farms where animals have been slaughtered. But Winifred Berry, of Hoober Farm, Horton-in-Craven, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, said the review meant she and husband Malcolm would down tools last night as the money ran out. Mr Berry says that as foreman he earned £15 an hour and his wife or sons £10 an hour to cleanse and disinfect their farm after its 150 cattle and 170 sheep were killed on May 28 as part of a contiguous slaughter. The rates were set by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and each day a case officer would check their work. The couple, who have been farmers for 30 years, had looked forward to re- stocking and said they were only a week away from completing the process. Mrs Berry said: "We had nearly got cleaned up. But we were told that unless we could finish the job in 48 hours everything had to stop after tonight. We will just have to stop. If we carry on we just don't get paid and we have no other income. ....
Skipton National Farmers Union group secretary Stephen Dew said: "What is staggering is that DEFRA has announced six months into the crisis that they are going to review the payments. "What sort of organisation are they? To come along now and say 'lets just stop everything' beggars belief. ....July 25

Sheep sector watches sales season clock DAN BUGLASS
Glasgow Herald

THE patience and understanding displayed by Scottish farmers during the foot-and-mouth crisis are close to breaking as the season for sales of store and breeding livestock rapidly approaches. That was clear yesterday at the delayed annual general meeting of the Blackface Sheepbreeders' Association at Ingliston near Edinburgh.
frustration, not to say outright anger, at both officials in the Scottish Executive's Environment and Rural Affairs Department (Seerad) and its minister, Ross Finnie, is very much the mood. Keith Brooke, who farms in Wigtownshire and lost some of his ewe hoggs in the three-kilometre cull, was one who caught the tone. "For too long we have been listening to others and it's now time for us to speak for ourselves.
We are importing meat and wool into the UK from at least 26 countries - where are the controls on that? Here all movements are licensed, so where is the clinical evidence after weeks without a single case in Scotland for holding back on making a cautious restart to marketing? This is a time for decisive leadership, because for too long vets and civil servants have shown that they are not practically aware. We have to start planning now to get markets going. If not, we are going to see a massive meltdown in the rural economy." July 25

Foot-and-mouth abuses From Mr Iain Robertson
The Times (letter)

Sir, It is not surprising that in Cumbria "less than £2,000 has been paid out" so far from the foot-and-mouth recovery fund. The claim forms seem designed to confuse and deter claimants. Thus feedback to Government will indicate that all is well and no one needs help.
Theoretically on offer to desperate businesses is £6,000 for advertising (the Government has already pledged millions to regenerate tourism), £7,500 for interest payments on loans (the banks will be pleased), and £2,000 for IT skills training and hardware (how is this to help?).
My Cumbria B&B has suffered a 64 per cent drop in the last four months; all I need is hard cash to survive. My "stiff upper lip" is getting tired. July 25

Probe into 'abuse' of cull payouts
BBC

Government ministers are reported to be investigating allegations of abuse of the foot-and-mouth compensation system. ...The Defra website says changes have been made to the valuation procedure, giving farmers the option of payments at standard rates or of having animals valued by a valuer. "This is intended to help speed up the process of valuation, while retaining the possibility of individual valuation if a farmer wishes." The Independent says valuers are paid 1% commission for every valuation they carry out on the government's behalf, with a minimum fee for a day's work of £500 and a maximum of £1,500. The valuation bill so far has reached £4.7m, with "a couple of million" still owing, according to Defra. July 25

Read Dr Richard North in Daily MAIL (scanned - link repaired) or read his latest update (July 19) on this site

"Ridding my farm of foot and mouth"
BBC

The UK Government is halting the "final cleansing" of farms affected by foot and mouth due to spiralling costs, estimated at £2m a day in England and Wales. Cumbrian farmer Helen Horn is one of those waiting to begin this secondary cleaning, which would allow her to replace her slaughtered cattle and sheep. ...
The government's new stance on secondary cleaning is crazy. Especially when they've been telling us how important it is we ensure biosecurity [halting the spread of the virus with disinfectant]. ....
It's been carnage around here recently, worse than at the start of the outbreak - not that it's received much publicity. There isn't a four-legged animal within three miles. I think the government's chasing its tail on foot and mouth. They tell us disinfectants kill the virus, they tell us about biosecurity, they tell us it will be over. But it seems as bad as ever here. One chap said to me it would be cheaper to give every infected farmer£40,000 and send them on a round-the-world trip for 10 months. When they got back the virus would be dead and nothing would need to be done. posted July 25

Death hangs over Crickhowell By Richard Savill
Telegraph

IT IS more than a week since Prytherch Rees's 91 cattle were slaughtered in a contiguous cull at his farm near the Welsh village of Crickhowell. Yesterday however, pieces of intestine and tufts of hair littered the floor of his concrete and steel shed and bloodstains remained on the ground. Tony Blair's decision to order an immediate halt to the foot and mouth clean-up operation has left Mr Rees and other farmers involved in the latest cluster of outbreaks in the Crickhowell area unable to eradicate the "smell of death" on their premises.
"Little over a week ago the cattle were walking around the buildings and out into the fields, looking as healthy as anyone could wish to see. All I have got left now is tufts of hair, bits of blood and a hell of a stink. You can smell death in the shed"
Mr Rees said:"Even before the cull took place the telephone was red hot with contractors wanting to do the clean-up. They got short shrift."....
The Farmers' Union of Wales said it was "outrageous" that the "vital" operation had been halted without any discussion. Bob Perry, the union's president, said:"If the Prime Minister is concerned by the cost of the operation, then he should have ordered an immediate review while continuing with cleaning and disinfecting. It is totally unacceptable to call a halt overnight....." July 24

New curbs to avert pig disaster Yorkshire Post (front page)

STRICT new controls designed to protect an estimated 400,000 pigs in the Vale of York from a catastrophic spread of foot and mouth were imposed by the Government yesterday in a desperate move to prevent the virus sweeping south into disease-free Lincolnshire... A new intensive bio-security regime was placed on 2,700 farms in North Yorkshire by the Food Chain Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Lord Whitty, because the hot-spot of infection north-east of Thirsk has continued to spread even though 25 vets have been drafted in to deal with it.....from tomorrow licences will be required for commercial vehicles to visit farms in an area bounded by Northallerton, Bedale, Masham, Ripon, Harrogate, York, Malton and Helmsley.
Milk tankers and some grain and feed lorries will be accompanied by DEFRA officials to check that they are cleaned and disinfected efficiently before they are allowed to move from one farm to the next. The licensing regime will be enforced by North Yorkshire Police, DEFRA and North Yorkshire County Council staff. ..July 24

Foot-and-mouth proving more resilient than hoped By John Mason and Jim Pickard
Financial Times

The new measures introduced on Monday to fight foot-and-mouth disease in a "cluster" of farms in North Yorkshire, northern England, underline just how resilient the disease is proving to be.....According to Peter Jinman, junior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, this could prove "catastrophic", given the ability of pigs to replicate the virus in huge quantities and spread it on the wind. This could force the government to change its strategy of relying on a slaughter policy. Instead, it could be forced to begin vaccinating animals to contain the disease, he said. A policy of "ring-fence" vaccination over a large area with animals killed afterwards, would probably have to be adopted, he said.
Mr Jinman said farmers worst-affected were those whose animals had not been slaughtered but were subject to movement restrictions. They had no income because they could not sell their animals, but received no compensation. "These are the forgotten people," he said. The failure to compensate such farmers meant there was almost an incentive for farms to become infected with the disease, he said. July 24

'Everyone was trying to make a fast buck - even the farmers'
Guardian

The last of the 1,430 sheep and cattle at Simon Foster's hill farm went on May 25. In the language of the ministry vets, they were "taken out" as a precaution in a contiguous cull because a nearby farm had been infected with foot and mouth - although the Foster animals were disease free. But it was only last Friday that the four strong clean-up team arrived, under contract from the government, armed with diesel-driven spray guns.....the cost of the five month operation - many sprayings of the farm buildings, water troughs and walls - is likely to top £100,000. ....
Mr Foster's plight highlights the mounting crisis - now over the spiralling costs of the clean up. According to one of the largest contractors, farms can take up to six months to clean and cost more than the £100,000 average quoted by Downing Street. One contractor said last night: "We are travelling 150 miles to clean up farms, whereas there' an outbreak on our doorstep and we'd like to know who's dealing with that. "When this started the agriculture ministry was in a panic, and everyone was trying to get in on the act to make a fast buck - hauliers, the lot. Even farmers are renting out their equipment. July 24

Back in business - but at what cost? BY RUSSELL JENKINS
The Times

DENYS PROUDLOVE and his son, John, who farm cattle in Cheshire, did not count the cost of ridding Blackhurst Farm, covering 200 acres near Faddiley, of foot-and-mouth in financial terms at first. But they watched in astonishment as a civil servant from what was the Ministry of Agriculture masterminded the cleaning and disinfecting work of up to six private contract workers on a daily basis over seven weeks. . They could not help equating the mounting costs with the precarious economics of producing milk for a living. ....John, 39, worked out that wages on some days must have topped £1,000, He recalls spending much of one day working out the best way to clean lofts. "They said 'we will get a vacuum cleaner and an air compressor'. I said a man with a ladder would be more than adequate. ...July 24

College fined over deadly virus
BBC

One of Britain's leading research institutions has been fined £25,000 after exposing staff to a"deadly" virus. Imperial College was also ordered to pay more than £21,000 costs at London's Blackfriars Crown Court. Workers at the institution were dangerously exposed to infection from a hybrid virus for which there was "no known vaccine or treatment", the court was told. The court's decision comes just over a year after the college was fined £20,000 for a safety breach involving HIV virus research. In 1998 it was also fined £4,500 for exposing a worker to an "animal allergen". The college's "seriously flawed" approach to health and safety matters in this latest case raised a distinct possibility that Hepatitis C and dengue fever could be released into the open.
..Mr Morton also said there was no protection equipment available and no proper system of waste disposal in place at the St Mary's Hospital campus in Kensington, south west London, where the research was being carried out. "They have shown a disregard for basic measures to ensure and monitor safety, as a consequence of which their employees were exposed to a very real risk of infection"he (Prosecutor Keith Morton ) told the court. July 24

Union's rallying call to farmers
icWales

..Farmers' Union of Wales President Bob Parry is calling on farmers to help save the traditional Welsh family farm. "Under normal circumstances we would all now be gathering in Llanelwedd for the show," he said. ...This disgusting virus has laid waste to the agricultural industry of this country. Millions of animals have been destroyed and all farmers are subject to movement restrictions on their animals. Livestock markets have closed, exports are banned, and hard-pressed farmers may well decide that this is the final straw and will leave the industry for good.
DEFRA Minister Margaret Beckett has signalled that she is in favour of phasing out all subsidies for farmers,"he said. "She has also said that BSE and foot-and-mouth disease present the perfect opportunity to restructure the industry ...He (Lord Haskins) also wants larger farms - in other words he wants to sacrifice the traditional family farm of Wales on the altar of the global marketplace." Such measures Mr Parry fears would mean the death of the traditional family farm, as they would either lead to land being abandoned or merged to create large "ranch-style" farms. "We believe that traditional farm units offer environmental, animal welfare, social and economic benefits to the countryside. July 23

Fury at farm clean-up delay
BBC Wales

There has been an angry reaction to the news that a government clampdown on disinfecting farms affected by foot-and-mouth disease will apply in Wales. In the latest outbreak around Crickhowell in Powys - the latest of which was confirmed on Monday afternoon - up to 27 farms will not be cleaned until a review of the escalating costs is carried out. ..."This will leave hundreds of farmers in limbo, on empty farms, unable to re-stock because they have not been through the final cleansing and disinfecting process," said President of NFU Cymru Hugh Richards.
Meanwhile a Tory Assembly Member and farmer affected by the outbreak is taking legal action against Wales's rural affairs minister over late compensation payments. "When he ordered the preventative cull on Anglesey he promised compensation within three weeks - here we are four months down the line and a cheque turns up only after threatening legal action against him. "This is unacceptable - farmers in Wales are sick of Carwyn Jones' false promises. "His failure to address the problems being faced by farmers has compounded the devastation wrought by foot-and-mouth and has damaged the future prospects of our industry." July 23

SHEARER SHORTAGE KILLS SHEEP
Cumberland news

CUMBRIAN fell sheep are succumbing to disease because licensing restrictions have created an acute shortage of shearers....reports of sheep being eaten alive by maggots after shearing was delayed by a new licensing scheme, introduced on June 1 in an attempt to prevent the spread of FMD. ... Under the scheme, all shearers have to be licensed and farmers are legally obliged to use only licensed shearers. The only exception is that a farmer or his permanent employees can shear his own sheep on his own premises, without a licence.
Red licences are issued for infected areas and green licences for controlled areas. Both types of licences cannot be held at the same time.
Shearers can change from shearing in controlled areas to infected areas or vice versa, but must submit a further application and return the original licence. Seven days must elapse between shearing in an infected area and moving to a controlled area - hence the delays and the shortage of licensed shearers.
"... by the time everyone has applied for licences, it will be another month." ... Moira Linakre, who keeps a small flock of rare Ryeland sheep on a smallholding at Warwick Bridge, said three lambs had been "eaten alive" by maggots.July 23

23.07 Cases grow, disinfecting programmed halted
Westmorland Gazette

FOOT-and-mouth shows no sign of stopping in parts of South Cumbria at the same time as Tony Blair puts the clean-up programme on farms on hold due to high costs. The disease continued to make its way south, with six cases confirmed over the weekend in the cluster known as the "Penrith Spur", including three around Shap, just north of Kendal.
With footpaths due to open in large areas of South Cumbria on August 1, Derek Lomax from Kendal NFU said the continued southward passage of the disease was "very worrying". Mr Lomax has written to the Director of Operations at DEFRA in Carlisle, Mr Anderson, asking for a review of the area set to open next weekend. Mr. Lomax said there had been 10 outbreaks around the Shap area in the last week and footpath opening had to be looked at again as the disease was still rampant in this area.
According to national reports, the cost of disinfecting British farms is running at £2 million a day - 10 times higher than on the Continent. July 23

Blair scraps clean-up of virus farms By Benedict Brogan, Political Correspondent
Telegraph

TONY BLAIR has secretly ordered a halt to the foot and mouth clean-up after being told that it is costing £2 million a day and that the final bill to the taxpayer could be £800 million. .... A memo issued last Thursday by the Government's joint co-ordination centre set up to fight the epidemic said that farmers could in future have to bear some or all of the cost of the clean-up..the Prime Minister had ruled that spending an average of more than £100,000 on each farm was "unacceptable". The decision has alarmed farmers and experts who are dealing with foot and mouth, which shows no signs of disappearing. With an average farm clean-up taking several months, it could leave hundreds of farms out of action for the rest of the year. Mr Blair's order appeared to contradict his promise to Cumbrian farmers in March that "whatever practical resources are needed" would be provided. He said: "We have to make sure nothing stands in the way of getting the job done". July 23 (The Times says also: "Mr Blair has learned that the costs are running as much as 10 times as high as in similarly affected areas elsewhere in Europe"July 23

How the infected farms are cleaned By Benedict Brogan, Political Correspondent
Telegraph

THE clean-up operation which follows a cull is the most complicated part of the process. It involves disinfecting every surface in the farm to ensure no trace of the foot and mouth virus remains. For an average dairy farm with 100 cows, about 10 workers spend two to three months spraying all surfaces with high-pressure water hoses. Surfaces are treated with citric acid or proprietary chemicals. The work produces hundreds of thousands of gallons of slurry which, until recently, were removed to be disinfected elsewhere. A method has been introduced which involves killing the virus on-site using alkaline chemicals and then spreading the muck on surrounding fields. The work often involves wading into tanks full of manure. Until the farm is certified as clean, it cannot bring in new animals. There are hundreds of farms awaiting a C&D operation and, with every new case, the backlog will increase.Experts say that in the early days of the epidemic some clean-up operations were mishandled. Infected buildings were pulled down and expensive milking machines scrapped rather than cleaned.July 23

Children shocked by cull By Richard Savill
Telegraph

THE re-emergence of foot and mouth disease (sic)has turned what should have been an enjoyable holiday on their grandparents' farm into a trauma for Harry Jackson, 10, and his nine-year-old sister, Sarah. They were visiting from Australia and had to be told by their grandparents, Allan and Myra Lewis, that the entire stock of 350 ewes and lambs had to be culled. July 23

Prince pleads for the countryside BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, RUSSELL JENKINS AND JOANNA BALE
The Times

THE Prince of Wales is to enlist the help of business leaders in a crusade to save rural Britain and revive blighted communities. His new offensive, set out in an article in The Times today, coincides with growing despair in the worst-affected foot-and-mouth areas where most rural firms have still not received a penny in aid from the Government. The Times has established that so far only £1.6 million from a recovery fund of £50 million has been paid out. In Cumbria, the worst affected county, where the business community forecasts losses of £500 million by next spring, less than £2,000 has been paid out by the regional development agency.
One of the Prince's aides last night insisted he had never been "so emotionally driven" about a project. He fears that without assistance many people will desert rural communities and vast tracts of land could become wilderness.
The Prince, a farmer and countryman, will issue a stark warning today that the landscape "one of the country's most treasured national assets" has never been more threatened. "The British countryside is only as beautiful as it is because it has been cared for, and lived in, by these people with generations of experience and knowledge." ....Chris Collier, chairman of the Cumbria Tourist Board, fears that the grants will simply delay the day when banks call in their debts. She said: "The problem with schemes like the business recovery fund is that it is asking people to spend money for growth at a time when we are only in survival mode." She said businesses need straightforward cash assistance just to help them keep going. July 23

Sheep coralled for foot-and-mouth tests By Paul Peachey
Independent

The first stage of a foot-and-mouth screening programme on 12,000 sheep was completed yesterday as scientists tried to discover if the disease had spread to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Six thousand sheep, half of the huge free-roaming flock, were rounded up after fears that the contamination had spread to the higher ground. The first test results are expected within seven days. The second phase of the programme will take place next weekend when the remaining 6,000 sheep have been rounded up. The tests were decided upon after a series of outbreaks near the villages of Crickhowell and Libanus, Powys, which took the total number of confirmed cases in Wales to 106. The mass screening programme was overseen from a military operations room in nearby Brecon. A military spokeswoman said the sheep were receiving medical treatment because seasonal sheep dipping could not be carried out. July 23

County calls for co-operation on reopening rights of way Brian Dooks
Yorkshire Post

LETTERS are being sent to 700 parish councils in North Yorkshire appealing for co-operation in reopening rights of way.
There is strong opposition in some areas to Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael's ruling that closure of footpaths and bridleways is not justified by foot and mouth precautions.
North Yorkshire County Council, the first authority to close all its rights of way when the first cases were reported in March, continues to maintain a cautious approach but its legal department is receiving strong representations, particularly from the farming community.
It has persuaded the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to allow rights of way to remain closed in a large part of the North York Moors National Park, Wensleydale and Bishopdale, Upper Wharfedale and the Settle rectangle, because they are affected by foot and mouth. ....The council has been advised that foot and mouth will continue in "hot spots"across the county for some time yet and it is prepared to re-close any right of way if it becomes necessary. A 3km exclusion zone will apply around infected farms outside the four main problem areas and county council staff will manage signs in these places.July 23

Sheep rounded up for mass screening
BBC

Sheep will remain in pens until the tests results are known Thousands of sheep have been rounded up on the Brecon Beacons ready for a mass screening for foot-and-mouth. ... Vets are due to move into the area on Sunday to take blood samples from every animal. ....About 6,500 ewes and lambs have been herded into four pens built across and area of around 10 square kilometres. ..In the nearby area of Crickhowell, a fresh cluster of the disease began to emerge last weekend. Thousands of animal have been slaughtered as a result - including 3,000 sheep from the nearby Sugar Loaf mountain (N.B. Is this to test for antibodies? Please see comment on the warmwell Today page) July 22

Christopher Booker's Notebook
Sunday Telegraph

Blair puts paid to six centuries of tradition FEW people have grasped the implications of last week's announcement that the Government is to pay for the destruction of lambs that under European Union rules can no longer be exported. This means that Mr Blair's gamble over foot and mouth has finally failed. ..... Some of our most celebrated moorland and mountain landscapes will be irrevocably changed...... .... the gamble which it is now clear has failed horribly. .... This means that exports cannot restart until the end of next summer at the earliest, whereas if Mr Blair had gone for vaccination in April the ban could have been lifted months earlier.... Inevitably across vast areas of upland Britain sheep will disappear, and within a year or two, as scrub and bracken take over, landscapes such as Snowdonia, the Lake District, the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor will begin to look dramatically different.(See full article ) July 22

Footpaths Reopen But Farmers Suffer
SkyNews

Most footpaths closed in the wake of the foot and mouth epidemic are reopening across England this weekend. Rural affairs minister Alun Michael said the lifting of the ban would send a clear signal that most of the countryside is open for visitors..... But while the number of cases of foot and mouth is tailing off(sic), and things are returning to normal for many in rural communities, farmers are still suffering financial hardship. Those who avoided the foot and mouth culls that devastated the countryside have now been hit by plummeting livestock prices, which have halved in the last three weeks. posted July 22

Foot and mouth is 'not over'
Observer

The foot and mouth epidemic that paralysed the British countryside, cost the economy #10 billion, and could cause the slaughter of up to six million animals is primed to reignite, thanks to the Government's catastrophic mismanagement, according to the RSPCA. Rates of infection could return to epidemic levels this autumn as the disease spreads like wildfire through the country, said Christopher Laurence, head of the RSPCA's foot and mouth strategy group. ...Professor Joe Brownlie, a pathologist at the Royal Veterinary College in London and an independent adviser to the Government, offered to set up a laboratory to carry out the tests four months ago. 'We were told Defra had it all in hand,' he said. 'We could have had the labs up and running in less than two weeks. It's hard to justify how it's taken another four months to establish what we offered to create all that time ago.' July 22

First public revolt fails to stop livestock's slaughter by Chris Benfield
Yorkshire Post

RESIDENTS of a Yorkshire council estate defied a Government culling team in a 12-hour stand-off to try to prevent the slaughter of cows and sheep on a neighbouring farm. It amounted to the first public revolt against the Government's contiguous culling policy, which calls for the slaughter of animals which are not necessarily infected as a precautionary measure. ....Their protest proved fruitless however when, finally, the team killed the animals - at one point in front of watching children. DEFRA decided to wait no longer when threatened with a court order to hold fire, pending a judicial review of its decision to put the animals down. ...The bolt guns sounded like air rifles popping. They then rounded up the sheep for the same treatment but one escaped and was killed within sight of children in the estate playground. Mr Jackson said last night: "I think we were within 90 minutes of getting the injunction."
DEFRA said a necessary cull had already been delayed too long. July 21
( warmwell note: These animals were not in fact dangerous contacts as Mr Waite, the owner, had made sure there was no contact between his two farms)

Council ready to defy call to reopen footpaths
Yorkshire Post

GOVERNMENT plans to reopen footpaths closed due to the foot-and-mouth epidemic are being opposed in Yorkshire over fears of spreading the disease. Many footpaths in the Bradford district will stay shut despite a ruling by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that increased numbers should open from next Friday. And in North Yorkshire, a farmer is calling for the National Trust to take High Court action to overturn a Government decision forcing it to open public rights of way across the Fountains Abbey deer park. Bradford Council is using Article 28 of the Foot and Mouth Disease Order 1983 to keep paths closed which were due to be opened by DEFRA on July 27. posted July 21

CHILLING STATISTICS AS BATTLE AGAINST DISEASE RAGES ON
Dundee Courier

ANOTHER UNWANTED milestone was passed this week, with the one-millionth farm animal being slaughtered in Cumbria in the continuing battle against foot-and-mouth disease....the expected fall in confirmed cases in the epidemic is just not happening. There have now been more cases in the first 20 days of July than there were in the last 20 days of June....
The rate of killing stock, which had fallen to a low of 4000 per day in the first week of July, rose to 7000 per day last week. The strain of the virus which has devastated the UK livestock industry is cold-loving, and the big hope has been to kill the disease out in the summer months otherwise the whole problem will drag on into next year as the bug settles in to winter. Eradication seems less and less likely as the weeks go past. Cumbria continues to bear the brunt of the disease, with no less than 798 farms being confirmed as having infected livestock.most of this month's cases have been in the Penrith and Appleby areas.(See Nick Brown's latest report) . There are an estimated 200,000 farms or holdings in the UK and of that total some 8811 have so far seen their livestock cleared out and killed.
These figures do not provide any gauge of the quality pedigree stock that have been and are being lost. Again, these figures only relate to the foot-and-mouth disease eradication scheme. Another one-and-a-quarter million head of livestock have been slaughtered in the past three months under the Animal Welfare Disposal Scheme. ...The direct bill for the whole of the epidemic is now stretching into billions of pounds and the estimates for the knock-on effects are as yet impossible to gauge. July21

MEANWHILE, the Financial Times reports...

