Archived News

13th September 2007
Many of our cattle moved to new grazing yesterday morning, before the news of the suspected case of FMD had reached us. We are now thankful that they are on grass which should keep them fed for about three weeks, however the movement ban is likely to stay in place for at least a month, that is if no more cases are confirmed. It is a very worrying time.

By lunchtime yesterday I was hearing that the Egham farmer also grazed cattle at Ripley, which is not far from Pirbright and that the land was also low lying and wet, it is the nature of this general area. Interesting.

I still think that if water carrying FMD was taken off the flooded Pirbright site and unwittingly passed into a slurry lagoon or similar near to the Pride cattle, the water could have permeated into the field and the stream which ran through there. The Pride herd drank from the stream and the water flowed down into our field where John Gunner's cattle were grazing and drinking. Does this stream link up with the land at Ripley or could water have flowed directly from the Pirbright site into other water courses? Water couldn't flow from Pirbright uphill to Normandy, but it could flow downhill to other streams.

By last night the DEFRA website had a map showing the Protection and Surveillance Zones and the overall size of the area looks vast. This wasn't that surprising knowing that most farmer's do have fields spread over a number of miles. I think this farmer may have 8 sites. Each site would have it's own 3km and 10km zone around it.

Although the Egham farmer's positive cattle are further away from Wotton than the confirmed cattle were in Normandy last month, the edge of the Surveillance Zone is now much closer, about one mile from our farmhouse. This makes sense if the farmer does have land at Ripley.

Although we have land inside the Surveillance Zone, none of our cattle are grazing there at present. I just hope that no more outbreaks are confirmed and that the zones are not extended.

This is a most terrible time for the farmers whose livestock are being culled on the farm and my thoughts go out to them.  

Farmers across the country are having to put their businesses on hold and this is very difficult when animals are involved.

Hill farmers will be under incredible strain, having brought sheep in from the hills ready for market, they are now without the food to keep them back on farm.

The agricultural and associated industries are under immense pressure, thousands of farmers unable to undertake normal animal husbandry due to the restrictions imposed and to top it all, there is a real dread that Foot and Mouth Disease may have spread still further.

Many farmers and their friends have annual events to help raise funds for The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. RABI is dedicated to helping members of the farming community suffering hardship.

If any one would like to support those farmers in real distress, then please contact The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
Tel: 01865 724931 Email:info@rabi.org.uk www.rabi.org.uk

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