Archived News

6th August, 2007
Just before 10pm on Friday 3rd August, I had a call from Laurence who was still out combining. He said to switch on the news because there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease at Normandy. A chilling shiver went down my spine, surely just six years after the last devastating outbreak of Foot and Mouth, it couldn't be back again, and this time so close to home?

The news was particularly shocking because we farm 200 acres at Normandy, 100 acres of wheat and the other 100 acres is grazed for us by a neighbouring farmer, within the 3km zone.

Saturday morning, we shut the farm to all unnecessary visitors; I made signs to put up at farm gateways and rushed off to Farm Supplies to buy the special disinfectant. The next problem was finding carpet off-cuts to put down as disinfectant mats, so I found myself in a giant skip (with permission) outside a carpet shop pulling out carpet remnants.

With bio security measures in place we have continued with the harvest at Wotton whilst keeping regular checks on all livestock.
We must apply for a licence to enter the exclusion zone to harvest the wheat, but this can wait until we know more about the containment of the disease. Although this poses some difficulties for us, it is nothing compared to the plight of the farmers who have lost their livestock.

Regular emails are received from the National Farmers union (NFU) with latest news, which has been of great help and reassurance.

Our farming grapevine has also been excellent, with farmers supporting one another and providing local information. We quickly heard that the farmer whose cattle were infected is a good farmer who cares well for his animals; he spotted the disease symptoms and contacted the authorities immediately.

Although an immediate ban on livestock movements was 'put in place' by the Government, this doesn't really mean very much if farmers do not get to hear of it. Farmers are out late at night harvesting or silage making (some work having been delayed by the recent bad weather), they go to bed, get up the next day and go straight back to the fields, many not having time to watch the news.

In some cases farmers even turned up with livestock to market on Saturday morning, however it seems that livestock movements have halted far more swiftly than in 2001 which can only be a good thing.

With two locations, Normandy and Shackleford having Foot and Mouth Disease, the exclusion zones have extended.

Today The Prime Minister Gordon Brown met a group of farmers in Reigate and we had a good discussion on a number of issues. The overriding message from ourselves and the Prime Minister is that we must remain vigilant and aim to contain and eradicate this disease. Back