Paths reopen as farms crisis fades By John Mason, Food and Rural Affairs Correspondent
Financial Times

...80 per cent of all paths are open to walkers, said the Countryside Agency, and this is expected to rise to 85 per cent next month. July 21

Foot and mouth returns to haunt farmers By Richard Savill
Telegraph

JOHN MORRIS was looking forward to a good summer. His organically reared cattle and sheep were ready for the market and he was anticipating extra income from a barn he had converted into holiday apartments for tourists. Then last weekend he discovered one of his cows was drooling at the mouth. All his hopes for the future evaporated .....A cluster of nine cases of foot and mouth this week within the community of Llangenny, an area previously free of the disease, has confirmed the worst fears of farmers that the epidemic, often thought of as in its final "tail", is not under control. The subsequent slaughter and contiguous culling of 8,000 sheep, 600 cattle and 50 goats has emptied the fields of the Usk Valley....
Footpaths that only opened a week ago were closed again yesterday. The cause of the outbreak was being investigated.

There have also been rumours nationally of it being started deliberately by high-earning contractors involved in the disposal of carcasses who have thrown infected tongues into fields. But the union has said there was no evidence of this. For Mr Morris, the outbreak was a huge setback to his plans. "It is a two-year conversion to organic and we started two years ago. "We had organic stock to sell. It was the third season of hiring out the barn to tourists. That brought in more money than farming. There is a possibility of being closed down for four months now."
As dead stock was hauled away from farms in covered wagons for rendering, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority said the latest outbreaks were "a huge disappointment and a very worrying turn". A spokeswoman said: "It seems to be getting worse July 21

Lucy Pinney 'He wasn't crying, but the way he gave that dog her last pat ... you could see the emotion on his face' The Times

One farmer came in who had seen all his livestock destroyed, lost his farm and was moving to town with his family. He felt he could not take his working dog with him, and being responsible, he wanted her to go to another sheep farm. He was obviously terribly sad about it. He was not crying, but the way he gave that dog her last pat and looked at her before he walked out . . . you could see the emotion on his face. July 21

Negative' death toll emerges
Westmorland Gazette

Responding to a written Parliamentary Question from Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins, DEFRA minister Elliot Morley revealed that tests from 52 Cumbrian farms - culled-out as contiguous premises - proved negative. On those farms 19,738 sheep and 3,405 cattle were killed.....
The Thackerays, of High Scales farm near Shap, are just one of the families who now know their slaughtered stock was not infected a nd their 220 sheep and lambs, mostly from the dwindling Kendal Rough Fell breed, four cows, one bull and eight bullocks, are included in the figures released by Mr Morley. Ann Thackeray, who described her family's ordeal in the Gazette recently, said: "The more you see of it the more you think they are just killing for killing's sake.
The true number of contiguous premises slaughtered-out and animals killed when there was no infection present is almost certainly far higher than Mr Morley's figures show, but blood tests were not done on all contiguous premises...
"Because of the Government's refusal to shift from its scorched earth policy, thousands of healthy animals have been needlessly slaughtered. "Recent reports in the national press suggest that this is only the tip of the iceberg and absolutely reinforce the need for the Government to lay its cards on the table and call a full an independent public inquiry into the handling of the whole foot-and-mouth crisis." July 20

'Herriot' vet back to help friends by staff of The Darlington & Stockton Times
Darlington and Stockton Times

RETIRED Thirsk vet, Mr Jim Wight, son of Mr Alf Wight, alias author James Herriot, has come out of retirement to help a farming family tackle the threat of foot-and-mouth. Mr Wight agreed to undertake 48-hour surveillance on the Felixkirk farm run by Mr Robin Bosomworth and his son, Trevor, after the holding was served with a D-form because it was within 3km of infected premises. The Bosomworths also hoped the involvement of the James Herriot name would raise national awareness that the disease had not gone away. "We are very concerned that the national media appears to think the crisis is over," said Mr Trevor Bosomworth. "Jim Wight was involved in the 1967 outbreak as a junior vet and there are not many vets who have dealt with both outbreaks." (July 13) Posted July 20

MPs set to launch farm virus inquiry
Yorkshire Post

Tony Blair's bid to avoid a full public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis is set to fail as MPs prepare to order their own full-scale investigation. The Prime Minister this week re-affirmed his opposition to a public examination of the crisis by telling MPs a "different type of inquiry" would produce quicker results. But the comment has fuelled fears that the Government wants to avoid full scrutiny of its handling of the affair which has crippled many parts of rural Britain, including North Yorkshire.
"Throughout the foot-and-mouth crisis, the Government simply has simply not understood the anger and depth of the crisis in North Yorkshire." ...However, MPs on the new Commons' environment, food and rural affairs committee yesterday signalled that they would call Margaret Beckett .. to give evidence in the autumn.
In the Lords yesterday, cross-bench Baroness Masham of Ilton challenged ministers over Monday's Yorkshire Post report of how vets in the region were being let down by DEFRA officials' failure to communicate. July 20

Farmers fearful as footpaths reopen
Guardian

..The decision to revoke an order forcing councils to close around 118,000 miles of rights of way was welcomed by the Ramblers' Association. But the National Farmers Union said it could be premature because of "unknown pockets" of foot and mouth around the country. The Foot and Mouth Group, a national network of retired vets, scientists and country interests, also disputed government claims that the disease was being contained, with 10 outbreaks confirmed on Wednesday, the highest number for some time. It said the disease was now endemic in sheep and showed no signs of tailing off as ministers claim. July 20

PIG FARMS: NEW CRISIS
The Mirror

PIG farmers are facing a new disease "worse than foot and mouth" which could ruin their industry. Thousands of piglets are dying every month as their kidneys fail and lungs fill with fluid. Some farmers have lost up to 60 per cent of young stock from the disease, Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome was identified in Canada ten years ago and arrived from France. July 20

Cumbrian organic inspector offers advice on conversion
Soil Association

PRESS RELEASEIain Rogerson, who has farmed organically in the Eden valley for eight years, has extensive experience of the processes required for 'going organic' in addition to knowledge of technical support schemes and organic product markets. Mr Rogerson says, 'In the aftermath of foot and mouth there is a strong feeling that there needs to be some fundamental changes to the way in which we farm. Farmers have to consider all the alternatives and organic farming offers a very positive solution to some of the problems facing the agricultural community in this part of the country.' posted July 20

Farm trail to remain closed
The Berwick Advertiser

Conundrum Farm Trail, in Berwick is a popular open farm, which attracts thousands of visitors every year, but the prolonged foot and mouth epidemic has kept the farm gates firmly closed since February. ..While the disease fails to make the news anymore, foot and mouth is still rampant in areas such as North Yorkshire and Cumbria and it was considered too much of a risk to open to the public.
"We have been inundated with calls of concern and people asking when we are opening again. It is really tough to have to say we are not opening at all this year, especially as most people are under the mistaken impression that the disease has been totally eradicated and everything is back to normal." posted July 20

FOOT-AND-MOUTH ALERT
Bedfordshire on line

FOOT-and-mouth warnings between Biggleswade and Langford were put up at the request of farmers and not because of an outbreak, Anglian Water has confirmed. Signs telling workmen laying water mains to disinfect their boots and tyres have caused passers-by to fear the disease had broken into Beds. But Anglian Water, which is laying a new water main on agricultural land near the A1, put the precautions in place purely to follow farmers' wishes. July 20

Commons sense should prevail From Mr John Parfitt The Times (letter)

We still live (just) in a 300-year-old parliamentary democracy, which is what we are supposed to be voting for at elections. If the House of Commons wants to reconnect with us it might rediscover its purpose and backbone and spend a day reasserting its trad- itional authority over judges in wigs, human rights lawyers in Rolls-Royces, quangocrats in the pocket of the ruling party and, of course, the European Commission in its ivory towers. That might reduce the 41 per cent vote for the Apathy Party.July 20

Blairs under fire over holiday plans
ITN

The Prime Minister is facing criticism after announcing that most of his family's summer holiday will be spent out of Britain. The tourist industry had hoped they would spend much of it at a resort in this country to help boost trade which was destroyed by the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. Tony Blair and his family are to spend part of their summer break in Mexico, however. July 20

Courage, not killing, is the answer Mrs Beckett MAGNUS LINKLATER The Times

Vaccination is still the only answer to the plague ravaging our countryside
".....should be eradicated by July or August." I checked the latest information from DEFRA, the people formerly known as MAFF, who chart the spread of the disease. I found no mention of eradication. The average number of cases remains stubbornly at two or three a day, and the epidemic is still ravaging whole areas in Cumbria, Yorkshire, and the Brecon Beacons. ...... It says much for the arrogance of science that Professor King is not only still there, but continuing to argue that his course is the correct one....He has clearly convinced his new boss, Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, that this is the only possible course of action, because she has endorsed it. She talks of "bearing down more heavily on the disease,"... Mrs Beckett says that the case for vaccination is "constantly under review," but the truth is that it has not been properly considered since the early days, when it was endorsed by the Government but rejected by the farming unions.
It could be introduced tomorrow ... It is untrue to say that all farmers are opposed to vaccination. A growing number now realises that regaining export status is a distant dream....

Law report Foot and mouth vaccination ban in Community is valid
The Times

COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Jippes and Others v Minister van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij Case C-189/01 Although the interests of the European Community included the health and protection of animals, animal welfare was not a basic principle of Community law. The ban on preventive vaccination imposed by the Community foot-and-mouth disease directive was not dispoportionate to that directive's objective of controlling the disease and hence was not invalid. (Comment)

Farmers' union demands Government inquiry (Filed: 19/07/2001)
Telegraph

THE National Farmers' Union demanded a Government inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic on the day that the highest number of outbreaks of the disease for over a month were announced.....It is vital that there is an inquiry now and that it is full, transparent carried out in the public glare and holds to account all those in positions of responsibility," Ben Gill, NFU president, said.
He spoke after Tony Blair dismissed demands for a full public inquiry.
Mr Gill said "speed is of the essence" and stressed that a long-running public inquiry along the lines of the BSE Inquiry would not be in the interests of farmers...July 19

Yesterday in Parliament
Telegraph

Blair rules out public inquiry into 'disaster' THE Prime Minister firmly brushed aside any suggestions that there should be a public inquiry into the causes of the foot and mouth disease, which is still affecting large parts of the country. Tony Blair, speaking at the last Prime Minister's Questions before the summer recess, which begins tomorrow, was asked about the issue by William Hague, the outgoing Tory leader. The Tories and Liberal Democrats have for months urged the Government to set up a full-scale public inquiry once the disease had been eradicated. The Government has already said that it would hold an inquiry once the disease was eliminated but has come under heavy pressure to hold public hearings. Mr Blair said he did not accept that it had to be a "public tribunal inquiry" and insisted that the eradication of the disease remained the "number one priority". July 19

Anger as Blair rules out foot and mouthpublic inquiry
The Journal

...The Prime Minister told the Commons there would be a "different type of inquiry", whose results would be published, into the outbreak. David Handley, of Farmers for Action, said the move was "total arrogance" from Mr Blair. He said: "He has no right whatsoever to say there will not be a public inquiry. We will take this to Europe if that's what's necessary. "We need to know exactly what caused this disease, how it was brought here and how it was run and the inadequacies involved.
"We are not having some back-room inquiry where people who have made mistakes can be hidden away or side-shifted. This needs to be an open and public debate." July 19

Natasha Walter: When will we get the revolution?
The Independent

'The danger is that, now the stinking piles of animal corpses have been buried, the Government will bury real reform'..... Here, in Margaret Beckett, we have a competent minister, I thought to myself. ..... How wrong could I be?
It wasn't just the eye-wateringly dull oratory that made it so unmemorable. It was the lack of a single concrete proposal. ...
.....I was under the impression that farming in Britain was in a bit of a state......there is the poor environment, facing the disappearance of butterflies, birds and flowers that we used to take for granted in Britain.
..... a lot of them would be delighted to start farming in a more environmentally responsible manner  if they could afford it. ...Many farmers in Britain are facing economic catastrophe now. They could take the leap into organic farming, and then they'd get help from the Government with conversion costs. But that help is decreased after two years and ends completely after five years....
Imported produce can undercut our locally produced organic ...Dismantling the subsidy system without putting new supports in place won't do .. much good. .if she doesn't seize that nettle of reform, in a few years there may not be so much green and pleasant land to look at through her caravan windows.July 19

THURSDAY JULY 19 2001 Nearly all footpath bans are to be lifted BY Andrew Norfolk
The Times

ALL but eight English counties will be forced to lift their remaining foot-and-mouth footpath closures by the end of next week, the Government will announce today. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will allow temporary blanket bans to continue in counties still affected by the disease - the whole of Cumbria and parts of Durham, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Lancashire and North Yorkshire.
Elsewhere, councils which have maintained right-of-way closures since the early days of the epidemic will see them automatically revoked, in some cases from tomorrow and for others a week later. The move will end the defiance of local authorities - including Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire - which refused to heed recent government advice that it was safe to reopen paths in disease-free areas. ...
There were a total of ten new cases yesterday, the worst daily increase since June 2. The cases included the first outbreak in Greater Manchester, three in Wales, three in Cumbria and three in North Yorkshire, bringing the national total to 1,868. July 19

Farm plague charges Fordyce Maxwell Rural Affairs Editor
The Scotsman

..Bobby Waugh, 55, of Burnside Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, is being prosecuted by Northumberland Trading Standards Department under the Animal Health Act 1981 and the Protection of Animals Act 1911. The charges include five counts of failing to notify officials of foot-and-mouth disease, four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, bringing unprocessed catering waste on to his premises and feeding it to pigs. There are also four charges of failing to dispose of animal by-products and one of failing to record the movement of pigs on the farm. ....The first case of foot-and-mouth in Britain for 20 years was confirmed in pigs on 20 February at Cheale Meats in Essex , which slaughtered and processed old sows from almost every area of the UK. Inspectors took the unusual step of saying on 23 February that the farm was almost certainly the source of the outbreak. Jim Scudamore, the chief veterinary officer, said some of the lesions on pigs were at least 14 days old. The Waughs were one of only about 100 businesses in the UK feeding swill to pigs, a procedure covered by strict regulations on the use of the human food waste. One of the many recommendations after the 1967 foot-and-mouth outbreak which was not acted on was that swill feeding be banned. July 19

We don't want a whitewash
Western Daily Press

Furious foot-and-mouth campaigners spoke last night of their fears that there will be a Government "whitewash" over the crisis. Countryside Minister Margaret Beckett provoked the storm of criticism yesterday by saying that she does not want a public inquiry. The newly-appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, .... Mrs Beckett said: ".... I would rather have an inquiry that does not go on for months and months and cost a lot of money. I would rather have one that is cost-effective and reaches a conclusion quickly, before people have forgotten all about it."
Siobhan Spivack, who founded the Foot-and-Mouth Action Group in Gloucestershire, was infuriated by the minister's comments. She said: "People who have suffered so much with this disease deserve to know the truth. I'm worried there will be a whitewash. "If the Government hold an inquiry internally and then publicise the findings, how are we to know that it is telling the truth? "We will never know how many animals were culled and how many confirmed cases there were because all the evidence has been destroyed." And she dismissed out-of-hand Mrs Beckett's argument about cost, saying: "The Government has spent so much money on foot-and-mouth already, what difference does a little bit more make?" July 18

Estates are facing very bleak future DAN BUGLASS
Glasgow Herald

..."As well as the livestock sector FMD has been particularly hard for those who diversified their businesses into tourism. "We have a trail of cancelled bookings, with one client losing 40% of his normal holiday bookings." But Berkeley concedes that it is livestock farmers who are suffering the greatest pain, especially since many are having to come to terms with lower support payments in the hills and uplands as a result of the change from a headage to an area basis. He said: "The livestock sector is going to be very unpredictable. Some farms with good buildings and fencing should hold their own. "With reduced profitability it is progressively more difficult for farmers and landowners and tenants to re-invest in fencing and infrastructure." July 18

Eat lamb, save money
The Scotsman

...: "There is a huge problem of 3.5 million hill lambs that have to be dealt with otherwise they are going to suffer if they are left on the hills during the winter. Either they can go into cold storage or they can be slaughtered and farmers can get compensation. "Alternatively, we could eat more lamb and we are looking at all these alternatives. It would help towards solving it." (SCOTLAND Office minister George Foulkes ) July 18

Cull continues as cluster cases rise
BBC

A new case of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed in Crickhowell as a cull of thousands of animals continues. (See Alan Beat's comment on this news item )

Supermarket prices
The Times (letter)

....I bought six loins of wonderful quality English lamb in Smithfield Market last week and decided to weigh the product and compare with the price in my local Tesco. Two loins weighing together 19lb 11oz and costing me well under #25, even allowing for transport and drying out while tenderising, produced 14lb 10oz of chops. Loin chops are priced at #5.26 per lb in Tesco, so mine would have cost #76.93. I also got 9oz of kidneys and 1lb 3oz of totally defatted minced lamb from the breasts. I saved myself #50, which is much more than a whole lamb costs and probably twice what the farmer receives..... Smithfield Market will now serve anyone prepared to get up early in the morning. July 18

Disinfectant disaster fear for caverns
Yorkshire Post

LIMESTONE formations in one of Yorkshire's best known show caves may be facing an environmental disaster from chemicals used to disinfect after foot and mouth, it was claimed yesterday. Stump Cross Caverns  a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest containing rare versions of stalagmites and stalactites which have taken more than 250,000 years to form  is within a mile of farms between Grassington and Pateley Bridge where animals are being killed after an outbreak at Dibbles Bridge Farm at Hebden. ...... disinfectant could cause untold pollution underground. July 18

The ultimate threat to the planet
The Scotsman (Letter)

George Kerevan's attack on the television reporter, John Pilger, and his analysis of globalisation (Opinion, 13 July) was unconvincing. Far from proving that Mr Pilger misquoted the American state department official, George Kennan, George Kerevan's full quote reinforced the point Mr Pilger was making.
This was that at the end of the Second World War the United States was determined to hang on to its grossly unfair share of the world's wealth and resources, and, together with its western allies, created the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the GATT to ensure it did so. ...It simply will not do to dismiss the growing opposition to the WTO as Marxist. The growing numbers of those excluded from the benefits of globalisation have no option but to protest, since they are no longer listened to by their elected representatives.
Environmentalists, farmers, workers, and indigenous peoples, are joined by economists and academics in condemning globalisation and the "new world order" as the ultimate threat to the planet and all its inhabitants.July 18

Farmers threaten to sue for foot and mouth cash By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

(in a story about the NFU's anger over money).. Mrs Beckett, addressing a conference on the future of European agriculture organised in London by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (sic) and other organisations, said: "This means not just viewing agriculture in terms of its economic contribution but recognising its role as guardian of three quarters of our land and as the bedrock of rural communities."

Restrictions on grouse shooting on moors in England affected by the foot and mouth epidemic were eased by the Government yesterday before the "Glorious Twelfth" next month. Moor owners, who feared that the restrictions would wreck what promises to be one of their best shooting seasons for years, can now apply for licences allowing unlimited shooting parties in areas more than three kilometres from infected farms. July 18 see also Yorkshire Post - Business as usual on the grouse Moors

July 17 Professor Sir William Stewart ( at Porton Down) says on the
Today Programme

"We have seen the rapid spread that can occur if one is not adequately prepared". Asked by Sue McGregor about vaccine for FMD he replied, " That is a question you will have to ask the government not me...my own view is that it should have been used - but wasn't."

