Bitter legacy left in Cumbria

THE mishandling of the foot-and-mouth crisis has left a "legacy of bitterness" in the Cumbrian farming communities, according to Cumbria NFU which this week submitted its written evidence to the Cumbria County Council foot-and-mouth inquiry.

NFU Cumbria Policy Advisor Veronica Waller said mismanagement by government coupled with the scale of devastation was the main factor behind the anguish.

"Cumbria experienced 44 per cent of cases of the worst foot-and-mouth outbreak in living memory. For over 2,000 farmers who had their livestock culled their experience has been compared to a family bereavement.

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"Added to this emotional bereavement has been the damaging economic impact on farmers who kept their livestock throughout the outbreak and had to cope with movement restrictions for longer than anywhere else in the country," she said.

Nick Utting of North Cumbria NFU said much of the anger was directed towards senior Maff/Defra officials, both local and national, because farmers felt the outbreak could have been controlled much more quickly.

Utting said that after suffering so badly in last year’s outbreak, people are now highly concerned at the apparent government apathy towards taking steps to prevent the disease flaring up again.

"There is no enthusiasm whatsoever by government or any indication that steps are being taken to prevent the import of infected products which could cause it to happen again. It’s very worrying," he said.

Cumbria NFU’s written evidence centres around the key recommendation that decisions need to be taken locally by Ministry officials and vets. It also states that the process of contingency planning for operations throughout an emergency should involve local people.

The submission highlights the cases of two Cumbrian farmers. Tebay farmer Steve Dunning was not struck by the disease, but had 42 veterinary visits by Defra each lasting five to six hours. He estimates his additional costs from not being able to move animals resulted in a loss of income of more than 26,000.

Dalston farmer Mark Shadwick reported the disease to Maff (now Defra) on Sunday 11 March but had to wait until Friday 16 March for his animals to be slaughtered. The animal carcasses lay until Wednesday 21 March before being burnt on a pyre which burned for 10 days then smouldered for a further three weeks.

Cumbria NFU maintains Shadwick’s experience of diagnosis, culling and delays in disposal were by no means exceptional in mid-March 2001 and demonstrates why the disease spread so quickly in the first six weeks. Despite the vet on the ground being convinced that the animal had foot and mouth, he had to defer to Maff’s London HQ.

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Utting said Cumbrian farmers now have an additional worry given the spectre of tuberculosis.

The county had been free of TB for a number of years, he said, but because farmers have been compelled to source animals for re-stocking from outwith the locality, potential TB infection is now an unwelcome additional source of anxiety.

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