‘STAND UNITED.’ That was the advice being given to farmers in Argyll and Bute at an emergency meeting to discuss the latest foot and mouth outbreak on Friday night.
The last minute meeting, jointly organised on behalf of National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) and the local branch of the Blackface Sheep breeders association, was packed to capacity, with well over 100 local frantic farmers and crofters turning up to put forward their priorities for assistance and relaxation of the restriction on businesses.
Welcoming the large turnout, farmer Sybil MacPherson, who is also a member of the Blackfaced Sheep users group, said ‘the agricultural industry, and particularly here in Argyll, is facing an extremely serious and immediate problem.’
Main speaker, Nigel Miller, vice president of Scottish NFU and a qualified vet, said that although farmers faced a devastating situation as far as costs and prices are concerned two weeks ago, the situation now feels ‘pretty impossible.’
Mr Miller summed up the feelings of the audience when he said it had been a ‘hellish week’ for farmers.
Despite the outbreaks south of the border only recently being discovered, it was revealed at the meeting that the virus has probably been circulating for around eight weeks.
Mr Miller added: ‘This is bad news as we don’t know where it has gone, and 500 miles away we are still under pretty heavy restrictions.’
At the end of last week, inspections were being carried out to determine low, medium and high risk zones in the farming community, with farmers hoping farm to farm movement restrictions would be relaxed.
Jamie McGrigor, conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, has been farming since 1974, and told the meeting this outbreak of foot and mouth is ‘the worst crisis potentially that I have ever seen in my entire farming life.
‘It is the worst crisis to hit hill farming in living memory.’
He added: ‘This meeting is uniting people. The most important thing is to find a way to save our businesses.
‘Be united, stand united and don’t divide.’
Mr McGrigor earned a round of applause when he told how he has drafted a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the House of Lords demanding that driving hours for experienced animal hauliers are relaxed, an issue which is causing major concern in the agricultural industry, and another hot topic at the meeting.
Nigel Miller explained how cash strapped farmers who are in the depth of a welfare crisis, may be able to earn money in the short term through a sheep disposal scheme that he was hoping would be put in place this week, adding that the British government has a ‘moral obligation to pay for the scheme and to take responsibility for it.’
The scheme will cost in the region of £5 million to implement, and although Mr Miller said he has doubts that the funding will come from Westminster, he believes First Minister Alex Salmond will come to the fore and deliver the money.
‘If the Scottish government pays for the scheme, the SNP would get the plaudits and we may be used as a political pawn, but don’t knock it if we get the money.’ With inspection centres predicted to be set up in Oban and Moleigh, farmers were urged by Mr Miller to ask for more than £20 for each lamb disposed of.
With 92 percent of farmers said to be in favour of a disposal scheme, it was described as ‘imperative’ that the flexibility of drivers hours are relaxed or farmers will have real difficulty moving their sheep to collection centres.
Neil McCorkindale, chairman of Lorn branch of NFU stressed that if and when the collection centres are opened, safety will be of paramount importance.
‘Everything must be clean, and I can’t emphasise that strongly enough,’ he said.
‘There is no point looking three months ahead. The problems are here now and we must act now.’
Farmers will find daily updates on the foot and mouth crisis on the NFUS website.