Out of the spotlight, foot and mouth rages on

The culls continue as forgotten farmers complain about their cruel treatmen Special report: foot and mouth disease John Vidal, environment editor and Sally James Gregory Tuesday July 17, 2001

The Guardian

..You think it's all over? Not a bit of it," says Roy Benson on his farm near Tiverton in Devon. From a window overlooking the valley up which he believes the disease was carried by the wind, he sees only empty farmyards and fields. Benson is officially Case 1737. The ministry vets came a month ago, the animals were slaughtered after a legal fight....Since just before the election, when the numbers, as predicted by the scientists, fell to only a handful a day, there have been more than 200 cases - not what was predicted. In the last week there have been 12 in Cumbria, 17 in Yorkshire and a handful in Powys. They are taking place quietly, beyond the glare of the media and often without the sympathy of the public.
The numbers are around three and five a day in the three hotspots," says the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It blames the farmers for the continuation of the disease. "These cases are due to people and equipment. Being vigilant is the only way it will be eradicated. Sunshine should kill the virus but it is the movement of people which spreads it." ...
Many farmers are furious over this attitude.

"That isn't right," says one, whose farm was struck in the last week but did not want to be identified. "I haven't been off this farm in weeks and no one brought it to me. How can those scientists explain that? That's not what they were saying at the start. Then it was all about wind."

"It was sustained cruelty," said Matt Knight who objected to his uninfected animals being culled. His family was isolated for 42 days and kept on tenterhooks over whether his cows would be culled. "They knew the animals were healthy but said they would be coming in, like it or not. Our civil liberties were being infringed.

What is it in the job description of Maff officers that allows them to treat people so cruelly?"

July 17

Farming conscripts
Yorkshire Post

TONY BLAIR has never really forgiven the farmers for forcing him to postpone the General Election. Since winning a second term in office he has wasted little time in exacting revenge. His first move was to abolish the discredited and little loved Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This was followed by the appointment of Margaret Beckett as Secretary of State for Food and Rural Affairs, a promotion which further indicated that Labour sees the future of the countryside in caravan parks and tourism rather than in agriculture. Her stubborn refusal to hold a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth fiasco, in addition to her repeated assertions that the disease is under control, have all contributed to the feeling that this is a government blind to the plight of farming. As if to eliminate any doubt, Mr Blair has now given a nod and a wink to Lord Haskins to look at ways of reforming agriculture. ...
But how does Lord Haskins envisage this brave new agricultural world coming about without an overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy? Does he really think the French and the German governments are about to force their farmers off the narcotic of subsidies? If so, he has spent too long in the rarefied atmosphere of Whitehall. Or does he think that Britain should unilaterally end all subsidies to farmers? In which case, Britain will have no agriculture at all to speak of, since it would be unable to compete effectively or fairly against its subsidised European rivals....
Rather than engage farmers in a discussion about the way out of the current crisis, the Government seems instead to be pursuing a policy of deception. Many farmers, for instance, suspect that the Government is using the foot-and-mouth crisis not merely to cull the national herd and flock, but to cull the number of farms and farmers. The generous compensation paid to those whose animals have been slaughtered is seen as little more than a bribe  take this money and get out of agriculture while you can. .....a conscript army of reluctant farmers is unlikely to be the best guardian of our hedgerows, meadows and wildlife. Pushed too far, they might even be moved to mutiny. posted July 17

Eat up lamb that Continent bans, shoppers told BY VALERIE ELLIOTT
The Times

CONSUMERS are to be asked to eat millions of British lambs which will go to waste unless the public quickly adopts continental tastes. Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, yesterday appealed to the public to eat lamb in greater quantities in the hope that it may prevent the waste of up to two million healthy lambs. If they are not eaten, they will have to buried or burnt. The meat from smaller lambs under 30lbs, many of them reared on hill farms in Wales, is usually in keen demand in Greece, Spain and Italy but the European Union has banned it from those markets as a consequence of the foot-and-mouth disease. ... ...... The lighter lambs are less mature, less fattened, and lighter in flavour and weight. Britons eat them in quantities while on holiday abroad. .....
The Meat and Livestock Commission is planning an advertising campaign to sell lamb products. There are talks across Government to see if the Army, hospitals and schools can find a use for surplus British lamb.... (Alan Beat would disagree with the description of this meat and also with the word "surplus")
The Government has asked permission from the European Union to offer cash payments to meat traders to hold lamb in cold storage. This would allow traders to bid for cash to buy the meat and keep it frozen for up to seven months. The traders would release the meat onto the market gradually to prevent a glut in the shops...
Mr Haddock said that farmers' leaders had spoken to the authorities in New Zealand - a major provider of lamb for the UK market - to ask for a reduction in lamb imports to help Britain through the foot-and-mouth crisis.....Patrick Holden, of the organic farming group the Soil Association, said that the root cause of the problem was the European Union's common agriculture policy, which encouraged overproduction. "The subsidies which have encouraged farmers to overstock with sheep have led to this massive surplus," he said. July 17

Beckett believes time is ripe for reform BY VALERIE ELLIOTT
The Times

.....In an interview with The Times, Mrs Beckett said that she believed that they (farmers) were ready to plan for the removal of food subsidies in favour of cash to look after the land and rural development projects. ....She was speaking ahead of her first major speech today on the future of farming. Significantly, she has chosen a conference organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, one of the country's leading environmental bodies, rather than a traditional agricultural event. ....Mrs Beckett will make clear that she expects radical reform of the CAP within ten to 20 years, if she can win support from colleagues in Europe. She will need to convince Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, that there is an opportunity for change.
She will share a platform at Westminster today with one of Britain's leading allies for reform, Renate Kunast, Germany's Green Agriculture Minister. Together they hope to change the direction of EU farming policy. ...

She also believes that the momentum for change has never been more timely. "Tragically, a lot of farmers now have received compensation for their lost livestock and they have the cash to invest in new projects."

....She was impressed with a pick-your-own strawberry and raspberry farm at Over, outside Gloucester. The farmers, Richard and Robert Keene, have also allocated over 150 acres of arable land to be used as wetland to attract birds and to relieve local flooding from the Severn estuary. July 17

Tell us truth say people in stricken district
TheJournal

..... There's a tendency to blame the farmers when perhaps they're not to blame. "Certainly, there are a lot of people in the countryside who are distressed by this because their livelihoods have been badly affected. There's a feeling that Maff wasn't ready, they didn't know what to do and it became a crisis when they lost control. "The Government don't want an inquiry because it might be uncomfortable for them."
More than 1,700 Journal readers have so far backed the call for a public inquiry, along with North-East MPs from all three main political parties and representatives of farming and tourism. (The journals's petition - printable) July 17

Farm scare as BSE kills young cow By David Brown (Filed: 17/07/2001)
Telegraph

THE food and farming industry received a further jolt last night with the announcement that a cow born four months after extra measures were taken to protect cattle from BSE had died from the disease. The dairy cow, on a farm in Buckinghamshire, was born on Dec 4, 1996, just over four months after feed containing meat and bone meal - the ingredient suspected of carrying BSE - was banned from all farms. July 17

Vets' fury at farms crisis 'failure'
Yorkshire Post Front Page

..They accused the Government department formed last month out of the ashes of the old Ministry of Agriculture of lack of communication, confusion and an abject failure to co-ordinate a strategy to stem the disease.And they claimed it had kept them in the dark about key developments in the crisis, allowing the rumour mill to work overtime so ratcheting up psychological and emotional pressure on farmers already traumatised by the impact of the disease. Representatives of 26 veterinary practices across North Yorkshire have spoken out after months of frustration over the failure of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and its predecessor, to deal effectively with the emergency. They warned that the rural economy was in freefall and there was a danger that many farms might not only be unable to produce anything this year, but also next. ..."It's incredibly dangerous to open footpaths when we don't know where the next outbreak is going to occur. There's a lack of co-ordination, communication, interpretation and implementation of an effective strategy." July 16

..

Farmers 'mollycoddled' for too long, says Labour peer By Rachel Sylvester (Filed: 16/07/2001)
Telegraph

THE number of farmers should be halved and food production subsides should be scrapped, a Government adviser proposes today in a radical blueprint for reform of agriculture in Europe....Lord Haskins, chairman of Northern Foods and head of the Government's Better Regulation Task Force says that farmers have been "mollycoddled for too long".
He calls for the EU to consider encouraging farmers to retire by paying a lump-sum compensation payment and to concentrate subsidies on environmental activities rather than food production..."Farms will get bigger and that's a good thing. A lot of agricultural reformers, like the Prince of Wales, want farmers to stand around being subsidised and making thatched roofs. Well, that's for the birds."...He argues that large farms are often more environmentally friendly than small ones. July 15

Wipe-out! 3 million lambs to be shot By Chris Rundle
Western Daily Press

UP to three million new-born lambs are set to be shot to prevent a slump in the price of British meat. The mass slaughter is certain to provoke a furious backlash from consumers and animal welfare groups. Food campaigners last night branded the policy "disgusting. And one leading West butcher described the proposal "nonsensical. But farmers insisted it was the only way to save the British meat industry....The healthy lambs are now likely to join the 3.5 million sheep already killed to combat the disease. They will now be shot and buried in pits already dug for infected carcasses July 15

Disease-free animals put to death needlessly
Ontego Times (New Zealand)

Britain needlessly slaughtered hundreds of thousands of animals to combat foot-and-mouth disease and a misguided government strategy may have encouraged the spread of the epidemic.....July 16

'Green' plan to pay off farmers
Guardian

Tens of thousands of Britain's ageing farmers could be offered one-off payments to get out of agriculture, leaving those remaining to be paid to farm only in environmentally sensitive ways, a left-leaning thinktank will propose today...

The commission, chaired by Lord Haskyns, the chairman of Northern Foods, is expected to propose a radical restructuring of farming under an enlarged EU...

July 15

Export ban forces cull of 2m healthy lambs By David Harrison, Environment Correspondent (Filed: 15/07/2001)
Sunday Telegraph

TWO million healthy British lambs bred for the foreign market are to be slaughtered and destroyed in the next few weeks because of the ban on exports caused by the foot and mouth crisis. A "Buy British Lamb" campaign will be launched in an attempt to encourage retailers and shoppers to buy the home-produced meat, but farming and government officials agree that this will have little impact and that the unprecedented destruction of the lambs is the only solution.The lambs would be killed with a bolt fired into their heads. July 15

BUT see also

Running on empty CLARISSA DICKSON WRIGHT Scotsman on Sunday

While tourist numbers languish, Buccleuch is braving adversity to bring lamb to the market .....No-one can accuse the Duke of Buccleuch of cowardice. At a time when no-one in the market is buying lamb and with his Dumfriesshire estates decimated by foot and mouth, he is (as he did in the beef crisis) rallying his tenants and once again it is a happy story. London sales rose from 360 the first week to 1,600 carcasses by week three. Proof that faith and excellence and the right man in the right place can succeed in adversity. I have yet to see the new abattoir they have built at Castle Douglas but I have a standing invitation from Buccleuch's MD, Brian Forrester. Who else but a man of vision like the Duke would build an abattoir in these troubled times? Look for their lamb in the shops; they deserve support for faith alone, let alone the excellent quality. July 15

Brigadier warns of F & M rural exodus By David Harrison (Filed: 15/07/2001)
Sunday Telegraph

THE army officer who led the fight against foot and mouth in Cumbria has warned of a "mass exodus" from the countryside unless urgent action is taken to revitalise rural communities. Brig Alex Birtwistle said that what was done in the next few years would determine whether the next two generations decided to stay in the countryside or get out altogether, with "disastrous" consequences. "We cannot afford to wait," he said. "There are huge problems."

Christopher Booker's Notebook Blood money (Filed: 15/07/2001) Sunday Telegraph

THE fact that foot and mouth is no longer regarded as news does not mean it has gone away. From a well-placed source I learn that the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs now has 1,600 vets under contract (700 more than MPs were recently told by the Secretary of State, Margaret Beckett) and most contracts run to next May. The vets receive £260 a day, plus £22 meals allowance (even though they have free board and lodging, including breakfast and dinner) and a further £20 a day "stress allowance". This equates to £78,000 a year, which until five years ago was the salary of the prime minister. Meanwhile there is of course no "stress allowance" for the thousands of farming families who remain trapped on their farms by movement restrictions, without income, and whose plight is no longer considered "news". July 15

My Left Foot and Mouth... and other tasteful tales Euan Ferguson
The Observer

Almost enough fun has been had since 7 June at the expense of MPs who know nothing about their jobs ...(it) was Kim Howells, the new films and tourism Minister, who said last week that the country's film industry should now address its vast talents to contemporary issues...'When are we going to have, for example, the first film about the foot and mouth crisis?' Not soon enough, Kim, obviously: but the trouble here is that you're giving us no guidelines. The problem isn't simply the idea of a British film about how a bovine virus caused varying levels of microeconomic destabilisation within the parameters of an already complex European farming returns policy - Hollywood lives for little else - but which type of British film, for we do, of course, only three. ...Robert Carlyle arrives, dressed as a Maff inspector and carrying a shotgun. The farmer gasps, his face a mask of blood and snotters and shit and puke, and begs: 'End it! Jist end it all, now!' Actually, Kim, maybe you're on to something.uly 15

Last straw for farming dynasties
Sunday Times

..Talking about the dark days when the men from Maff arrived to slaughter their animals before throwing them on a pyre visible from her front window still brings tears to Dorothy's eyes. So too does the memory of her normally bullish husband, known as Wuffy - the chairman of the Dumfries & Galloway board of the National Farmers Union - breaking down during a Radio Scotland interview at the height of the epidemic. July 15

Jonathan Miller's Mean FieldsSunday Times

...The RCVS has a statutory responsibility to license veterinarians in Britain in exchange for the promise that vets will put the health of animals in their care "above all else".

The RCVS was silent as vets were used to supervise the slaughter of millions of healthy animals on the basis of shabby political science. Even the RCVS has now dimly recognised that its members have been played like saps and its own ethical standards were compromised and debased. July 15

Sheep farmers warn of new crisis over lambs
The Journal

..there is no market for more than three million so-called "light lambs" born on hill farms across the country....there were three possible courses of action to deal with the lambs: a huge national cold storage operation; a commitment for the military to take the meat; or a mass slaughter and disposal programme. A spokeswoman at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs denies reports that plans have already been made to shoot 3.5 million lambs....July 14

Failure to vaccinate was misjudgment of monstrous proportions, says expert by Robert Benson
Yorkshire Post

THE Government's failure to vaccinate farm animals in February or March because of opposition by the National Farmers Union was described by an independent food consultant last night as a "misjudgment of monstrous proportions". The former head of foot and mouth policy research at Bradford University, Professor Verner Wheelock, is calling on the NFU to take a fresh look at the whole issue of vaccination, with a view to advising the Government that it is the only way of preventing complete devastation of the farming industry in the UK. Prof Wheelock, ... is angry over the slaughter of millions of animals and enormous damage to the farming and tourism industries.
"It's probable that a vaccination policy would have been adopted months ago had it not been opposed by the NFU," he said. "As a consequence we're now in one hell of a mess...
"Vaccination as a control would mean we would regain our disease-free status earlier than slaughtering alone." Prof Wheelock said that according to official figures, 10,000 or more animals were being slaughtered each week, a figure which did not include calves and lambs. Furthermore, for every infected farm the animals on neighbouring farms were culled as a precautionary measure. "The number of these contiguous farms can be up to 15 for every infected case," he said. "This means 50,000 to 100,000 animals are being killed every week."....The NFU's decision to oppose such a move is the biggest mistake ever," he said. "Even now a decision to vaccinate would stop the disease in its tracks and it could be totally under control within a matter of weeks.

NFU north-east regional spokesman Rob Simpson said: "Our concerns in March and April are the same today; retailers and consumers said they didn't want to buy produce from vaccinated animals and that vaccinated animals could harbour the disease and pass it on to unvaccinated stock. "The Government was asking farmers to vaccinate their animals without giving assurances that there'd be a market for their produce, thereby asking them to take a leap of faith into the dark with their businesses." But see report from Builth re consumers and supermarkets July 14th

No end to living Hell by Neil McKay
The Journal

There is no end in sight to the living hell endured by the people of Tow Law. The tightly-knit community high above Weardale believes it has become a dumping ground for foot-and-mouth caracases from all over the North of England. Tow Law people are angry, confused and frightened. Yesterday in shops along the High Street they were queuing up to sign The Journal'' petition demanding a public inquiry into the crisis. Ann Ward, who runs a fruit shop in the High Street, said: "Everybody bar one has signed the petition. We have collected 150 signatures in just over 24 hours.".....July 14 See Petition

Why are London's Farmers £251M richer? Jul 14 2001 Paul Linford, The Journal
The Journal (Newcastle)

Treasury statistics show that London received #396m of Government money for agriculture last year, compared to #145m for the (NE) region...the North-East, with 13 times as many farms as London, receives just under a third of London's funding on agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry. It means that every farm in London is receiving around 39 times more central government cash than those in the North-East. Berwick Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith has now tabled a Parliamentary question to Mr Brown demanding to know why so much money appears to be going to the capital. July 14

Britain's countryside still in limbo
The Times (Letter)

..... There must come a point at which the loss of export capability to the farming industry caused by foot-and-mouth disease is outweighed by the devastation visited on the tourist industry, and the consequent loss of jobs and damage to foreign earnings.
Many commentators thought this point had been passed months ago. Everyone must accept that there must be some point at which it is passed, otherwise we would be saying that rural tourism must die out if we cannot eradicate foot-and-mouth. It is time for the Government to make up its mind where that point is, and communicate it to the citizens and organisations that pay its wagesJuly 14

Farmers in blockade over £11m disease bill By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 14/07/2001)
Telegraph

FARMERS blockaded Government offices in Worcester with tractors yesterday to demand £11.5 million in payment for work to clear farms hit by foot and mouth disease....farmers representing 600 members of Farm Assist, an organisation commissioned by the Government to clear more than 100,000 carcasses from 200 farms, protested that they had not been paid what they were owed for four months' work....A week ago Defra agreed to pay £500,000 "on account" to Cumbria county council after it complained that it was owed £1.5 million by the Government for foot and mouth clean-ups. July 14

Carwyn Jones announces consultation on long-term strategy for Welsh Agriculture
National Assembly for Wales Press Release July 13

..Carwyn Jones said: "Welsh agriculture is in a crisis which is deep seated and far pre-dates Foot and Mouth Disease. We need to find answers to basic questions, such as what role has agriculture in the modern economy, what does society want from the industry and, most importantly, what can the National Assembly and our partners do to turn the industry around....The Assembly's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee will discuss the draft strategy on Wednesday, 18 July. Public consultation will take place over the summer with a deadline for comments of Friday, 7 September. The Farming Futures Group will then meet to consider the comments prior to the strategy being finalised and published.
Note:
The Farming Futures Group was set up last October to advise the Rural Affairs Minister in the process of preparing a long-term strategy for Welsh farming and a programme of action for the Assembly and others to take. The group comprises academics and experts from Welsh farming, food and the countryside, and has met five times, most recently on Thursday 5 July. It will meet again in September. .

Saturday, 14 July, 2001, 01:11 GMT 02:11 UK Dartmoor open for business
BBC

Walkers can roam the moors this weekend

Disaster looms for UK hill sheep
RSPCA

The RSPCA fears thousands of hill sheep could suffer this autumn as a consequence of the foot-and-mouth crisis, as feed runs low and land is over-grazed. If movement restrictions imposed due to the outbreak remain in place, older ewes will be exposed to the rigours of an extra winter and lambs - traditionally sold in autumn sales - will stay on the hills.....see also The RSPCA has launched a major new initiative to help tackle the widespread farm animal suffering triggered by the foot-and-mouth outbreak  and is inviting the public to help. The charity has set up ten regional brokerage schemes in England and Wales to link feed, shelter, bedding and other vital supplies and services offered by farmers and members of the public with farmers whose animals need it the most. The Society is also adding its own resources to fund supplies where needed. posted July 14

Heritage cash to stricken farmers. Grants for farmers affected by foot and mouth epidemic. By Janice Gillie.
Berwickshire News

FARMERS who have lost livestock because of the foot and mouth epidemic are being invited to apply for grants of up to £5,000 from a £260,000 scheme funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. The scheme is to maintain the landscape and wildlife of farms in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, and Scottish Natural Heritage have a range of partners who have contributed to the scheme, including Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Enterprise Borders. Grants to the 1,000 farmers in southern Scotland who have lost livestock are on a first come first served basis and if funds allow it will may be extended to the wider farming community. It is aimed at diversification schemes and projects that benefit the natural and cultural heritage in the area and improving access for residents and visitors. July 14

WE DONT WANT THIS ASH DUMP
News and Star Cumbria

A TRACTOR-led march is set to bring the A595 to a halt in protest over controversial plans for ash from foot and mouth pyres to be dumped in West Cumbria. Despite health fears from local residents, Lillyhall-based landfill company Alco was today expected to be granted a contract by the Government to dispose of the burnt remains of infected animals.....Alco is also expected to be allowed to accept it from all over the UK. Copeland councillor Willis Metherell said: "We are furious that there has been no public consultation about this whatsoever. We will do everything in our power to stop the lorries getting through." July 14

'Sick' poster is no joke say tourism bosses
Devon Express and Echo

The cartoon map of the British Isles is free with the summer issue of cult comic Viz. It depicts over-priced cream teas, traffic jams and trigger-happy farmers. Mr Bell said: "I am appalled. It is very inappropriate. "There are times for black humour and jokes and, in Devon, it is not one of those times now. ....The poster also shows Cumbria littered with foot-and-mouth sheep pyres and beaches poisoned.... The British tourist industry ..spokesman Elliot Frisby said it was typical to see people highlighting the negative rather than the positive. .......July 14

Six more foot and mouth cases confirmed
Craven Herald

.....The number of positive cases in the Settle/Clitheroe rectangle now totals 94. In addition there have been 372 farms identified as contiguous premises and the number of animals slaughtered include 40,728 cattle, 227,791 sheep and lambs, 176 pigs, 61 goats and 155 exotics including farmed deer and water buffalo. July 13

Another outbreak confirmed
Ilkley Gazette

Officials from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have confirmed an outbreak at Heights Farm, Silsden Moor. The livestock on the premises, which includes 89 cattle, will now be slaughtered. The discovery follows the first outbreak confirmed in Silsden two weeks ago at the nearby Bridge House Farm....Dorothy Fairburn, CLA regional director for Yorkshire said: "Recent outbreaks have shown that the battle to finally eradicate the epidemic is far from over." posted July 14

Tees plant treats burial liquid
Evening Gazette (Teesside)

Waste liquid from animals rotting in a foot and mouth burial pit is being brought to Teesside, the Evening Gazette revealed today. It is being taken to Northumbrian Water's hi-tech effluent treatment centre at Bran Sands near Redcar. Ironically, the liquid will enter a process in which the resulting sludge can be used to make fertiliser pellets.The liquid is "leachate" - run-off residue which forms when rain falls. To ensure it doesn't get into the water table, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is pumping it out from the site at Tow Law....The news coincides with confirmation that the first train-load of foot and mouth ash has left Teesside..July 14.

