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From The Wellies - August 07

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease is never welcome at any time, but just before the main autumn sale season gets into full swing is perhaps one of the worst times for it to strike. 

There is a feeling of anger and frustration among the farming community as to the source of the outbreak.  Pirbright laboratory of the Institute of Animal Health where foot and mouth virus is held for research purposes is only 6 kms from the first farm to be infected.  The site is also home to Merial, a company which also holds the virus.  In a cruel twist of fate, this company actually uses the virus to manufacture foot and mouth vaccine. 

Whether the virus has been released by accident or deliberately may never be known, but the fact that it was supposed to be contained in secure conditions is of little consolation to those already infected. 

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The restrictions placed on livestock movements are intended to stop contact between animals.  The virus is very contagious and can be passed by contact with other infected animals. 

Contaminated vehicles are another source of infection spread and, as a result, the fallen stock scheme has been temporarily suspended and on-farm burial is being allowed.  The first relaxation of animal movements has been to allow animals to go straight to slaughter.  Each movement is strictly controlled with no multiple pick-ups of animals being allowed. 

This movement of animals at least allows some normality to return to the food chain.  It remains to be seen how restrictions are lifted during the autumn sale period.

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There has been a slight improvement in the weather of late, which has allowed some haymaking to take place.  Long range forecasts are predicting an improvement in the weather by mid to late August.  Hopefully the weather will improve so that cereal harvest can proceed without too many rain interruptions. 

Prospects look good for those growing malting barley with prices being quoted in the region of £140/tonne.  There is increasing pressure on the arable sector of agriculture to turn land over to the production of bio-mass, and in particular the planting of willow for harvesting to be used as woodchip fuel for power stations. 

Farmers are being tempted by a fixed price per tonne harvested and long term contracts with very little in the way of costs being incurred as contractors take care of the crop planting and harvesting.  The increase in cereal prices is partly being helped by this increased demand for bio-mass production.  Maltsters and other users of cereals are beginning to take on board the fact that they are going to have to offer farmers decent prices so as to secure a guaranteed long term supply of cereals. 

Many farmers feel uneasy about growing non-food crops when large parts of the world go hungry every day.  As world population grows the demand for food continues to rise, to many people it seems ridiculous to use land capable of producing food to grow fuel when so much wind and wave power goes unused.