Foot-And-Mouth to Cost Britain $3B
Las Vegas Sun

Foot-and-mouth disease will cost British taxpayers $3 billion before it's eradicated, officials said Friday. The drain on the budget - about $56 for every resident of the United Kingdom - includes the cost of killing and disposing of animals, disinfecting diseased premises and compensating farmers for slaughtered livestock, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said. It does not cover the economic impact on agriculture....July 14

OTMS scheme back on track, says executive ROBERT ROSS
Glasgow Herald

It will re-open on July 23, when slaughterers will have to tackle a backlog of up to 40,000 animals. July 14

Public loses taste for hamburgers 14.07.2001
New Zealand Herald

..Mad cow disease and Britain's recent foot and mouth outbreak have turned customers off beef and, along with an ageing and increasingly health-conscious consumer base, McDonald's is finding it tougher to sell burgers. It also has another problem: customers turning away in droves because they don't like the way they are treated.July 14

MY 1,400 SHEEP NEED NOT HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED
Cumberland News

See "Today" for full story.

13 July 2001 Royal-backed fund at risk of closure By Tim Relf
Farmers Weekly Interactive

The ARC-Addington Fund helped over 12,500 people since the crisis began, but could run out of money within days if #1.68m of "match-funding" is not paid. Labour MPs have said that the money has been unlocked, but attempts to secure it had so far been "stone-walled", said fund manager Ian Bell. "It would be a disgrace if this money does not reach the fund." Mr Bell said that the government agreed to match private donations made to the fund until 30 June. It was up to each UK administration to match donations, but so far only the English had paid anything, he said.
The English Treasury has paid over #2m but owes another #280,000.
The Welsh Assembly owes the fund just over #1m, the Ulster adminstration #236,000 and the Scottish Executive #167,000.
"We are desperate for it. It will be no good sending it the day after we close," said Mr Bell. "We need it now." The fund has paid out more than #6.7m in emergency aid, after donations from individuals, companies, charities, churches and newspapers. "The response from the public has been absolutely phenomenal, which makes you more annoyed to be let down by the government," said Mr Bell. July 13 (warmwell.com comment: the public would surely have made an even more generous response if most of the media had not allowed foot and mouth to disappear from view)

Yesterday in Parliament (Filed: 13/07/2001)
Telegraph

Foot and mouth bans to last into the winter RESTRICTIONS on animal movements as a result of foot and mouth disease will remain in place until winter, Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, said last night.Mrs Beckett was speaking during a Tory-led debate in the Commons entitled "Crisis in the Countryside".
..tighter movement controls around new cases and linking bio-security standards with the granting of livestock movement licences. "I want to tell the House today of an intensified campaign that we plan to bear down more heavily on the disease," she said.... imposing tighter movement controls around new cases of the disease. The controls, she said, would focus restrictions on the 10-kilometre area around new cases and bringing movements in those areas to an "absolute minimum" for 30 days..... ...
(Tim Yeo) Many people fear Labour would be happy for people to eat nothing but imported food even though its own Food Standards Agency has admitted that policing safety is sometimes hard.
The Government's failure to introduce "honest" food labelling, to apply the same standards to imports as domestic food and its reluctance to claim EU help available for farmers all reinforced that opinion, he said...

Malcolm Bruce (Lib Dem) "There is little evidence that this new super-department has yet undergone a cultural transformation. Crisis management is still the overriding characteristic."
James Paice (Con) "Many farmers now believe that the Government actually wants many of them to go out of business."
Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, said Labour was the party that "cared for the countryside".....July 13

Foot and Mouth Whitewash fear The Journal

The country will suspect a Government whitewash if there is no independent public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak, Labour was warned yesterday....The Journal's campaign to force a public inquiry is being backed by people across the country. More than 300 people a day are currently signing the paper's petition demanding a hearing. Shadow Agriculture Secretary Tim Yeo used yesterday's debate to renew calls for an open investigation and warned that people would suspect a whitewash if this did not happen. He also demanded to know what strategy 'other than hope' the Government had for eradicating the disease. July 13

Lies and Hype -NGOs Denounce United Nations Report on Biotech
Organic Consumers Association

10th July London/Manila/Mexico City - Greenpeace today deplored the ill-advised pro-biotech prescriptions of the newly released Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), stressing that the report presents as facts the unsubstantiated promises of the genetic engineering (GE) industry while dismissing the environmental risks and ignoring the real challenges of agriculture in developing countries...."The reality is that GMOs are facing increased resistance in all industrialised countries and the global agrochemical and GE companies are dumping these questionable technologies on developing countries....posted July 13

Outbreak may cut visitors for years BY ROBIN YOUNG
The Times

...This is definitely the worst situation we've been in since the Gulf War when, as now, the big-spending Americans stayed away and it took years for them to return, Elliott Frisby, a BTA spokesman, said. "The foot-and-mouth outbreak, together with flooding last winter and the disruption to rail services, has convinced some would-be overseas visitors that Britain is not a good place to come to at the moment. July 13

Snakes strike out at walkers' return BY LAURA PEEK
The Times

...The problem has been made worse because farmers have been unable to trim hedgerows and sheep and cattle have not been allowed out to graze. One attack in Essex left a woman in hospital for five days after she suffered a serious reaction to the adder venom. Several dogs have also been bitten after disturbing the snakes. July 13

Results of the Standing Veterinary Committee
European Union Documents

Foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom The restrictions still applying to the United Kingdom with regard to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), applying until 20 July 2001, have been prolonged until 30 September 2001. These restrictions are: The prohibition to export from Great Britain live susceptible animals, fresh meat and meat products, fresh milk and milk products and other animal products from those species, unless the latter are treated appropriately. posted July 13

John Walsh: Who ate all the burgers
Independent

For decades, we've been living in a fast-food world. Suddenly, everywhere you look, there's McTrouble.....A suspicion that has lurked in people's minds for 26 years  that they are eating, frankly, animal crap in a bun  was reinforced when Eric Schlosser published his best-selling book, Fast Food Nation, earlier this year. All over the US consumers paled as they read of "faecal contamination", the feeding of cows with cattle and chicken blood, the fact that the average burger contains meat from hundreds of cattle  and the strangely non-chicken nature of the Chicken McNugget (a white gungy substance held together by chemical stabilisers, injected with "beef extract"). Readers held their stomachs and resolved to give up fast food for ever....What's happening is that we're making the logical connection at last between cattle-disease epidemics and the blandly nasty luncheon snack we hold in our guilty hands. We've gone off the whole idea. July 13

'Careless' farmers spreading disease Special report: foot and mouth disease Peter Hetherington
Guardian

Officials from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs countered claims of a chaotic official response to the emergency around the market town of Thirsk with a statement that the latest outbreak had probably been spread locally by farmers taking inadequate precautions. But a local vet said the ministry's policy of "contiguous culling" of animals around affected farms had failed to halt the spread of the disease south from the Pennines to Thirsk. Fears are growing that foot and mouth could gradually drift to the country's premier pig breeding area in east Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.one Thirsk farmer, Robin Bosomworth, accused the ministry of being uncoordinated in its response. "Their lorries, loading shovels, four-wheel drive vehicles ... have been running around, looking lost, turning believe it or not in other farmyards," he said. "It has been quite horrifying, especially as we are being told as farmers that collectively we have not been looking after our biosecurity precautions very well." He added: "Five months on it seems they were taken totally by surprise, unorganised ... and this is an area where they have been encouraging people to open footpaths. It seems utterly crazy." Anne McIntosh, Conservative MP for Vale of York, which includes Thirsk, has been campaigning against the reopening of footpaths and claims Defra has not been fully prepared. ...posted July 12 (see TODAY)

Boy sells foot and mouth medallions to aid farmers By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 12/07/2001)
Telegraph

A TEENAGER was so moved by the plight of farming families in the foot and mouth crisis that he designed and produced a bronze medallion to raise funds to ease their hardship....Daniel Hendy, 13, a pupil at Penrise school, St Austell, Cornwall, is launching a nationwide campaign to sell the medallions, which show sheep and cattle burning on pyres on one side and a farmer sowing seed by hand on the other. He took up a string of odd-jobs including car-washing and gardening to raise money to have 1,000 coins minted. July 12

Inquiries about the foot and mouth crisis commemorative bronze medallions, designed and produced by a Devon teenager, Daniel Hendy, in aid of the ARC-Addington Fund, reported in The Telegraph on Thursday, should be addressed to: Lynne Hendy, 17 Polmear Road, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3LE. Tel: 01726 63721.

Crisis insurance to be forced on farms
Western Daily Press

FARMERS were told yesterday they cannot go on without insuring against problems such as foot-and-mouth disease. Government Minister Lord Whitty said one option could be compulsory insurance and he warned taxpayers would not go on picking up the bill for agriculture crises. But he risked angering the farming community, battered by the scale of FMD, and knows that insurance companies will not be rushing to provide cover at competitive prices. July 12 (Warmwell footnote)

Country 'needs cash for tourism not food' BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
The Times

..RURAL areas must cash in on day trippers and holidaymakers to secure jobs and prosperity, according to the National Trust, which believes thousands of jobs could be created if extra money was spent on safeguarding the landscape and updating old buildings and heritage attractions. The trust is demanding greater investment from the Government to help regenerate blighted areas of the country which have lost jobs and income from the decline in agriculture, fisheries, mining and manufacturing. With foot-and-mouth devastating many rural communities, the trust says the Government must act urgently. July 12

Mid Wales footpaths to reopen for summer holidays 11/7/2001
News Wales

More than 3,500 kilometres of public rights of way will be reopened in Mid Wales in time for the Summer school holidays. Councillors in Powys, which has been hardest hit by the foot and mouth outbreak, made the decision today after advice from DEFRA. july 12

Events defy FMD effects Dan Buglass
The Scotsman (Business)

..one of the leading pedigree sheep sales will be held on 27 July in Perth - although without animals. Instead, the Northern Area of the Suffolk Sheep Society will hold a video sale of about 120 ram lambs. ..the Scottish National Fatstock Club with confirmation that it intends to hold a winter fair of some sort on 21 November in Perth.

Decision time for pig sector DAN BUGLASS
Glasgow Herald

..."The share of the pork market may be holding up, but we have to face up to the reality that the industry is becoming increasingly small. It's decision time for the supply chain, and producers have to make up their mind whether they want to remain in business or get out,"...In an attempt to ease the pain the government, with approval from Brussels, introduced an outgoers scheme. The scheme has been so appealing that applications have been received from farmers accounting for almost one third of the UK's breeding herd of 470,000 sows. Sloyan commented: "It's frightening that so many people are willing to give up, though to be fair many of those applying for the scheme are already out of business. It's also very worrying in the longer term and we should remember that more pigmeat is consumed in the world than any other meat. There is a market and it is growing, with the world population expanding at the rate of 60 million every year."July 12

SAC report recognises the organic revolution ROY GREGOR
Glasgow Herald

THE changing pressures on farmers are highlighted in the annual report of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC)...., the political imperatives which direct SAC's work in support of the rural sector are changing...The college's farm and rural business advisers are following the foot-and-mouth outbreak, and are increasingly called on for advice on alternative methods of earning money from land management...In his report (Professor) Linklater said: "The range of courses now on offer from SAC spans the disciplines of agriculture, horticulture, environment, countryside, tourism and leisure management, science and technology and business management. We are also e-learning, IT and business training on web-based units." -July 12th

Fears allayed over suspected foot and mouth outbreak
This is Wiltshire

FEARS of foot and mouth disease on a Wroughton farm (Swindon) have been declared unfounded. And the all-clear for King's Farm - rented by Calvin Orchard, 43, who is based at Upper Slope Farm in Shalbourne - has prompted Swindon Council to open all footpaths within a 3km radius of Wroughton.

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Footnote to story about possible compulsory insurance against FMD now being forced on farmers

This email was received today July 12 from a farmer, Andy Hurst, whose animals were killed in May

NFU's insurance and assurance is already a very big business. One of the first letters we had after the cull was from NFU MUTUAL offering us very good terms for investing our blood money. Maff said they couldn't publicise names of farms that were in the 3 km. cull because of data protection, yet NFU MUTUAL had access to our address!

An addendum: And those databases were shared with MAFF/DEFRA. So much for the Data Protection Act!

TOP

Apologies! The "Papers" file unaccountably self-destructed again on Monday July 2nd -
It is being put together again as quickly as is humanly possible.

NEWS ARCHIVES back to April 28th

TOP

Alan Beat's comment on the BBC news of July 17

"Our comment: (Take a deep breath) so it's the sheep that have "shed more virus" under stress, is it, indeed to goodness? We don't see much scientific evidence for the oft-repeated claim that FMD is widespread amongst the national sheep flock.

Blood testing has turned up a mere handful of animals with antibodies (note antibodies, NOT virus) from anywhere in the UK. Here in Devon, only eight positive results have been returned from more than 1100 flocks tested so far. The chances of a "carrier" sheep actually producing enough virus to infect another animal are extremely small and hypothetical - it has yet to be demonstrated in scientific experiments.

So what evidence does Carwyn Jones have for his "thinking" - an unfortunate choice of word in the circumstances, we suggest?"

TOP

WEDNESDAY JULY 11 2001

Farmer urged to defy cull as outbreak tightens grip by Stuart Mackintosh
Northern Echo

THE foot-and-mouth crisis showed no sign of loosening its grip on the region last night, as more cases were confirmed in a stricken rural area. Three new outbreaks were revealed in North Yorkshire, taking the total in the beleaguered county to 106 and forcing a pressure group to urge farmers to refuse to cooperate with the Government's slaughter policy. Ground Force is working with leading solicitors to advise landowners on how to legally blockade their premises and deny access to slaughter teams carrying out contiguous culls. The organisation said 16 farmers in the Vale of York - where a new cluster of cases has emerged since the weekend - had sought its advice and were prepared to challenge any attempts to slaughter livestock.
( Greg Lance-Watkins), " The farmer can be so intimidated by the escalation of costs involved in defending his rights, but the Government has a bottomless pit of money which it is using to attack farmers with," he said. "Our aim is to save as many animals as possible from unnecessary culling. We will give farmers all the assistance we can to make them aware of their position under law. "Foot-and-mouth is coming down the A19 and North Yorkshire is a nightmare at the moment. The farmers will stand against the Government for as long as they can." July 11

Farmer attacks needless culling by David Byers
Gloucestershire Echo and Citizen

Animals in Gloucestershire were slaughtered needlessly because of a Government failure to listen to expert advice, said a farmers' representative. Ian Johnson, National Farmers' Union (NFU) spokesman for the South West region, said the "contiguous cull" policy which stretched up to 3km from the nearest infected farm, was scientifically incorrect. He also criticised ministers for "mummifying" farming with bureaucracy. His comments follows claims by the Government's leading foot-and-mouth expert, Dr Paul Kitching, that ministers went ahead with the cull of healthy animals, even though he warned them it was "a total suspension of common sense". Gloucestershire was one of the hardest-hit counties in Britain, with 78 confirmed foot-and-mouth cases, leading to the contiguous slaughter of thousands of cattle, bringing financial ruin for many farmers. July 11

Villagers join the demands for answers By Robert Brooks
The Journal (Newcastle)

Communities which have had dead animal pits and pyres on their doorsteps have joined the call for a public inquiry into the cause and handling of the footandmouth crisis.....People in Widdrington and Widdrington Station, near Druridge Bay, Northumberland, and Tow Law and Quaking Houses, in County Durham, fear they will be left with a legacy which will last for decades....residents in Tow Law have campaigned and demonstrated for months to have the disposal pit closed down while at Quaking Houses, thousands of dead animals were dumped despite local opposition. The then Ministry of Agriculture later admitted it had exceeded its emergency powers in overruling Durham County Council objections....They claimed they had the power to bury the carcases at the site, and then they admitted they didn't. There have been so many mixed messages you don't know who or what to believe. ... July 11

Minister warns of end to farm aid By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 11/07/2001)
Telegraph

...Lord Whitty, food and farming minister, said he was surprised that so few farmers carried livestock disease insurance. .... he upset farmers' leaders by stressing that the Government was studying insurance schemes in other countries with a view to removing compensation "in the longer term". Farmers could not rely on Government or European compensation forever, he said. The National Farmers' Union would oppose compulsory livestock insurance and would insist on Government financial backing for any new insurance scheme, given that culling was compulsory for foot and mouth and some other major diseases. Insurance industry sources said the cost of existing livestock insurance could more than triple ....... The NFU Mutual insurance company, ..... A spokesman said: "We have not cancelled livestock insurance policies for people whose farms have been hit by foot and mouth but we have heard of companies who have."July 11

Virus welfare payment cuts expected
Farmers Weekly

FARMERS are bracing themselves for another cut to payments for stock slaughtered on welfare grounds in areas caught up in foot-and-mouth restrictions....The number of animals entering the scheme has dropped steeply since restrictions eased and some LWDS payments were reduced on 30 April. But with all British red meat exports banned, many farmers are still relying on the scheme and will be badly hit by further reductions. Many producers with cull sows - which had been exported to the Continent but are virtually worthless in the UK - had hoped to enter the animals into the scheme. posted July 11

Free advice for cull farmers
Farmers Weekly

..Invitations are being sent out over the next weeks to farmers from the 7500-plus holdings where animals were slaughtered to help control the disease. These are being organised by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' rural development service. (see Future of Farming) Junior DEFRA minister Lord Whitty said: "The aim of this programme is to enable those farmers whose animals have been culled to fight back." (at what remains unclear) posted July 11

Outbreak threatens pig farms
The Times

A cluster of foot-and-mouth disease in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has triggered new panic among pig farmers who fear their animals and livelihoods are at risk. The Government is concerned that six new cases in the area pose a threat to three million pigs reared in East Yorkshire, the largest pig production county. ..... Fred Landeg, the head of veterinary exotic diseases at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said that vaccination was being reviewed to keep the disease away from pigs and added: If it gets into pigs, they are the virus factory. July 11

Blair forms emergency unit after debacles By Rachel Sylvester (Filed: 11/07/2001)
Telegraph

...will report to the Prime Minister through the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Richard Wilson, will provide an early warning of impending disasters and draw up a strategy for handling them.
This reflects Mr Blair's frustration at the Government's failure to get the fuel protest and the foot and mouth crises quickly under control. He is also concerned that Whitehall seemed ill equipped to deal with natural disasters such as last year's floods. "We pulled the levers and nothing happened," one minister said after the fuel crisis. Mr Blair is determined not to be caught unawares and left looking powerless again.
The secretariat will recruit more than 100 civil servants from around Whitehall, including scientific experts and logisticians from the Ministry of Defence. Experts from outside Government, including police representatives, will also be involved and hundreds more people, who can be called upon ..July 11 See Also -

Blair's control unit to limit crisis damage Patrick Wintour Guardian Wednesday July 11, 2001
Guardian

Shocking truth of farming scourge
Western Daily Press

AN epidemic of stress, depression and suicide is expected to sweep through the West's farming and tourism industries. ..Farmers' worries are said to have been increased by a lack of information about carcass disposal and the health effects of leaving animals rotting in the fields. The report said: There was a general concern that MAFF did not have the structure, culture or communications capacity to deal with this crisis. Coroners have already warned of a growing number of suicides and called for tighter restrictions on guns....there is growing concern that problems will spread to the children of farming families who have seen their entire way of life alter overnight. July 11

Daily calls for draconian steps to check foot-and-mouth disease Tehran, July 10,
Tehran Times

...called on concerned officials of Iran to adopted urgent draconian measures to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease which has afflicted the country's livestock. .....concerned officials must make "urgent arrangements for foot-and-mouth veterinary aid and mass vaccination of livestock," suggested the paper, adding that "all trucks and other vehicles transporting livestock, meat and diary products must be checked thoroughly." posted July 11

Show of strength by Nick Hallissey and Simon Horsborough
This is York

IT SHOULD have been a celebration of the county's best, with thousands of farmers gathering for the first day of the Great Yorkshire Show. Instead, leading business and farming figures converged on Harrogate today with a clarion call to beat the crisis and face the future together. The Great Yorkshire Showground was taken over by the Yorkshire and the Humber Rural Forum for a Rural Renaissance event, asking how those at the sharp end could mend their tattered livelihoods. The regional development agency Yorkshire Forward subtitled the event, Action Not Words.....posted July 11

WE WON'T HAVE PYRE ASH DUMPED HERE
Cumbria News and Star

DISTINGTON Parish Council is planning to blockade the entrance to a West Cumbrian landfill site which has been awarded the contract to dispose of ash from foot and mouth pyres.... Alco angered councillors and local residents by agreeing to treat ash from the pyres which burned across Cumbria at the height of the foot and mouth epidemic, and by failing to rule out accepting ash from other parts of the country. Last night councillors agreed to stage demonstrations outside Alco Waste Management's site at Lillyhall to prevent lorries from dumping the ash there. ............. The company angered locals earlier this year when it agreed to dispose of the liquid waste from animals killed at Lockerbie as part of the foot and mouth cull. ...."We are demanding answers today from Cumbria County Council, Copeland Council and Allerdale Council to find out if they were consulted over this." ALCO claims it has spoken to the Environment Agency and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) about its disposal procedures. posted July 11

Crop of hope for farmers
Swindon Evening Advertiser

....It was launched at Common Farm, Highworth, with farmers Lester and Laura Manners. The Manners family were recipients of a grant under the Government's key agri-environment scheme, allowing them to continue to farm organically and extend the environmental value of the farm.Community Forest field officer Patrick Norris said "Common Farm is a traditional family farm with a strong emphasis on supporting an agricultural system where the natural environment is at the centre of the farming business." ... foot and mouth disease,... has put a strain on farmers near Swindon who have been unable to move livestock because of restrictions. ...Over the coming years the Forest will become a unique mix of woodlands, open space, farmland and nature areas.... posted July 11

Farmers' plea after disease halts show
BBC

There are now 100 farms in the North Yorkshire area which have suffered an outbreak of the illness - including a new cluster of at least six reported in Thirsk. About 500 other farms have also lost all their livestock because of the government's policy to cull animals nearby to halt the spread of the virus. ..Meanwhile the National Farmers' Union urged the government to take more action to help those beleaguered by the disease. Some members believe the crisis will not be over before Christmas. ..."Most of the complaints we get are from farmers who want practical advice about issues such as whether they can move animals, what disinfectant to use and whether to allow contactors on to their land. "If the government could improve the flow of this kind of information then it would help matters." July 10

Nil by foot and mouth
The Guardian

The minister responsible for film, Kim Howells, says British cinema should give up on period drama and tackle contemporary issues such as foot and mouth. Wannabe screenwriter Oliver Burkeman takes up the challenge......

The Maff Scientist, Professor Bean, is walking along a corridor, leafing through two folders marked "Vaccination Policy" and "Slaughter Policy" while pulling supposedly amusing facial expressions. Suddenly he slips on a discarded GM tomato and the "Vaccination" file flies out of a nearby open window. The rubberfaced comic pulls another supposedly amusing face to camera

July 10

Meat industry told to just tough it out VIC ROBERTSON
Glasgow Herald

THERE are no quick fixes for the financial hardship faced by livestock farmers and the meat industry as a result of the foot-and-mouth crisis, industry analysts declared yesterday. Cases of foot-and-mouth disease could continue until early next year, they said, which would mean a continuing ban on exports of meat and livestock. Such a scenario would mean that consumer confidence at home and abroad would take some time to recover. But Bob Bansback, corporate strategy director with the Meat and Livestock Commission, injected a positive note into the proceedings of the commission's "outlook revisited" conference by insisting that there were "a number of pointers to take us forward". "After all, who would have thought that beef sales last year would have been the highest since 1995, the year before the BSE scare broke out," he said. However, it was precisely the legacy of the scare that was worrying consumers, according to Richard Lowe, the MLC's marketing director. It had awakened subconscious memories of the period, creating the image of "a medieval plague that required draconian action". He said most of the food chain "was not as people would like it to be". This situation had led to 750,00 households cutting out red meat purchases altogether in the past year, with the fresh and smoked fish sector being the main beneficiary, increasing sales by 15%. There was no short-term quick fix, he said. People were increasingly sceptical and cynical - even supermarkets had fallen from grace in this context. And any messages of reassurance about beef, lamb and pork risked opening up a can of worms over safety among doubters. Against this, beaming a sustained "business as usual" meat campaign at confirmed meat eaters could pay dividends. But such a campaign would have to be reinforced by a longer-term, fundamental reform of the meat food chain fully communicated to meat eaters..... -July 10th

The Origins of the Organic Movement by Philip Conford The romantic roots of the organic farmers (Book Review)
The Independent

We ought to be far more angry with the people who are currently running agriculture than we apparently are. All the unpleasantness of recent years has been unnecessary: not just foot-and-mouth and BSE, but also the loss of landscapes and of wild creatures, the falling-off of rural communities and, despite its exoticism, the decline of food. This nastiness is all rooted in economics of the kind that says that all people want is cheap goods; and in the crudest of science  technically miraculous but philosophically naive, smug in the belief that the world can be understood and moulded at will. July 10

Need for inquiry on foot-and-mouth FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE
The Times (Letters)

MONDAY JULY 09 2001 Sir, Pressure in the countryside for the Government to announce a comprehensive and independent public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic is intensifying. ... the moment has come for the Government to pre-empt a growing suspicion of procrastination. There is legitimate and growing public concern in the minds of the people of rural Britain. ... the inquiry should examine the biological and social legitimacy of the current policy of disease eradication through slaughter. Announcing a public inquiry does not mean that it must begin immediately. But doing so now will take the pressure off the increasing demand for legal cases to be mounted as it would make sense for such cases to be lodged only after the inquiry.

Monday, 9 July, 2001, 15:34 GMT 16:34 UK Cull reprieve for rare breeds
BBC

Breeders of rare pigs and small camelids - animals such as alpacas and llamas - could ask for exemption from culls in "contiguous" areas next to foot-and-mouth outbreaks if their stock is healthy. (DEFRA instructions for owners)

Could the PM resist this pressure? by HoldTheFrontPage staff
Hold the Front Page co.uk

Western Morning News readers have overwhelmingly backed calls for an independent inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. More than 2,300 people cast their vote in a phone poll with 97 per cent demanding an inquiry. Just 61 people voted against. The paper said the Government had so far only committed itself to a "proper" inquiry on the crisis and had fallen short of ordering an independent and public inquiry where ministers could be publicly questioned on its handling. The vote echoes calls made in recent weeks by people in agriculture, as well as campaigners and politicians. And the Morning News' outspoken editorial column stormed: "Rural affairs minister Margaret Beckett loftily announced last week that she believed there was little appetite in the countryside for a full public inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis.

Action needed now to keep farmers in business
Craven Herald

...There is a great deal the Government needs to look at in order for our farmers, both those who have been culled out and those, like Mr Schofield, who still have their stock, to survive. "The issues are very complicated, but time is fast running out for a lot of them and there is a real risk many could lose their businesses," added Mr Palmer.

Foot-and-mouth - the grim statistics

( N.B.the table contains only Defra's figures ; the true figures for animals killed is now estimated to be over 8 million and because no testing is done routinely on contiguous premises it will be impossible to know the percentage of animals who had caught - or who were in real danger of catching - this non-fatal virus)

1832 UK cases confirmed | 09 July || DEFRA reports 3,488,000 animals identified for slaughter | 547,000 cattle slaughtered | 2,794,000 sheep slaughtered | 129,000 pigs slaughtered | 2000 goats slaughtered | 25,000 carcasses awaiting disposal | 17.00 04 July

Source: Farmers'Weekly interactive

Time for some answers
The Journal

Many farmers in the North have had to watch generations of work destroyed in a couple of hours - even though a large proportion of the millions of animals killed so far never even had the disease....anger has been caused by the delays in slaughtering infected livestock, farmers having to endure the horrific sight of sheds full of dead animals for days on end, and wagons carrying dead animals leaking blood on to the highway....officials even slaughtered animals on the wrong farm, when they mistook Punderland Farm in Little Clifton, Cumbria, for another over 100 miles away in Durham....adopting Imperial College's suggested firebreak cull created even more problems and led to the unnecessary slaughter of over a million healthy animals." "By adopting their advice, the Government scored a spectacular own-goal. It was a disaster in terms of the number of animals lost and the human suffering that has accompanied this. "Adopting a contiguous cull just choked the system. It created a backlog of dead animals." WHEN Northumberland farmer Andy Frater was ordered to destroy his prized flock of 800 sheep, he offered to bury them himself in a quarry on his own land, rather than leave them to rot for days in a shed. But despite delays at the foot- and-mouth burial site at Widdrington, 20 miles south of his farm at Tynely, near Chathill, officials refused. .....July 9

Mass testing for 10,000 sheep
BBC

..(Brecon)...graziers are angry at the time it is taking for the outcome of blood test results to be determined. Many are concerned that 150 sheep have been kept enclosed in small spaces for 10 days with little grass - while their owners wait for results to be returned. Now they are insisting that the process must be speeded up. (N.B. The BBC is still using the word "confirmed" for cases in Wales that tested negative.)

9 July 2001

Oversight delays foot-and-mouth news By FWi staff
Farmers' Weekly

AN oversight has delayed the publication of information which would save rare-breed pigs from being culled under rules to prevent foot-and-mouth. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said guidelines to secure cull exemptions were published on its website on Monday (July 9). But by noon the same day no information had appeared on the site....Owners of pigs, llamas and alpacas must submit applications for cull exemptions as soon as possible after being told the animals will be culled. ....

(Another) Bishop calls for foot and mouth inquiry
Lancashire Evening Telegraph

THE Bishop of Blackburn is leading calls for a comprehensive Government inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. The Rt Rev Alan Chesters prompted the General Synod, the Church of England's "parliament," to vote for a public inquiry into the outbreak which has devastated large areas of rural Britain including the Ribble Valley. The Bishop, a member of the Government's rural task force, spoke about his experience as a diocesan bishop in an area where some of the first outbreaks occurred, and whose home looks out towards the so-called Settle-Clitheroe triangle where most of the latest cases have been confirmed. "I am acutely aware of the human cost to families and individuals, of the isolation, fear and total disillusionment felt by so many people," he said....

9 July 2001 Bishop joins calls for virus inquiry
Farmers' Weekly

By FWi staff The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Jim Thompson, said delays by ministers have increased distrust of the government in the countryside. Ministers have promised an investigation into the outbreak and the lessons to be learned, but stopped short of pledging an independent public inquiry. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Bishop said that ministers needed to make some sort of commitment now. "An inquiry is urgent, not in the sense that it must begin now, but it should be announced now and it should be committed to now," he said.

Call for speedy FMD inquiry
The Journal (Newcastle)

The Government is facing renewed calls to announce quickly an independent public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Ministers have already indicated that lessons will be learned. But a Church of England bishop has joined countryside campaigners in calling on the Government to set out the remit of an inquiry. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Jim Thompson, said: "One of the big problems ... is the lack of trust. I have rarely come across such distrust between a whole section of community and government. This distrust will keep on fouling up the inevitable and important reconciliation between government and the agricultural (community).."

9 July 2001

MLC warns of flood of lambs

By Alistair Driver
Farmers' Weekly ..The sheep industry has been the hardest hit on two fronts. More than 2.8m sheep have been slaughtered under the foot-and-mouth cull  about 80% of all animals culled. But about 30% of sheep produced in the UK were exported, leaving a potential surplus of 1m lambs in the 2001/2 season, the MLC (Meat and Livestock Commission)says. Lost exports, particularly of cull sows, will also create an imbalance in the pig market. In addition, the foot-and-mouth cull is likely to cause a 13% fall in prime cattle supplies this year.

Anomalies found in tests for dioxins from pyres GRAEME SMITH
Glasgow Herald

while the Food Standards Agency says there does not appear to be any evidence that dioxin levels in food have risen, two chickens from a livestock farm in Dumfries were found to have more than 17 times the normal amount of dioxins in their meat. A further anomaly in the 63 samples so far tested in the UK was found in eggs on a farm in Anglesey. "In general, the situation across the UK is reassuring," said Suzi Leather, deputy chairwoman of the FSA. "Nearly all of the results are within expected ranges and indicate foods from these areas don't pose a risk to public health.... All fires have the potential to release harmful dioxins into the environment and the testing was to determine if foods produced closer to the foot-and-mouth pyres produced higher concentrations.posted July 9

South west calls for public inquiry into foot-and-mouth epidemic BOB GEDDES
Glasgow Herald

A CALL for a full-scale public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic has come from farmers in the south west of Scotland, where more than half a million animals were slaughtered. Peter Duncan, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale MP, and MSP Alex Fergusson backed the members of Stewartry branch of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland (NFUS) in calling for the inquiry. Ronnie Wilson, Stewartry vice-president, said it was vital that an inquiry was held, but added the government seemed to be backing away from such a move..... July9

Foot and mouth: vaccination the answer, says EU
by Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor 08 July 2001
Independent on Sunday

Governments from across Europe are set to reject mass slaughter and instead endorse vaccinating livestock against foot and mouth...The move is being pressed particularly strongly by the Netherlands - the European country most affected by the current epidemic after Britain - which successfully controlled its outbreak by immunisation. It will mean a humiliation for Britain which not only invented the policy of mass slaughterbut successfully persuaded the rest of Europe 10 years ago to abandon vaccinating herds as a preventative measure.....Ministers continue to insist publicly that their policies have been right, although they have so far cost the taxpayer £2.5bn and done even more damage to tourism and industry, far outweighing the value of the meat export industry they set out to protect.

Lifeline 'cut off by the Government'
Lancashire Evening Telegraph

..The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has refused to continue funding the Bowland Initiative - a national pilot programme hailed as an answer to rural diversification. ..The decision was branded 'absurd' by John Welbank, project manager of the Clitheroe-based Bowland Initiative, which has been working with farmers for the past two and a half years to set up new businesses. And Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, has promised to raise what he described as 'a ludicrous' decision with DEFRA Secretary Margaret Beckett. ..The Bowland Initiative was set up in 1999 to look at ways of diversifying the rural economy. With an annual budget of £200,000, a nine-strong team was established to work with farmers to explore alternative income streams. Project workers helped farmers cut through bureaucracy with planning and grant applications and provided specialist help in areas such as marketing.

Treasury claws back £2.5m aid for tourism industry By Robert Mendick and Raymond Whitaker 08 July 2001
Independent on Sunday

As British tourism continues to suffer from the aftermath of foot and mouth, the Treasury is siphoning off £2.5m from the Government's own emergency rescue package. The campaign to bring back foreign visitors after the disastrous impact of the epidemic has been undermined by a ruling that a £14.2m grant to the British Tourist Authority is subject to 17.5 per cent VAT....

Why we need a public inquiry
The Journal (Newcastle)

The Journal is running a PUBLIC INQUIRY CAMPAIGN called Tell Us the Truth
The Journal, politicians from all the main parties, farmers, business people and those unfortunate enough to live near animal disposal sites, now call on Tony Blair to hold a public inquiry into the cause and handling of the epidemic. As yet more animals were slaughtered in the North-East yesterday, we are calling on readers to petition the Government to commit to holding a full, open and transparent investigation into the cause and handling of a crisis which has cost billions of pounds. ..Last night there were allegations that the Government fears what may emerge from a full, frank and open examination of the facts. This is denied...(More below for July 7)

GOAT WOMAN FACES COURT
Glasgow Sunday Mail

Kirstin McBride, 21, faces charges of breach of the peace, punching, kicking and struggling with police officers and possession of an offensive weapon after an incident at her home in Mouswald, near Dumfries. She is due to appear at Dumfries Sheriff Court on Wednesday. The court hearing follows an incident in April when Kirstin arrived home to find her 11-month-old goat Misty lying dead at the roadside with a plastic bag over its head.July 8

(A reminder of what happened to Kirsty - The police called at Kirsty's (21yrs old) home in Lockerbie whilst she was at work. The police then kept her mother talking while MAFF officials climbed over wall into her garden. They slaughtered her pet goat Misty - it had not been out of the garden and perfectly healthy. They then dumped Misty on the pavement to load her on the truck. Kirsty arrived home to see Misty on the pavement, was very distraught and was promptly arrested by the police for breach of the peace, confined in a cell for 3 1/2 hours without her mother being allowed to comfort or contact her.)

Third World transport, revolting peasants, million-pound houses ... it has to be Surrey
Sunday Times

Mean Fields..." I have made a small quantity of hay. As I have not yet blown up the tractor or produced a 12ft-long bale, I am feeling smug. Then a sharp reproof from Lawrence Wright in deepest Devon reminds me of my limitations. ..."
"In the midst of all this ruin and disaster caused by Maff/Defra I am horrified to find you, of all people, consigning your cat's rabbit to a landfill via the wheelie bin. ....." July 8

Farmers and MPs lead the calls for Inquiry
The Journal

Tory Penrith and the Borders MP David Maclean is among a clutch of politicians from all parties who wants to see a public inquiry. He said: "I have called for a full, free and independent inquiry into all aspects of foot- and-mouth. We cannot have a whitewash job by a retired Maff civil servant who pins the blame on Bobby Waugh at Heddon-on-the-Wall and some sheep dealers. "An inquiry must also investigate the role of the chief scientist. The indiscriminate contiguous cull policy was devised by the chief scientist and based on mathematical modelling, not veterinary advice. "What was the driving motivation behind a policy to kill everything quickly? Were our animals killed to meet a deadline of June 7? We need to know. July 7

County on alert after flock culled
The Journal

(this article again suggests that neither farmers nor reporters understand the significance of antibodies. Far from resulting in fresh infection, their presence shows that sheep are resistant to the disease.)...the slaughtering of a prize-winning flock six weeks after the last case of the disease in the county. More than 1,000 sheep at Low and High Tipalt farms, near Greenhead, Northumberland, were slaughtered yesterday after a small number of sheep tested positive for foot-and-mouth antibodies...

Some of the Questions that must be answered
The Journal

* Where did the foot-and-mouth virus come from? * Why was Maff constantly "off the pace" in the fight to halt the spread the disease? * Why was the report by the Duke of Northumberland into the last outbreak in 1967 not adhered to? * Why were slaughtered animals left lying in the fields for days before disposal? * Why was the Army not called in earlier? * Why was vaccination on and off the agenda from week to week? * Why did policies and strategy change from week to week? * Why were promises that no animals from outside the region would be dumped or burned broken? * Why were people told to stay away from the countryside but this policy was then modified before the outbreak had been contained? * Why did Michael Meacher say there would be a public inquiry and later changed his mind? * Why did Maff overrule Durham County Council and dump dead animals at Quaking Houses after quoting emergency powers it did not have? July 7

Always one step behind foot and mouth crisis
The Journal

...Maff's responses were littered with phrases such as "will be looked at" and "everything has been done to ensure", but public and political opinion had become increasingly hostile. ....Maff were accused of putting bureaucracy over effective practical action and in May a final blow came to the embattered Ministry when its £2m nerve centre in the North-East at Kenton Bar in Newcastle was described as "chaotic and undisciplined" by a former employee.....Back on April 2, at arguably the worst point of the crisis, the Environment Minister Michael Meacher stated that a full public inquiry would be held, which was vehemently denied from within 10 Downing Street. It is still not clear whether there will be a public inquiry. What is certain is that by last night the number of farms in the region hit by foot-and-mouth had risen to 930. July 7

MPs' cross party pressure for full public inquiry
The Journal

Any public inquiry into the handling of foot-and-mouth would be likely to centre on two key questions. Firstly, whether the Government acted swiftly enough to control the outbreak in the beginning, when there were long time lapses between animals being diagnosed as infected and them being slaughtered.
The second key question is whether the Government then over-reacted by ordering the controversial "contiguous cull", which resulted in millions of healthy animals being killed. But the former Agriculture Minister, Gateshead East and Washington West MP Joyce Quin, believes the Government has nothing to fear on either count.....July 7

Victory for farmers over vet bills By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 07/07/2001)
Telegraph

..THE Government scrapped plans yesterday to impose heavy veterinary bills on farmers wishing to move thousands of healthy cattle, sheep and pigs, trapped in foot and mouth infected areas, for slaughter for meat. Charges of up to £150 a truckload of animals will be met by the taxpayer instead. The climbdown by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs followed protests from farmers' leaders. Opposition to the plans, reported in The Telegraph eight days ago, was particularly vociferous in the West Country.July 7

HAS F&M SCOURGE RETURNED?
Hexham Courant

..Blood tests (i.e. for antibodies NOT infectious stage of disease - the paper does NOT make this clear -the headline suggests the reporter perhaps doesn't know ) carried out on sheep at farms near Haltwhistle have proved positive and Government vets are now re-testing stock at Low and High Tipalt farms above the Military Road. The news, which comes more than six weeks after the last confirmed outbreak in Northumberland at Hetherington Farm in Wark, has sparked alarm among neighbouring farmers who fear their stock could be at risk too.July 7 also a Letter to that Paper ~ WHY AREN'T CLEAN-UP CONTRACTORS GIVEN PROTECTIVE SUITS? ..Defra have recently informed cleansing contractors that they will no longer provide protective white suits although they will continue to be provided for field officers, officials, vets and slaughter crews. July 7

Girl, 14, inspires fictional diary of foot-and-mouth BY VALERIE ELLIOTT,
The Times

THE plight of children whose family farms have been wiped out by foot-and-mouth disease could help to bridge the gap between town and country dwellers, according to the children's novelist Michael Morpurgo. ...Hannah Bruce, 14, lives on a farm near Mr Morpurgo. She did not speak to him but he knew all about the slaughter of 180 dairy cattle at her father's Westlake Farm. Just as the protagonist of the diary, Becky Morley, tried to hide Little Josh, a pet lamb, from the slaughterman, Hannah wanted to save her pet calf, Floffy. ..Hannah, like Becky, was aware of her parents' distress. "They did not cry around me and in a way I was worried, especially for my father." ..She did not write a diary but jotted down her thoughts about the worst effects. "I had to stay away from school and it was agonising to be on the farm every day."

FARMERS CALL FOR INQUIRY
Galloway News

A CALL for a full-scale public inquiry into the foot and mouth epidemic has come from farmers in the Stewartry. ....On vaccination we need to have a full discussion on it and in the heat of the moment that was not the time to be looking at it,'' he said. .....``We won't get away with ruining the tourist industry and closing down businesses. We have got to have another strategy in place. I'm not saying what was right and what was wrong, I just don't want it to be set on the back burner.'' ``I would like to see vaccination being looked at sooner rather than later,'' he said ... the Government was looking at new vaccines and going back to Europe to get changes in the way that vaccination would be allowed. Mr Nelson said the NFU did make mistakes and added that the contiguous cull was becoming increasingly unjustifiable. ``That was one mistake. Secondly I did agree that vaccination wasn't an option at the time but in the fullness of time I changed my mind.''

Judges told to stay away from hunt ban protests By Joshua Rozenberg, Legal Editor (Filed: 07/07/2001)
Telegraph

ALL judges in England and Wales have been advised by the senior judiciary that it would be "wholly inappropriate" for them to take part in "quasi-political" events such as the Liberty and Livelihood March.

Vale farmers' new disease scare by Janet Hewison
Yorkshire Evening Press

Vets from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) identified the disease in animals at Manor Farm, at Kirby Knowle, just north east of Thirsk on the edge of the North York Moors, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 96. Fears are now growing that the disease could spread to the Vale of York, Ryedale and East Yorkshire.Friday, July 06, 2001

All property is theft from the countryside SIMON JENKINS
The Times

... FRIDAY JULY 06 2001 Whatever the impression given by ministers and the media, much of Britain is still in the grip of foot-and-mouth. A third of the countryside is still closed. Not only is manufacturing suffering but Britain's second biggest industry, tourism and leisure, faces an 8-10 per cent drop in turnover this year. For most small enterprises, that drop means a 100 per cent drop in profit. ..... Yesterday Downing Street announced that the Prime Minister would graciously spend a few days of his summer holiday in his own country before fleeing abroad. This would make up for the lack of financial compensation to non-farming businesses for his foot-and-mouth policy. ...When eight years ago MORI asked the public what quality it most valued about Britain, top of the list was the countryside. Yet that countryside is a limited resource that cannot be re-created or monetised, and can be protected only by government.

Help us recover from despair
Western Morning News

delegation member Mike Ellicott, of Stockleigh Lodge, said financial help not words was now needed. "At the moment we call it virtual reality money because it has been promised but not delivered," said Mr Ellicott, part of the Living Exmoor campaign group. Leading a Commons debate last night, Tiverton and Honiton Conservative MP Angela Browning accused the Government of wasting much of its aid funding on bureaucracy rather than directing it to businesses which were in "dire straits". Mrs Browning did not know of a single business in her constituency which had been helped. ... She said one farming couple who had diversified into woollen goods have had had no income since February because they can not move the produce off the farm, and were now getting food parcels from their children. July 6

Minister's 'nonsense' over inquiry call
Western Morning News

...Lib-Dem MP Colin Breed said it was nonsense to suggest that those calling for a public inquiry were behaving irresponsibly. Mr Breed, MP for South East Cornwall and his party's rural affairs spokesman, said he was becoming increasingly concerned that the Government was planning to duck a public inquiry into its handling of the crisis. He added: "It is not irresponsible at all to call for a public inquiry. The reason we want a public inquiry is because that is the only type of investigation that will sit in public and that will be able to call Ministers and former Ministers. Most of the former MAFF Ministers have now gone and unless the inquiry can call them it will be of little value.

Council not paid for farm clean-up By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 06/07/2001)
Telegraph

MARGARET BECKETT was forced last night to release #500,000 "on account" to Cumbria county council after it protested that it was owed #1.4 million for helping the Government clean and disinfect farms in the area worst affected by the foot and mouth epidemic. The council, which is controlled by a Conservative and Lib-Dem partnership, also demanded that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary publish full details of money owed by the Government to local businesses July 6

Parents' fears grow with daily stench of death By Helen Charlton, The Journal
Newcastle The Journal

(Tow Law) protesters' fears revolve around their health and safety. Living on the doorstep of the burial site since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth, they feel demoralised, frightened and ignored by Government health chiefs as they endure the indescribable daily smell of death. The latest twist in the tale of the controversial site came yesterday, when residents discovered leakage of leachates - liquid waste from rotting animal carcases, which had risen to the surface of the trenches.

The threat to family farms
Daily Morning News

... it is likely that without a younger generation willing to take over, many of these farms may be bought by non-farming outsiders. Generations of instinctively acquired skills and understanding of the characteristics of different parts of the region will disappear. Other farms are likely to be merged into bigger operations, ending centuries of a family farming tradition. Paul Millard of the Country Land and Business Association said the survey confirmed growing concerns about the ageing profile of farmers  the average age is 58  and the growing number of young farmers deciding not to follow their parents.

Stupidity of rural policiesletter to Western Daily Press

THE recent declaration that the countryside is open has angered many farmers. It is this wide-eyed naivety of ministers that most annoys those who are desperately trying to contain this scourge. This Government's belief in the non-acceptance of all precautionary advice from those who know the countryside is best illustrated as they press ahead with GM crop testing.
While ministers warn that foot-and-mouth disease can travel for miles on the wind, they also assure us that pollen from GM crops obediently stays where it is told. July 4

FARMERS SEEK ACTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT
END OF THE ROAD FOR SOME FARMERS

BBC Devon..submission to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.... "Farmers are saying that they've been on the receiving end of incompetence at the best and negligence at the worst. They want a vehicle to get their message across.July 5

Opening footpaths 'is irresponsible'
Telegraph

Yesterday in Parliament - During a debate at Westminster Hall, the Commons parallel chamber, Anne McIntosh (C, Vale of York) said there had been no cases of foot and mouth while the blanket ban operated in Yorkshire - yet there had been 92 cases since some paths had been re-opened. She cited farmers' and vets' organisations to back her case that the Rural Taskforce's ordering of counties to reopen more paths risked spreading the disease. She said: "The Government behaved in an utterly irresponsible and inappropriate manner by putting unwarranted pressure on counties like North Yorkshire. July 5

Farmers blamed over epidemic By David Brown, Agriculture Editor (Filed: 05/07/2001)
Telegraph

COMPLACENT farmers and rural tradesmen were blamed by the Government's chief scientist yesterday for prolonging the foot and mouth epidemic. Despite new test results showing that the disease is not endemic in the nation's sheep population, it is lingering longer than it should on some farms because some farmers are failing to maintain hygiene precautions, Prof David King said.Prof King, who was called in after the now defunct Ministry of Agriculture failed to keep it under control, cited a recent sheep-shearing contest in Somerset that went ahead despite the risk of the virus being spread by people and sheep taking part. He said: "Biosecurity measures are being relaxed. If they had been observed then I have no doubt the disease would be at a much lower level by now." Speaking at the launch of a #750,000 Government video campaign to show farmers how to guard against the disease and to spot symptoms, Prof King disclosed that early results of a blood-testing campaign showed only about 300 of 200,000 tests in sheep had proved positive. July 5

Blairs to holiday in UK CATHERINE MacLEOD
Glasgow Herald

A spokesman would not release details, but tourist chiefs speculated that the Blairs may choose Devon or Cumbria, two areas badly hit by foot-and-mouth. Before the prime minister's election, the family regularly holidayed in Britain, and three years ago, when opening the bridge between Scalpay and Harris, Mr Blair reminisced about times spent in the Western Isles. Richard Tobias, chief executive of the British Incoming Tour Operators' Association, said yesterday: "I suspect he will be looking at areas that have suffered the most.July 5

Video NastyicNewcastle Journal

Farmers across the region are up in arms over a new foot-and-mouth video released by Defra.July 5

Finnie urged to resume (OTM) cull scheme ROBERT ROSS
Glasgow Herald

Irvine farmer Willie Cuthbertson, ...told a meeting of the Kilmarnock branch of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland ... "absolute pandemonium" if the cull scheme was not back in operation by the autumn. "We have abattoirs lying empty in Scotland and everyone is waiting for the scheme to be re-opened." ...also called for early action to help the sheep sector which was facing a crisis in the aftermath of foot-and-mouth. ... three new members had joined, and a concerted effort was now being made to identify non-members within the farming community and invite them to attend a meeting with Walker. July 5

Survival is name of the game VIC ROBERTSON
Glasgow Herald

THE survival of a number of traditional Scottish cattle and sheep breeds has become more precarious due to the foot-and-mouth culls. This has led the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to unveil an international appeal for #2.5m to establish a unique gene bank as an insurance against any future farming crisis. "For many years we have been collecting semen from threatened breeds as an insurance policy," said Rosemary Mansbridge, trust chief executive, at the London Appeal launch yesterday. However, a series of crises in farming including BSE, e-coli, salmonella, Swine fever and now foot-and-mouth have resulted in millions of animals being destroyed July 5

Maff was 'muddled and bureaucratic'
Telegraph

Mark Todd (Lab, S Derbyshire)... the Government should change the culture and management style of the new ministry, now named as the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. ....he hoped that the new department would not just be a change of name-plate. Mr Todd said: "It's been a ministry with an introverted and defensive culture which makes it peculiarly hard to engage with other parts of the public service or necessarily with other groups which may assist them in dealing with a crisis of this kind." He added: "The painful level of bureaucracy which was sometimes imposed was sometimes impossible to conceive of. The muddled communication of exactly how this bureaucracy worked was also bad news for local farmers. How we can tolerate this sort of jobsworth bureaucracy when dealing with a crisis I can't understand."

Wednesday, 4 July, 2001, 19:34 GMT 20:34 UK Beacons 'clear' of disease
BBC

...The farmers launched a campaign to debate whether a vaccination programme should be introduced. Traditionally farmers' unions have been vehemently opposed to any kind of vaccination programme because of the effect it would have on the disease-free status, and the consequent impact on the export market. Glyn Powell, deputy president of the FUW, said they had invited an expert to address Wednesday's meeting so that a balanced judgement could now be made on vaccination.

4 July 2001 Virus blood results encouraging' By Robert Davies, Wales Correspondent
Farmers Weekly

PRELIMINARY results of blood tests for foot-and-mouth in 800 sheep grazing common land in the Brecon Beacons are negative. ...The meeting agreed that if foot-and-mouth was found on common land, stock should be culled, rather than vaccinated as some graziers proposed. "There are too many negatives for vaccination to be on the agenda," said National Farmers' Union Cymru-Wales president Hugh Richards July 4

4 July 2001 King warns on virus security By Isabel Davies
Farmers Weekly

Professor David King told journalists that his interpretation of the available data was that biosecurity measures have been relaxed. He said: "If they had been in place as they had been before, I have no doubt they [the number of cases] would be significantly lower then they are." Prof King denied he was blaming farmers for spreading the disease, which is still raging in isolated clusters around the country. There are currently five hotspot areas - Penrith; Settle; North Devon and Somerset; Northallerton; and Powys in Wales. July 4

Beacons farmers await results
BBC

Farmers leaders are awaiting the results of tests to discover whether foot-and-mouth disease has spread on to the Brecon Beacons hills. Up to 40,000 sheep graze the hills in mid Wales and farmers have warned the impact will be "terrifying" if the disease reaches the area.

Asia view: Farmers battle the dark side of globalisation 04.07.2001 By VAUGHAN YARWOOD
The New Zealand Herald

The angry and increasingly violent protests against IMF-sponsored economic reforms now shaking Papua New Guinea bring home how close New Zealand is to some of the pressure points of globalisation. The flare-up in Australia's all but bankrupt former colony is no isolated incident, but should be seen in the context of increasing (and increasingly effective) resistance among the poorer sections of Asian societies to the prescription for prosperity formulated by agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organisation and the World Bank.

Tourism leaders call for aid
BBC

Tuesday, 3 July, 2001, 16:52 GMT 17:52 UK Businesses in Cumbria want aid from the government Tourism leaders are calling on the government to formulate an aid package for struggling hotels in Cumbria. They want Whitehall to give compensation to businesses whose trade is being hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis. But plans are likely to be hindered by European Union rules which prevent private businesses receiving cash handouts from the government. Meanwhile hoteliers on the Isle of Man - which lies just 80 miles off the mainland - are being given a #4m handout by its Parliament.

US charity aims to help FMD-hit farmers online.ie 03 Jul 2001
online ienews

An American charity is trying to raise 250,000 dollars (#176,000) to help British farmers hit by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The charity, Heifer Project International, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has worked for more than 50 years to alleviate poverty and hunger throughout the world with its donation of animals.

Scientists clash over how to deal with infected animals By Roger Highfield Science Editor (Filed: 02/07/2001)
Telegraph

TWO groups of scientists, epidemiologists and vets, have criticised each other for their handling of the foot and mouth epidemic. Vets, who questioned whether so many animals had to be killed, suggested vaccination was a better way to control the epidemic and poured scorn on computer models used by the epidemiologists. "Unproven computer predictions" were driving government policy, according to one letter signed by 40 vets that talked of "a savage attack on what livestock remains".

Public inquiry must take place
Craven Herald

......an emotional and angry audience, many of whom were convinced that the foot and mouth epidemic is a European plot to reduce livestock numbers. Shouted down, jeered, they could only explain what the policy is, not justify it. The people in the audience had real questions they wanted answered. Some wanted to preach to the converted but others did pose lucid, clear questions and deserve an answer which civil servants were never going to be able to give. Their role is to execute not devise policy. .... for the benefit of all, those who believe in conspiracy theories and those who accept that this is a freak of nature, the Government must hold a public inquiry...how the epidemic started, how it spread, examine the role of those sent to deal with it and, most importantly, determine whether or not culling or modern vaccination is the most effective way of dealing with it. Just quite why the Government has set its face against a public inquiry is a mystery.

Whitehall's £.75m video lessons for for farmers By David Brown (Filed: 02/07/2001)
Telegraph

July 3

Official figures hide 50 cases in past month By Charles Clover Environment Editor (Filed: 02/07/2001)
Telegraph

...Some 6,443 farms have had their animals culled as dangerous contacts of which 569 were tested and, of these, 145 tested positive. These 145 cases have been included among the 1,803 infected premises in the official total.
However, in order to estimate the total number of cases of infection, it is necessary to find the number of likely infected cases among the dangerous contacts that were not tested. More than a month ago, when The Telegraph and ministry officials conducted this exercise for the first time, we concluded that about 1,400 extra cases were concealed in the dangerous cull statistics. The 50 cases can now be added to this figure. Officials said that these figures were "guesstimates" offering the best estimates possible until the reasons why vets or epidemiologists sent samples for testing in each case were analysed. This could take months. July 3

From BBC DEVON on line

Expert evidence given in recent court cases, where Defra has sought an injunction to allow them to slaughter "at risk" stock, has clarified the circumstances when livestock are most at risk of picking up infection. (See report on Upton case) Airborne spread of the virus is now thought to be very rare, except where a large group of pigs are the source. In addition, the period of time when animals shed virus after infection, as well as the incubation period between infection and the onset of clinical symptoms, is much shorter than the 21 days often used by ministry vets. Shortage of winter feed... Farmers who are overstocked with animals because of foot-and-mouth restrictions, are warning there could soon be a shortage of feed for their stock. Three-quarters of farmers report they are already feeding animals grass that should be used later in the year. July 2

Monday 2 July 2001 Farmers apply for vaccination permission
BBC

..The couple who are hoping to win permission to vaccinate are Lawrence and Karen Wright from Mortehoe. They own a closed flock of organic sheep and are among the few producers of organic ewes milk in Britain. They've been keeping their animals secure from contamination throughout the outbreak. But now they say that the demand by Government to open footpaths in the area threatens their bio-security, and one casual infection could decimate farms and tourist businesses throughout their valley. So the Wrights intend to try to vaccinate their animals. (See their correspondence about footpaths)

Tue, Jul 03, 2001 What was cost of this foot and mouth farce?
Burnleyonline Baroldswick

A VISIT from a ministry vet led to foot and mouth signs being removed from outside a terraced home in Barnoldswick. Mrs Connie Pratt, of Victoria Road, could not believe it when she was served a D Notice, restricting the movement of animals and vehicles to and from her land. For her house is the end of a terraced row and the only cattle and sheep she possesses are of the ornamental variety. "It sounds funny, but the notice clearly stated that I could be prosecuted if I did not comply by putting a disinfectant mat at the gate," said Mrs Pratt. "I stuck the notice in the window, because I was worried people might think I was taking the micky."July 3

Country diary (Filed: 30/06/2001) Robin Page
Telegraph

Incredible, isn't it? The Government that has needlessly slaughtered more than six million farm animals (the real figure, not its own manipulated figure) because it will not vaccinate, is still worried about a few hounds chasing a few foxes. It would take fox hunters more than 352 years of hunting to match the slaughter of this animal welfare-loving Government. Never mind, I'm sure that the countryside's new political supremo, Margaret Beckett, the Caravan Queen, will soon sort out all our problems.

The rights that must be worth fighting for (Filed: 30/06/2001) The foot and mouth crisis should have taught everyone to appreciate our paths and bridleways, says Sebastian O'Kelly
Telegraph

..It is unsurprising given the sorry saga of the Government's response to the epidemic - which, public inquiry or no, is going to be much debated in both the media and the courts for months to come - that some rural communities remain unpersuaded by expert advice that it is safe to open rights of way. July 3.

Delays 'doubled' foot and mouth toll By Roger Highfield Science Editor (Filed: 02/07/2001)Telegraph July 3

THE number of outbreaks of foot and mouth disease could have been cut by half if prompt action had been taken by the Government at the start of the crisis, according to calculations that are about to be made public.

Brecon hit by fifth F and M case By Cathy Coleman
icWales

..A spokeswoman for the National Assembly for Wales said: "The latest farm is contiguous to the first Libanus case and the animals had already been slaughtered." Four cases of the disease have been confirmed on farms in Libanus within the last week, the most recent being on Saturday. Prior to last week, no new cases of foot-and-mouth had been found in Wales for almost a month....blood tests have been taken from hundreds of the sheep grazing on common land in the Brecon Beacons. ...Some tests were done on Thursday and Friday and it takes four to five days for them to come back. We expect them to come back later this week." The Farmers' Union of Wales say that if the test results come back positive the future is "too dreadful to contemplate".

Tuesday, 3 July, 2001, 03:18 GMT 04:18 UK Gene bank to save rare breeds
BBC

Rare British livestock threatened by the foot-and-mouth crisis are to be protected by a gene bank. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust says #2.5m is needed to complete a national gene bank and preserve more than 60 varieties of pigs, sheep and cattle. July 3

Monday, 2 July, 2001, 10:07 GMT 11:07 UK Dutch farmers block roads
BBC

..Angry farmers and cattle traders blocked roads in the Netherlands on Monday morning in protest at government measures which they say have forced the closure of the country's cattle markets putting 2,000 jobs at risk. The traders say they are unable to meet the new standards set by the farming ministry in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.Most farmers and cattle dealers are still reeling from the loss of income they suffered during the crisis which ended in the slaughter of 260,000 farm animals. 260,000 animals were slaughtered in the crisis They say they cannot cope with the administrative costs of the damage or the extra investment in new hygiene facilities at the country's eight cattle markets which the agriculture minister is demanding.

Farm disease reaps bankruptcy toll
BBC

The foot-and-mouth epidemic has hit the UK economy hard, with a report showing that the disease contributed to a slowdown that has seen more than 100 business a day going bust. The number of UK businesses being liquidated or going bankrupt hit 10,804 between April and June, 15% up on the quarter before, research group Dun & Bradstreet said.July3

Calls for inquiry into £2.5 billion outbreak
Western Morning News

..News that the outbreak has cost the Government the equivalent of a 1p rise in the basic rate of income tax yesterday served to intensify calls for a full public inquiry into DEFRA's handling of foot and mouth. Matthew Taylor, the Liberal Democrat MP for Truro and St Austell and his party's Treasury spokesman, said: "The Government says it cannot find the money for schools and hospitals, yet it found the money for foot and mouth without blinking. "That makes the case for a public inquiry even more clear. Huge amounts of public money have been spent with very little scrutiny by Parliament."

Worried farmers report feed shortages
Western Morning News

Three-quarters of the farmers questioned in a survey by the National Farmers' Union in the South West said they were already feeding animals grass that should not be used until later in the year. The survey also found that many dairy farmers in the region have been forced to delay insemination due to the restrictions. This could potentially result in a big drop in milk production....a single sheep has been culled by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at a farm near Holsworthy after it tested positive for foot and mouth antibodies. The rest of the flock escaped slaughter after testing negative. The infected sheep showed the antibodies in two tests by DEFRA officials last week. The department has to blood test thousands of sheep in the county before it can lift infected area restrictions. Of the 888 sheep flocks tested in Devon so far, only eight have tested positive for foot and mouth antibodies. July 2

Vet warns disease outbreak more likely By SCOTT HANNAFORD
The Canberra Times

Australia must prepare itself for a major animal disease outbreak or risk a similar threat to Britain's foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, according to retiring Australian Veterinary Association president Ian Denney....Australia should not forget the lessons learned from the British foot-and-mouth outbreak...."The closure of many small abattoirs and sale yards has led to livestock being transported more frequently and for longer distances prior to the slaughter or sale, thus increasing the risk of rapid spread of disease in the event of a highly infectious disease like foot and mouth...

Something special that may have been taken away from us forever
Wharfedale Observer

Just as the sun deigns to make its first sustained appearance of the summer, the outbreak of foot and mouth casts a black cloud over a blighted landscape. The signs are glaringly apparent on the roads snaking their way up the Ribble and Aire Valleys. Fields, usually smothered with herds of sheep and cattle, are almost empty of livestock, and the incongruous appearance of army vehicles gives visitors a clue as to what has depopulated the landscape....

Eradicate virus before end of summer, says farmers' leader
Ananova

Mr Gill said it is imperative foot-and-mouth is thwarted before cold weather returns and the disease, which does not survive so easily during warm spells, regains momentum. However, he said his union would still oppose a programme of vaccinating animals against the disease even if it survives through to winter. July 2

NFU must deal with real issues Western Daily Press 02/07/2001
Western Daily Press

....If ever there was a reason for the NFU to bash anything it would be the EU. Attitudes of the NFU hierarchy may have contributed to the fact that out of its membership, less than 50 per cent are farmers. With the NFU meekly accepting the EU intention that British livestock will be reduced by 20 per cent (very conveniently helped by footand-mouth disease and the culling fields), they should be worried that their subscriptions will be left to be paid by even fewer farmers - 20 per cent fewer maybe! Should you wish to understand just how much we are controlled by the European Union, some of the answers can be found on www. soilassociation. org, www. almaservices. co. uk and www. warmwell. com. Democracy is poised precariously near the edge of oblivion as is traditional British livestock farming.

Taxpayers to face #2.5bn bill for virus Western Daily Press 02/07/2001
Western Daily Press

...With the disease still not under control and fears that pockets could linger until well into the winter with the prospect of further mass slaughtering, Whitehall estimates that around #1 billion will go to compensate farmers whose animals have been taken. The disposal of carcasses and the huge operation of detecting and dealing with the disease will also add another #1.5 billion. Together those two amounts equate to a penny on income tax, and have been spent in an effort to protect a meat export trade worth #570 million, which in any case could be lost for another three years. The figures take no account of the consequential losses to tourism and rural economies, which could push the figure closer to #4 billion. Government critics say much of cost of foot-and-mouth could have been avoided if the Government had moved early on to a vaccination programme to halt the spread of the disease - a policy opposed by the National Farmers'Union.

Ministers given the all-clear to holiday abroad BY MELISSA KITE, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
The Times

MINISTERS have been given approval to take overseas holidays by Tony Blair's Tourism Minister, despite the foot-and-mouth problem. Tessa Jowell, ...said she hoped that they would have the rest they deserved. Ms Jowell, who will go to Florida with her family at the end of August, rejected the idea that ministers should be encouraged to take their holidays in Britain to boost tourism, saying that such a move would be an empty gesture. July 2

FOOT AND MOUTH RAP
Sunday People

THE foot and mouth crisis could have been brought under control from day one, a hard-hitting TV probe claims this week. But officials dithered so much in their handling of the outbreak that it spiralled into a catastrophe. Channel 4's Dispatches programme has interviewed many politicians and experts at the heart of the crisis which has led to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals. It says that the initial response to foot and mouth was too slow and chaotic. One expert said: "Officials should have responded a lot more quickly." July 1

Business failures up 15% - survey
Ananova

Business failures have shot up by 15% as the fall out from the manufacturing slowdown and the foot-and-mouth crisis continues. July 2

Mounting business failures blamed on foot and mouth By Melanie Wright (Filed: 02/07/2001)
Telegraph

"Failures are now starting to climb again. This rise is in part due to the drop in tourism and other adverse factors caused by the foot and mouth epidemic. There is evidence that business failures in the South West and North West of the country - the regions most affected - increased significantly during the second quarter of the year."July 2

Foot and mouth crisis
Yrkshire Evening Press

Last updated: Saturday 30 June 2001 As the foot and mouth outbreak tightened its grip on the country, the impact of the crisis is hitting the everyday activities of both rural and urban residents. The number of confirmed cases in England continues to rise as measures to halt the spread of the disease have seen the countryside put 'out of bounds' to walkers, day trippers and tourists.

Vigil staged by anti-cull activists
This is Lancashire

FOOT and mouth protesters staged a go-slow drive through the Ribble Valley and released hundreds of black balloons as part of a 'Stop the Slaughter' campaign.

More than 100 activists gathered at the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs veterinary site at Gisburn cattle market where they held a 10-minute silent vigil, before 50 cars set off in slow-moving convoy down the A59 to Clitheroe.

There they drove though the town centre sounding their horns and flying black balloons from car windows..

A total of 49 cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed at Lancashire farms since the first outbreak in February.

The protesters drove through Whalley and Chatburn -- causing traffic congestion -- before returning to Gisburn where they released hundreds of black balloons and tied black ribbons to the fence surrounding the high-security DEFRA site.

The Gisburn HQ deals with the allocation of vets and government officers to deal with new foot and mouth cases in the Ribble Valley.

There were more than 100 staff vehicles on the car park when the protesters arrived on Saturday and security staff looked on as the action went ahead.

Organiser Dave Robinson, of Withgill Fold, Clitheroe, said the protest was being made by a group of people who had been brought together by their anger at the massive cull of healthy animals in a bid to beat foot and mouth in East Lancashire.

"Most people here have never protested about anything in their lives before," he said. "But they are just so upset.

"The cull is barbaric and it isn't working," he added. "Vaccination does work. It's been proven the world over."

Rosemary Lodge, of Burnsall, tied a black balloon to the fence and said: "They just won't listen. We feel so helpless. We've seen people in tears in the streets."

A police spokesman said the protest had been very peaceful "We had no major problems. There was some traffic congestion but they kept moving at a reasonable speed. It was very well behaved."

Three cull workers contract rare disease
Guardian

..The outbreak was revealed on the website of the public health laboratory service, the government's monitor of infectious diseases, but has not been announced by the Department of Health, in stark contrast to the food standards agency which has so far had two press conferences to reveal possible health hazards from pyres.

Tuesday, 19 June, 2001, 04:10 GMT 05:10 UK

Sheep farmer ends disease protest
BBC

....Defra has now offered to supply Mrs Wilcox with the labour to round up her flock. She will also be sent contractors to shear the sheep. Mrs Wilcox said that she had "no regrets" about the protest. ....In the disease hotspot of Skipton in North Yorkshire, farmers were preparing to hold a rally against Defra on Tuesday, protesting against the contiguous cull. ....on Tuesday... the Global Forum for Law Enforcement and National Security's inaugural conference at Edinburgh is to warn how foot-and-mouth disease and even more devastating viruses could be used as weapons in future wars. Director Robert Hall is due to tell delegates: "Foot-and-mouth has caused an economic disaster for many people in this country. "It would not take a great deal of imagination to see what organised crime or a hostile country could do with such a biological agent if it wanted to ruin the economic security of a country."

Claim that foot and mouth is deliberate Does a lunatic want to see back of farming'?
East Lancashire online

AS the foot and mouth culling was stepped up this week, more and more people are asking: Is the slaughter of our farm animals really necessary? But the new Government department heading up the battle against the disease is determined to continue with the slaughter policy, a spokesman confirmed yesterday. Meanwhile, piles of dead animals stood testimony this week to the greatest tragedy ever to hit British farming. On Tuesday, a Lancashire county councillor demanded

Rugby clubs face relegation over foot and mouth By David Brown Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

RUGBY teams which agreed to scrap matches to help prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease are to be relegated for failing to complete their fixtures.

The new son of Maff An urgent need to break with the past Leader Guardian
Guardian Leader

Agriculture may finally have disappeared from the name, but the HQ for the new department is Maff's old office in Smith Square; the permanent secretary is the former Maff boss; four out of five ministers do not have environment in their job description. If it looks like a Maff, sounds like a Maff and operates like a Maff, it probably is a Maff. But, to be fair, we still do not know quite how it will operate.

Diary Matthew Norman Guardian Tuesday June 19, 2001
Guardian

Is the time nearing when centuries of ovine (sic) docility end and the British people march on Whitehall with flaming torches? ....immense civil liberty issue raised by the system's ability to track our movements at all times .....Noel Edmonds mentioned similar surveillance after his attacks on the handling of foot and mouth....

Whom do you trust? Thursday 14th June 2001 By Simon Webley Research Director, Institute of Business Ethics
IT Director.com...there has been a growing distrust of experts. Doctors, who have a good record as far as public trust is concerned, have seen colleagues accused of killing patients and apparently many have more concern for meeting targets than following through good practice on treatment. Scientists too are less believed than they were. Their record on public policy issues like BSE, GM Foods, gene implants, cloning and foot and mouth, leave something to be desired.

Farmers face five-year export ban
BBCFarmers have been warned that the export market could be closed for five years in the wake of foot -and-mouth disease. Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones has said that is the price the agricultural industry could have to pay if livestock markets were to be reopened too soon.

JUNE 18TH, 8.50am: MACLEAN CALLS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY
Cumbria News and Star

The inquiry, says the Conservative MP, must not be a little whitewash job but should investigate all aspects of the catastrophe including conspiracy theories and Maff's foot and mouth contingency plan. Mr Maclean says he will demand a full, free and independent inquiry when the new Parliament meets for the first time on Wednesday. ...The indiscriminate contiguous cull policy devised by Professor King was based on mathematical modelling not veterinary advice, Mr Maclean claims, and hundreds of vets in Cumbria, Scotland and Devon complained to Mr Blair that it was obscene, unethical and unnecessary before it was eventually dropped.

Blisters 'not linked to foot and mouth' By David Brown
Telegraph

"To the trained eye they are different from foot and mouth blisters. We still do not know what is causing them. But it could be that animals are damaging their mouths on grit from poor quality grazing where the grass has not grown well due to poor weather conditions. "Another theory is that sheep may have damaged their mouths by eating salt blocks."(Monday 18 June)

N.B. I am informed that another cause of blisters can b jettisoned aircraft fuel.."...It has been the theory of many farmers in the Peak district for many years going back to my Grandad's days that blisters are sometimes caused by the dumping of Aviation fuel from planes going into Manchester Airport.
(This was reported in the local paper at the time of the Cull in Hayfield High Peak)"

Fears that second wave of disease may sweep UK
Irish Times

For many outside farming the foot-and-mouth crisis is almost forgotten, but new cases are still being found in Britain and there are fears for previously unaffected areas...(Monday 18 June)

Welsh meet over farm virus fears
Farmers' Weekly

WELSH farmers are being urged to attend a mass meeting to quiz politicians and state vets about persistent rumours of an imminent mass sheep cull. The rally, arranged by the National Farmers' Union Cymru-Wales, is at 7.30pm on Monday (18 June) at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells. It will also provide an opportunity to air dissatisfaction over delayed foot-and-mouth compensation and slow payments to farmers involved in carcass disposals

Gill has "good meeting" with Beckett
Farmers' Weekly

..We look forward to working closely with Mrs Beckett and her team." DEFRA replaced the Ministry of Agriculture, which was accused of being too close to farmers, in the aftermath of the General Election on 7 June. Agriculture must now jostle for attention alongside food, rural development, animal welfare, wildlife and environmental policy in the new department. The farming lobby is striving to ensure that agriculture remains high on DEFRA's agenda for rural revitalisation.

No Union backing for export call By Alistair Driver
FWi

...Mr Lunniss said he favoured a "halfway house" policy in which exports could resume on individual farms on a case-by-case within provisionally free areas. But the high cost involved means this would only be an option for exporters of high value stock, such as breeding animals, he added. The other option is to wait until the whole of the UK is deemed disease free before allowing exports to resume, Mr Lunniss said.

Monday, 18 June, 2001, 19:51 GMT 20:51 UK Sheep at risk from shearer shortage
The number of sheep shearers working in Britain this season has been cut by half due to the foot-and-mouth crisis, it has emerged. Most shearers travel to the UK from Australia and New Zealand but the outbreak has dissuaded many from making the journey.

Army praised for livestock cull role
BBC

Sunday, 17 June, 2001, 17:25 GMT 18:25 UK Army praised for livestock cull role Armed Forces personnel involved in dealing with the foot-and-mouth crisis in Wales have been praised for their efforts by Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones. Mr Jones said the people of Wales owed a great deal to the personnel involved in the cull and disposal operations during recent months.

Lone farmer's protest 'closes the countryside' By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter
Telegraph

..Mrs Wilcox, however, is standing by a point of principle and has resigned as chairman of the South Gloucestershire branch of the NUF. She said: "Those who got foot and mouth are all right. They have been paid and have something to live on. "But the rest of us are worse off. If we all stood together, Maff couldn't do anything about it." The department said officials hoped to resolve the stalemate by discussion.

Sunday Times Editorial "The Forgotten Public"
Sunday Times

(This editorial is not about the FMD crisis per se) "..The Italians in their general election, and the Irish in their referendum a week ago, showed people do not want more big decisions to be taken by faceless people far away. They want a Europe that is accountable, practical and responsive, not a federalist fantasy run by unelected technocrats."

Yesterday's Any Answers is accessible from this page
BBC Listen Again

Several good comments about the FMD crisis.

Children of foot and mouth farmers being targeted by school bullies By Stephen Fraser Education Correspondent
Scotland on Sunday

School bullies are targeting the children of farmers whose herds have been stricken by foot and mouth disease. Education chiefs are investigating at least five cases of bullying at primary and secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway, the region hit hardest by the outbreak. They say the incidents have added to the trauma of farming families who watched as entire herds were wiped out

. ......Saturday 16th June

The disease that refuses to die
BBC

..Unless the government bows to pressure and holds a public inquiry into its own performance, suspicions will persist that it could have done better and ended the disaster sooner.

Nothing to discuss
Telegraph

..here is a disease that has led farmers to suicide and has wiped out two entire industries in some parts of the country. And here is Mrs Beckett saying that the issue of an inquiry is "under discussion". Only a week after its re-election, the Government is behaving as if it thinks that its mandate from 25 per cent of the electorate is a licence to get away with anything.

Farm show without livestock is big hit By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

TWO cows made of wood were the only farm animals on display yesterday when the Prince of Wales attended the East of England agricultural show at Peterborough...but the organisers went ahead to try to lift the spirits of the rural community. More than 1,600 showjumping and heavy horses were on display. The gamble appeared to have paid off: the attendance, estimated at just over 30,000, was only slightly less than the first day of the three-day event last year. The attendance was boosted by the presence of the Prince, who appealed for people to continue the work of charities helping farm families cope with the traumas caused by the epidemic.

The little man from the Massif Central brings his battle to Britain By Michael McCarthy
Independent

...by laying straight into British agricultural policy, proclaiming the industrialisation of farming produced by free-market economics had been directly responsible for the outbreaks of BSE and foot-and-mouth disease.

"Absolute rubbish," riposted Ben Gill, president of the National Farmers' Union, in a testy two-way BBC Radio 4 exchange that ended with Mr Bovi lumping the NFU with the Government as the villain of the piece. It was riveting radio but you only got half the value of Josi. You have to see the guy.

Beckett pledges co-operation with farmers
BBC

Mrs Beckett faces a tough challenge in trying to bring a swift end to the foot-and-mouth crisis in which more than three million livestock animals throughout Britain have been destroyed. She takes on her new role at a time when farming is in crisis, despite government pre-election claims the end of the foot-and-mouth epidemic was in sight.

--------------------------------------------Friday 15th June

Whatever you call it, stupidity is the same MAGNUS LINKLATER
The Times

This is a disease whose diagnosis has been flawed from the beginning, whose progress has been wrongly predicted, and which has been tackled by methods that are challenged by a growing body of scientific opinion. Yet their argument has not been heeded. Experts of real distinction have been sidelined, their requests for data rejected, their input ignored. In direct contradiction to the recommendations of the Phillips inquiry into BSE, which said that dissenting scientists should always be listened to, they have become untouchables.

Foot-and-mouth inquiry demanded
BBC

The RCVS - the professional body regulating vets - said the government should commit to a full public inquiry even if it does not begin until the disease is eradicated. Along with many scientists, it believes the crisis has exposed serious weaknesses in the way scientific advice is sought and used by ministers.

Beckett evasive on foot and mouth By David Brown and Charles Clover
Telegraph

MARGARET BECKETT refused to give much away yesterday about a possible inquiry into the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic.

Three suicides highlight farms plight BY RUSSELL JENKINS AND VALERIE ELLIOTT
The Times

...It has ripped the heart from England's most important and closely-knit community and it may never recover. Children growing up on farms will ask themselves if it is worth continuing in a business so vulnerable to tragedy.

Caroline Davies, director of the Rural Stress Information Network, a charity funded by the Government and unions, said last night that there would be more suicides unless there was a rethink on the slaughter policy.

The human tragedy of foot-and-mouth BY RUSSELL JENKINS
The Times

Powys, where the three men lived, is the area in Wales most affected by the foot-and-mouth disaster. The total number of cases in Wales stands at 92 and 54 of them are in Powys.

Farming suicides blamed on crisis
Guardian

Three farmers from the same Welsh county killed themselves because they could not cope with the pressures of their crisis stricken business, inquests heard yesterday. Foot and mouth was blamed for troubles which drove Glyn Lewis, 59, from Llwyn-y-maes, to hang himself in a shed full of cattle on April 21. The mid-Wales county of Powys, where the three men lived, has suffered the worst foot and mouth outbreak in the country, with 54 of 92 cases recorded in Wales.

Coalition must recognise plight of rural Wales, says Tory AM
News Wales

....Welsh Conservative Agriculture Spokesman, Peter Rogers:"....They are having to live off either savings or charity. A scheme characterised by serial incompetence throughout. I've got a farmer who had stock slaughtered on the 28th February who hasn't received a penny - nobody has even contacted him to explain why Minister - you either give no information or mis-information. You said all blood-testing necessary to lift d-notices in the Builth area had been done - a fact which I challenged. And yet I find that after I raised the issue in committee you started blood-testing again in the area on Saturday and Sunday. I put it to you that some of these farms may even have been wrongly put under d-notices."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 June 2001

Virus blamed for farmer suicides By Robert Davies, Wales correspondent
Farmers Weekly

...Coroner John Hollis heard a harrowing account of discovery of the body of John Bayliss lying next to the carcasses of two ewes on his farm near Kerry.(Wales) A single shot from a gun that had string attached to its trigger killed him.

Farmer 'brandished gun at cull officials'
Ananova

The incident took place in the Hambleton area of North Yorkshire. A North Yorkshire police spokesman said armed officers were called to a farm, which has not been named, following a complaint by Defra officials. A farmer was arrested and has since been released on police bail without charge.

Audio stories - Scudamore answers (or not) Humphrys' comment, "There must be a plan B and it must include vaccination" and also Bové and a contemptuous Ben Gill
BBC Today Programme

Radical Bové on UK mission
BBC

Jose Bove led a delegation to Whitehall and Downing Street to urge government ministers to prevent small farmers from going out of business. Mr Bove has become a hero of the movement opposing the influence of big international corporations on food production. He and his supporters claim that the expansion of world trade in food is destroying small farming businesses and favouring larger, industrial-scale agriculture.

Foot and mouth 'gag' on farmers is abandoned By David Brown and Charles Clover
Telegraph

The row intensified pressure on the Government to hold a public inquiry into the epidemic. The Conservatives stepped up demands yesterday for an inquiry. Tim Yeo, shadow secretary for the environment, food and rural affairs, said: "The more we find out about the Government's behaviour during this crisis, the more sinister it seems."

Lessons from BSE crisis 'not being learned'
Ananova

(Prof Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University) ...also criticised the lack of openness surrounding the selection of scientific committees that offer expert advice to the Government. "It would be nice to know what criteria are used to choose scientists for these committees. If you look at the current membership it's the usual suspects - establishment scientists, experts from industry, token members of the great and the good and someone with a Scottish accent....

British Army recalled over fresh disease outbreak
Online i.e.

DEFRA's director of operations in Devon, Peter Greig-Smith, told a news conference in Exeter that military personnel had been recalled to help arrange disposal of the animals.

Ministers blamed for food crises
BBC

....Professor Hugh Pennington said his biggest worry was that government ministers were simply not capable of understanding the scientific advice they were given. "It seems to be almost the rule that the scientific education of those destined to be permanent secretaries or government ministers must finish at puberty," he said. (Note links to BBC recordings on this issue)

Sheep genes could save rare breeds
BBC

A Lancashire farmer has called for government vets to widen their collection of gene samples to prevent rare sheep being wiped out by foot-and-mouth. Robert Lister from Little Mearley Hall Farm, on Pendle Hill in the Ribble Valley, fears his Lonk rams are in danger of becoming extinct because of the disease.

Wednesday, 13 June, 2001, 18:40 GMT 19:40 UK Village's livestock wiped out by disease
BBC

.. livestock cull has taken place at the last farm to be hit by the outbreak in Paythorne, near Gisburn in the Ribble Valley. Carhome Farm was the seventh site to fall victim to the virus in the hamlet, which has a population of fewer than 60 people.

Minister warns on video auctions
BBC

...But the organisers of the event said it was a positive move towards rebuilding the shattered confidence of farmers, who had been unable to buy and sell animals in the normal way.

Venezuela Confirms Foot and Mouth
Washington Post

...All animals at the ranch and at neighboring ranches will be vaccinated, Cipriano said. He also said a small outbreak in the southwestern state of Apure had been contained. Venezuela has been vaccinating animals nationwide since outbreaks occurred in Europe and elsewhere in South America. Foot-and-mouth disease affects cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, pigs and cows. It is highly contagious and reduces the production of milk and meat, but is not dangerous to humans. Farmers often slaughter animals to keep it from spreading, but Cipriano said no slaughter was being considered in the Tachira cases.

Farmers and secrecy clause Broadcast: June 13, 2001 Reporter: Andrew Veitch
Channel 4 news

There is a "contract for services" that farmers with foot and mouth disease must sign so that MAFF will pay them for disinfecting their farms: Clause 17 invokes the Official Secrets Act: Today MAFF's successor, Defra, said the secrecy clause had been in all such contracts since as long as anyone in the old Ministry could remember. But the clause was irrelevant - farmers could cross it out without affecting the contract. For the ministry's leading critics, at a meeting today organised by the organic research centre, Elm Farm, it symbolised an obsession with secrecy.

SSPCA demands review Fordyce Maxwell Farming Editor
Scotsman

...In a letter to supporters explaining a paper published this week, the society's chief executive Jim Morris makes it clear that his organisation never again wants to see anything like the present foot-and-mouth slaughter.

BWMB warns on collection
Scotsman

THE British Wool Marketing Board has warned farmers shearing, under licence, sheep which are stranded away from home farm by foot-and-mouth restrictions not to bring the wool home. They should contact their usual wool handling depot to make collection arrangements. Wool from areas still classified as infected can not be moved under any circumstances.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/audio/ram_farmingtoday.ram (RealAudio)

About tourism in Welshpool - the affects of FMD on tourism and people's plans on how they will recover:

Trading officers want inquiry on foot and mouth By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

TRADING standards officers attacked the handling of the foot and mouth epidemic yesterday and demanded a public inquiry into its "catastrophic effects"....

Foot-and-mouth 'tail' fearsBBC

.(Clayhanger, Devon) .A total of 80 cattle were slaughtered on Monday night, and 370 sheep were being killed on Tuesday. Livestock at seven contiguous premises were also being slaughtered on Tuesday.

Agencies scrap overexport' bulls By DOUGLAS MacSKIMMING
THE SCOTTISH FARMER, JUNE 9,2001

After a further relaxation of foot-and-mouth movements announced last week by rural affairs minister, Ross Finnie, John Smillie, of Smithston, Patna, was confident that his local department office in Ayr would sanction his licence application, Only to be told it couldn't be considered because procedural details were not yet in place.

TUESDAY JUNE 12 2001

Beckett silent on new foot and mouth fears By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

MARGARET BECKETT was challenged yesterday to explain why the foot and mouth epidemic continues to spread through the countryside despite Government pre-election claims that the end of the crisis was in sight. Further outbreaks were confirmed in North Yorkshire while the new Secretary for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was being briefed on the epidemic by officials of the former Ministry of Agriculture. Farmers demanded that rural areas should be put back into quarantine and the National Farmers' Union in the North-East said: "The position here is dreadful. We feel we are back to square one..."

Beckett's priority is foot-and-mouth
The Times

..Her clear priority, however, is to combat the foot-and-mouth epidemic. She was updated on the situation by Jim Scudamore, the Government's Chief Veterinary Officer, and also visited the disease control centre in London. Reform of the common agricultural policy is also high on the list of her priorities.

Extended empire for foot-and-mouth official BY JILL SHERMAN, WHITEHALL EDITOR
The Times

..(Brin Bender) has gained environment, rural development and countryside from the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, as well as animal welfare and hunting from the Home Office. He now finds himself in charge of foxhunting, climate change, genetically modified foods and animal rights.

Farm children hit by stress of foot-and-mouth BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
The Times

Schools in Cumbria have reported concerns about pupils having to spend weeks away from the classroom. Some are returning to school distressed and emotionally drained. Peter Tiplady, director of public health in North Cumbria, said yesterday that teachers had acted very positively and were trying to use schools as havens where children can escape from their experiences.

New rural affairs head invited to Devon... The head of the Government's new Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, is being invited to Devon to discuss the foot-and-mouth recovery programme.BBC Devon

The helpline set up by television celebrity Noel Edmonds for people affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis has been so inundated with calls that more volunteers have had to be taken on to deal with them

Crisis gives chance to build up animal welfare measures John Robins The Scotsman

Now is the time for animal welfare to be given the prominence it deserves in livestock farming. Rebuilding the infrastructure required to reduce live transport, license farmers and strengthen policing of farms would be good for the industry as well as the animals.

Rare sheep breed faces extinction By Nigel Bunyan
Telegraph

Lonk sheep are thought to have been reared by 12th century monks in the fells around Whalley Abbey, near Clitheroe, Lancs. Today there are fewer than 10,000 survivors, all living on uplands in a narrow band bounded by Darwen, Halifax, the Trough of Bowland and Oldham. The ancient breed is far rarer than the Herdwick.

Still the slaughter goes on
The Times

A new case was confirmed yesterday at High House farm in Westerdale, Whitby, North Yorkshire. More than 500 animals, including 54 cattle, 220 ewes, 47 pigs and 200 lambs, had already been slaughtered because it had been identified as a dangerous contact farm. There were seven confirmed new cases on Saturday, including one at a farm near Bridgwater, Somerset. All animals on that farm had also been slaughtered as a precaution before the positive test results were received.

Vets fear for their future
BBC

Temporary veterinary inspector Matt Coulston, of Frame Swift and Partners, said: "Colleagues of mine in other practices have lost 90% of their farm animals, and unless there is some significant restocking in the near future they are going to be struggling through the winter." Even before the outbreak, farmers were calling vets out less often because they could not afford to pay them. In 1980 there were 597 government vets - but now there are fewer than half that figure. President of the British Veterinary Association David Tyson said: "We could be looking at a shortfall of 80 to 100 veterinary posts... in those farm animal practices." Colleagues of mine in other practices have lost 90% of their farm animals

From today's NFU bulletin NFU bulletin

Worst fears confirmed in Somerset: The Slaughter on Suspicion case reported yesterday at North Newton near Bridgwater in Somerset has been confirmed this afternoon. The disease was found in a Blonde D'Aquitaine suckler cow, which was sloughing its tongue and had lesions on its hooves. The 40 cattle and calves and 37 ewes and 18 lambs on the farm were slaughtered on Thursday evening and their carcases taken away for rendering this morning.

Resting scheme for livestock rejected By David Brown and Charles Clover
Telegraph

: "We are concerned that a rigid 20-day standstill is likely to undermine the viability of the sheep husbandry systems. This has the potential to create significant animal welfare problems for the animals trapped within such a non-viable system."

Blair wields axe after historic win
Guardian

Mr Cook demoted to leader of the Commons as Margaret Beckett moved to take over the new department of the environment and rural affairs. Nick Brown, agriculture minister during the foot and mouth crisis, was dropped from cabinet - but survived to become a mid-ranking employment minister.

Rural crisis must stay top of agenda, farm leader tells Blair
News Wales

... "The practice of labelling foreign food as produce of Wales or the UK simply because it has been packed here must end. Consumers have the right to know if they are buying top quality Welsh produce or cheap meat that has been shipped in from abroad."

Amy Binns in the Yorkshire Post - June 20th

Virus farmers march on town hall

Farmers went on the march in a North Yorkshire market town yesterday to protest at what they claim is the Government's deliberate failure to act on foot-and-mouth disease.

Two dozen farmers carried banners through Skipton before holding a demonstration outside the town hall.

The protest' in which it was claimed that the Government was using the crisis to wrest power from farmers, came as foot and mouth was confirmed at Rod Hill Gate Farm, Grindleton, bringing the number of cases in the Settle-Clitheroe cluster to 80.

And it coincided with a call from the Yorkshire Dales Society for more compensation to help rural businesses recover from the impact of the disease.

Skipton protest organiser Simon Foster, dressed in a white paper boilersuit like those worn by the Government-appointed vets who have been inspecting farms and officiating at culls, claimed many of the townsfolk had no idea what was happening on their doorstep.

Mr Foster, who farms at Calton, Malhamdale, said: "The people of Skipton are dependent on farmers for their living and a lot of them are completely ignorant of what's going on."

Many of the demonstrators said they believed the Government was allowing the disease to continue spreading in order to gain more control over the countryside. Julia Horner, whose pure-bred sheep at Buckden, Upper Wharfedale, have so far escaped the cull, said: "We think the Government has been led by the EC to decide there should be a reduction in stock levels.

"They won't really put their heart into trying to stop this disease until they want to and until then it will continue to spread." Friday 8th June 2001

SHEEP TO BE TESTED IN A NEW MAFF PLAN
North West Evening Mail

Cumbrian sheep on high fells will be tested for foot-and-mouth and killed if the results are positive. The Ministry reassured farmers it did not intend a mass cull earlier this week. A spokesman has now confirmed a new screen-testing programme is being developed to check fell sheep in Furness, Cumbria and Lancashire....Furness General Hospital virus specialist Dr Wendy Blundell fears it could lead to many thousands of animals being slaughtered.

SOUTH CUMBRIA: FELLS REOPENING ANGERS FARMERS SOUTH
North West Evening Mail

......Ramblers have distanced themselves from the decision to open the paths. Furness Ramblers' Association paths secretary Alan Smith said: "The disease must be wiped out and our concerns as ramblers compared with those of the farmers whose livelihoods are threatened are slight."

Foot and Mouth Spreads
ITN

...It is now thought the disease will not be totally eradicated until at least August.

Three more cases of foot and mouth By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

Culling also began in the North Yorkshire National Park for the first time in the current epidemic when Maff vets shot a herd of cattle on suspicion of having the disease on a farm in Westerdale, about 15 miles from Whitby.

Foot-and-mouth cull in Somerset
BBC

A precautionary cull of livestock has taken place on a farm in Somerset after an animal showed possible symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease.

Farmers' leader hears disease fear
BBC News Scotland

Audio article: Foot and mouth - where the election didn't go.

The complete address for the sound article is:

HERE

Thursday June 7th

A model decision Why, a farmer asks, did the government ignore its advisers? Alan Beat
Guardian

...Society Guardian A model decision Three weeks ago in the Veterinary Record, the head of the government's research faculty argued that the government's response to foot and mouth - the contiguous cull policy - was unnecessary.

Alex Donaldson, director of Pirbright laboratory at the Institute for Animal Health, argued that airborne transmission of the foot and mouth virus between livestock was limited to short distances of less than 100 metres, that the contiguous cull was unnecessary and that monitoring of livestock considered to be at risk should replace slaughter on suspicion. Anthony Gibson, regional director of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in the south-west, describes it as "the most damning indictment yet of the govern- ment's controversial contiguous cull policy. "The contiguous cull has been exposed for what it was; one of the most bloody, tragic and disgraceful misjudgments ever committed in the name of science," says Gibson.

FMD rumours rife despite denials Fordyce Maxwell Farming Editor
The Scotsman

Attempts to quash the rumour by reporting the facts - no stockpiles of coal or sleepers, no new huge burial pits, no red alert for vets, slaughtermen and hauliers - have failed.

Foot and mouth fear over farm poll station By Richard Savill
Telegraph

A FARMHOUSE in an area infected by the foot and mouth epidemic will be used as a polling station today despite concern over the risk of spreading the disease. Villagers voting in the sitting room at Manor Farm, in Forton, near Chard, Somerset, must walk over mats soaked in disinfectant

Ministry to dismantle foot and mouth pyres By David Brown, Agriculture Editor
Telegraph

The move came as the Farmers' for Action pressure group prepared to light a nationwide chain of beacons last night in protest against the Government's handling of the crisis. Earlier, farmers staged a mock funeral procession through Tony Blair's constituency of Sedgefield, Co Durham, in protest against an alleged Government cover-up of the true extent of the epidemic.

Lakeland fell paths to re-open this weekend BY RUSSELL JENKINS
Times

...Farmers for Action, which helped to co-ordinate last September's fuel protest, organised the mass burning to complain at delays in compensation for livestock slaughtered in the mass cull. David Handley, its chairman, said: On the eve of the election we want to show whoever gets into power that farmers cannot be ignored. Farmers are the custodians of the British Isles. If we are treated well and given the right tools we can help keep the nation well-fed and happy. Politicians, and particularly the Labour Government, seem to have forgotten this. He said he was particularly angered by the Government's failure to secure quick payouts for farmers who had no other means of income. Among the hardest-hit were dairy farmers, many of whom had been forced to survive without any income for the past two months, he said.

'Funeral march' protest over foot-and-mouth
Ananova

Protesters held a mock funeral march in Tony Blair's constituency, over claims of a cover-up of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Foot-and-mouth signs ordered out by council BY A SCOTLAND CORRESPONDENT
Times

.....Robert Balfour, convener of the Scottish Landowners Federation, who farms at Balbirnie, Fife, said the problem arose from confusion rather than a desire to keep people off land. There is still a significant degree of confusion in the countryside over access while any risk of foot-and-mouth still threatens, he said. The vast majority of landowners and farmers in Fife have opened up. The concern of those farmers who still have closure notices, although an irritation, must be understood.

Wednesday June 6th

Farmers plan beacon protest
BBC

Up to 30 farmers in Cumbria who belong to FFA are expected to light beacons. Nick Fish, from Aspatria, told BBC News Online: "It is just to tell the government there is unrest and we are not happy with how we are being treated."

Rural voters feeling marginalised
CNN.Europe

...Still reeling from the effects of the ongoing foot-and-mouth epidemic that has decimated both the farming and tourism industries, rural Britain also has suffered a steady decline in the provision of services such as policing, transport and education. But people here complain that nobody cares -- including the government.

Wednesday 6 June 2001 Foot and mouth - the latest details
BBC

Villagers threaten mass legal action An entire Devon village is preparing to sue the Ministry of Agriculture over its handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The news comes as the Ministry faced further embarrassment when animals destined for slaughter as part of the contiguous cull escaped into open countryside. The protest underlines the anger felt by the people of Knowstone at the Ministry of Agriculture's attempts to cull apparently healthy animals. Now they are heading for the courts ....Yesterday Maff suffered further humiliation when a sheep which escaped from a farm at Knowstone before it could be slaughtered was hunted down and shot. It is believed the animal was loose in the area for more than 12 hours. Ministry officials said the latest escape presented no threat to other animals because the cull was just a precautionary measure. (sic)...

Farmers' fears as Lakeland fells re-open to ramblers By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
Telegraph

Helvellyn Massif, Langdale and Borrowdale Fells, Coniston, Scafell and the western fells and the North Western fells will open though walkers will be allowed only to use manned access points where they can disinfect boots.

Licences put shearers back in business Bob Geddes
The Scotsman

THE first licences for sheep shearers have been issued and contractors have started work, including in Scotland's worst-hit foot-and-mouth area, Dumfries & Galloway. Contract shearers such as Brian McMorran, who usually shears about 20,000 sheep a season, face strict rules.

Dairy Crest gives warning on milk levels BY JAMES DORAN
The Times

Foot-and-mouth has not helped, he said, but there has been a continued closure of smaller dairies and capacity has not yet been picked up by bigger operators.

Tuesday June 5th

radio link - Today Programme interview with Jim Scudamore

Tories raise fears of mass foot and mouth cull Nicholas Watt, Paul Brown and Michael White
Guardian

.... "What are we to make of these reports? At every stage of the foot and mouth crisis the people of the countryside have shown themselves to be right while the reassurances of politicians and bureaucrats have been wrong". The Conservative leader's thinly veiled charge of a Whitehall conspiracy drew a sharp denial from the Ministry of Agriculture (Maff), which dismissed talk of a politically motivated pause in the official slaughter policy as "nonsense" that would run the risk of spreading the disease. The National Farmers' Union said it had no evidence of a planned cull.

Ministry denies rumours of new livestock cull By Charles Clover and David Brown
Telegraph

...A WAVE of rumours that Labour plans to instigate a new mass cull of livestock to wipe out foot and mouth if it wins the general election swept the country yesterday, only to be denied by the Ministry of Agriculture.....Government vets and police moved at dawn to cull 35 cattle on a farm that had been barricaded in an attempt to prevent the slaughter. Gordon and Thelma Willmetts, of Town Close Farm, Knowstone, near South Molton, Devon, had thwarted attempts on Sunday to kill their animals.

Maff denies post election cull
Sky News

Mr Hague said: "There are rumours about mass culls after election day, police leave being cancelled, haulage contractors being taken on. They do owe it to the people of the countryside to come clean about what is happening." He pledged the Conservatives would launch a public inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak if he was voted into No.10 on Thursday. "No plans" But a Maff statement said: "There are no plans for large-scale increases in the slaughter regime and no planning of a strategic or practical nature for widespread culling of animals although, of course, the Ministry keeps under constant review its policies in the light of new information.

Effigies burned to mark animals' slaughter
Ananova

..She made the effigies by pushing straw inside suits and using melons for heads. She decided to make them after being told by government officials she must get rid of all the straw which was used by her sheep. She said: "I did this because they told me to get rid of the straw and because it's a month since the sheep died. It's a fitting memorial to them and also it's to highlight the fact that healthy animals are still being killed.

Why isn't the Government paying for foot and mouth? By Matt Ridley
Telegraph

...HOW easily we all become inured to horror. Imagine if somebody had told you in February that by early June, the Government would have slaughtered more than three million livestock on 7,700 farms; that it would still be slaughtering them at the rate of up to 80,000 a day; that all across the north and west of the country, the tourist industry would be in ruins; and that this same Government would be coasting to victory in the general election. You would have refused to believe them.

. It silenced the vets. If you speak to vets privately you get a torrent of complaint at the incompetence of their masters, but one word to the press and they are in trouble. The Data Protection Act was cited to avoid counting the slaughter of healthy animals. With great cunning, blame was drip-fed on to the farmers and away from ministers.

Legal fight threat over cull paymentsBBC

Farming leaders have confirmed they are considering legal action against the government for cutting compensation for animals culled during the foot-and-mouth crisis....despite Mr Blair's promise that the (welfare) rates would not be reviewed for two months, they were dropped on 26 April

Maff tightens restrictions
Telegraph

PETS AND THEIR PEOPLE
Sunday People

Joanna Lumley is battling to save hundreds of farm animals at a sanctuary. It has been closed to the public for three months because of foot and mouth disease restrictions. And now the poor creatures may have to be killed. "It is utterly sickening. What if some dreadful epidemic had affected the cat or dog population in this country and the Government decided to kill all of them? There would be a total uprising of all pet owners. To me, there is no difference."

Foot and mouth outbreaks on the rise again Paul Brown, environment correspondentGuardian

The number of new cases of foot and mouth is on the increase again with outbreaks occurring in new areas and the cluster in North Yorkshire and Lancashire getting worse. The worst day since April, with 13 cases, was reported by the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday with a new outbreak at Rainow, near Macclesfield in Cheshire, an area previously free of the disease.

Sunday June 3rd

Farmers sue over 'needless' foot and mouth slaughter By Severin Carrell
Independent on Sunday

...Agriculture ministers are facing legal action by the National Farmers' Union for wrongly slaughtering thousands of healthy animals during the foot and mouth crisis. Senior officials in the NFU have revealed they are preparing to sue the Ministry of Agriculture for damages in dozens of cases where unaffected livestock was unnecessarily slaughtered or killed by mistake.

Maff marksmen 'took potshots at fleeing calves' By Jenny Booth
Sunday Telegraph

THE RSPCA is investigating reports of a botched cull in Cumbria where two slaughtermen with rifles and four-wheel drive vehicles chased distressed calves around a field for three hours after their mothers had been shot. Alan Alderson, the farmer at Barras Farm near Kirkby Stephen, said that the slaughtermen from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food arrived on Wednesday evening without adequate equipment and proceeded to make a mess of killing his herd of 25 cows, 25 calves, one bull and a pregnant cow. Instead of penning the animals and killing them humanely, he said the men took potshots at them from their car window as, maddened with fear, they galloped all over the field. Neighbours and passersby who witnessed the cull condemned it as inhumane......see also~"Call to end unnecessary cull" The RSPCA has written to MAFF urging it not to slaughter animals that have no proven link to foot-and-mouth diseaseRSPCA

Six new cases of foot-and-mouth
Ananova.com

Six new cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed as the latest surge of the outbreak continues. Two cases were discovered at Skipton, North Yorkshire, and another two were found at Clitheroe, Lancashire. The remaining cases were both discovered at Penrith, Cumbria, meaning the total number of outbreaks in the UK now stands at 1,684. Restrictions on moving livestock have been widened around the latest sites. A Ministry of Agriculture spokesman says the measures in the Settle and Clitheroe areas would come into effect immediately. Restrictions have been extended to the east to include the area between Wharfedale and Nidderdale and to the south east to Otley and Bingley.

Fighting FMD THE FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE THREAT TO AMERICA: A RADICAL PROPOSAL by Dr. Jack Woodall
The American Reporter - June 1, 2001

..So what does this all boil down to? The United States will just have to give up its FMD-free status, join the ranks of other big meat-producing countries that have lost theirs, such as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil (partially), and accept the reduction in productivity of flocks and herds caused by FMD infection. Australia and New Zealand will not be able to make up the shortfall in FMD-free beef on the international market, and exports of U.S. beef will slowly rise again. The financial pain will be uncomfortable, but not nearly as severe as if several million head of livestock had to be slaughtered and disposed of. Somebody should run the numbers and confirm this. What will happen, of course, in real life is that the U.S. will repeat all the mistakes made in the UK in dealing with the current outbreak there. It will be too slow to implement the first cull, too slow to enforce movement restrictions, offer disincentive levels of pay to veterinarians and of compensation to the farmers, and still be wasting time talking about vaccination 10 weeks after the first recognized case occurred.

Farmer:"I'm Proof of F&M Cover-Up"
icWales Western Mail

But the farmer from the Welshpool area, who has asked not to be named, said he had foot-and-mouth disease confirmed on his farm three weeks ago and yet he has still not appeared on the Maff list of confirmed cases. He claims to know of other farmers in the same situation. 'It is absolutely insane,' he said. 'As far as I'm concerned we had foot-and-mouth disease and yet we've not been included in the national statistics. 'It seems they're shying away from giving the proper figures. I'm convinced it's a pre-election cover-up. 'This disease has got no chance of going away while they're doing things like this,' said the farmer.

Saturday June 2nd

New fear on foot and mouth cases Heddon pig farmer faces prosecution amid concern that disease may spiral out of control again Special report: foot and mouth Peter Hetherington and Paul Brown
Guardian

.....The campaigning Foot and Mouth Group (i.e. Forest of Dean Action Group) meanwhile said it feared the government was preparing for an extension of mass animal slaughtering after the election. Army units were still on standby. In a letter to the prime minister, the group, comprising lawyers, scientists, farmers and rural businessmen, said current statistics giving the number of outbreaks were inaccurate and meaningless. It said there was reason to believe the disease is already endemic "either throughout the national sheep flock or, at least, in a large proportion of it". Calling for alternative methods to control foot and mouth, it warned that the taxpayer would have to pick up a massive tab - far higher than the #700m in compensation for slaughtered livestock - unless the government changed course. It claimed the cost could rise to #20bn when rising unemployment and the impact on tourism and other rural businesses were taken into account.

The group, formed in the Forest of Dean area in April when members stood at farm gates to prevent Maff slaughtering healthy animals, has now grown into a national network, from Devon to Cumbria. Janet Bayley, one of its coordinators, who runs a software business in Cirencester, said it was clear slaughtering was now intensifying with "contiguous culling" - slaughtering all animals near infected holdings - on the increase. Whereas four farms were previously being "taken out" for every one with a confirmed foot and mouth case, the ratio had now increased to one to nine.

Fuel protesters head for depots By Richard Downie
Telegraph

One of the leaders of the last fuel protests, David Handley, said he would be demonstrating at Avonmouth in Bristol with fellow members of Farmers for Action. Another group, Fuel Protest 2000, claimed that it would be mounting demonstrations at refineries across the country. It refused to reveal which of Britain's nine depots would be targeted but the group's website said there would be an 18-mile slow drive near Cleethorpes, Lincs.

ANGRY VOTERS SPOIL LABOUR'S BIG DAY Fuel protest convoy sets off panic at the pumps By Martin Rickman
Independent

Mark Greene, a key figure in September's fuel protests, said: "We want to give the Government a reminder that we are unhappy and that they can't forget about us. We are going to do something and we are going to keep going until we are happy. We have been ignored and the Government can't palm us off."

Foot-and-mouth: Movement restrictions extended
Ananova

Restrictions on moving livestock have been widened around the latest foot-and-mouth outbreaks. A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said the measures, in the Settle and Clitheroe areas of North Yorkshire and Lancashire, would come into effect immediately. Existing restrictions were extended to the east to include the area between Wharfedale and Nidderdale and to the south east to Otley and Bingley.

10 F&M CHARGES I'm innocent says farmer blamed for the outbreak
Mirror

(link takes you to Mirror front page)...". Mr Waugh said: "How could I notify the existence of foot and mouth disease in my pigs when they weren't showing any symptoms? "The pigs were clean when they went to Cheale Meats and I was paid for them - something that wouldn't have happened if they were showing signs of foot and mouth. "As for the other charges, they are just clutching at straws. I can disprove them all." Trading standards officials would not comment. The most serious offences carry a prison sentence or fine of up to pounds 2,000 plus costs. He could also be banned from keeping livestock. Mr Waugh also claimed he cannot clean up his farm because of delays by Maff in removing pig slurry and waste. He said: "I have been on the phone to Maff almost every day since the beginning of March. "Each time I am either fobbed off or told permission cannot be granted for legal reasons. "Other farms have been allowed to clean up within a fortnight of their animals being slaughtered. Even Maff's own literature says it can be done 24 hours after disinfectant was first put down - and that was March." A Maff spokesman said the delay was due to "significant problems" in disposing of 60,000 gallons of pig slurry and other waste."

Farmers face epidemic charges By Michael Mann in London
Financial Times

The pig farmers whose farm is suspected of being the source of the UK's devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak are facing prosecution .... It (the council) stressed that the charges did not allege where the epidemic started. .........The government has yet to conclude how the disease arrived in Britain, but Nick Brown, agriculture minister, has insisted it resulted from unlawful activity, such as the illegal import of meat.

Some 1,672 cases have been recorded so far, with more than 3.2m animals culled or marked for slaughter.

Friday June 1st

Kennedy criticised for failing county during f