THE foot and mouth outbreak is a 'defining moment' for some farm businesses. But the desire to overcome the crisis shows a remarkable determination within the agricultural industry.
That is the belief of Joe Hess, auctioneer and chartered surveyor with Ward and Chowen in Tavistock. 'The overall feeling is that the people will build from this and move on,' he says.
'This is incredibly encouraging for people involved with agriculture. For those farmers who feel it is the end of the road I feel deeply for them but you have to understand the situation they are in.'
It is, he feels, particularly poignant that a farming industry beginning to embrace a much-needed upturn in its fortunes has been downed by the latest blow.
'There was more optimism about. Lamb prices were up, pig prices were improving and the store cattle trade was strong . . .'
Most sectors of the farming community were beginning to look healthier and there was the glimpse of light at the end of a long tunnel.
'Now those prices have almost been eradicated overnight,' says Mr Hess.
'There is concern that it will take months to regain the previous prices. There will be a short-term blip. There is a considerable amount of finished stock backed up in the system that needs to be traded — but it will take a long time to fully recover.'
He says there is no 'quick fix' situation: 'We try not to paint a bleak picture but at the moment the enforced restrictions on movement and trade of stock is impacting on all agriculturally linked businesses. From a market point of view things are finely balanced.'
The crisis has spread like buckshot across all aspects of the agricultural scene. Mr Hess has especially noticed the absence of face-to-face contact.
'It has had a social impact — farmers are not able to go to farm sales, or social gatherings.'
It is anticipated that at Tavistock Market Ward and Chowen will not be able to accept stock for the next four weeks.
'We are waiting for approval from the authorities to utilise the site,' said Mr Hess.
'The licensed slaughter that's been introduced to recommence the movement of stock in unrestricted areas is welcome news. I'm delighted that British meat is going back in the food chain. We have a first class product produced to the highest farming standards and public awareness needs to be raised.'
He has had a lot of calls from farmers concerned about various aspects of the crisis. However, MAFF have now released information factsheets covering the subject.
Although a little late, he says this will
reassure farmers, and he says he has 'every admiration' for the way the Ministry has tried to handle the situation.
'MAFF are using the probability method. They are removing those animals within specified areas that have a high probability of catching the disease.
'It is tragic for all farmers whose stock is being culled. One farmer's Galloway herd that may be culled was built up by his great-grandfather.
'That's 100 years of breeding wiped out in a matter of days. You question how you can recover from that.'
He says were the disease to escalate it could have horrendous results on rare breeds and Dartmoor as a whole.
'It takes generations to establish these herds and if there was a mass cull some of these breeds may never recover to the extent they are now.'
Farmers are concerned about what market there will be for their products at the end of this because the buyers — both local and away — will be very wary.
'With Devon and Cornwall being such livestock orientated counties the foot and mouth crisis has had a far greater impact than has been seen in other parts of the county,' he says.
He says also the prices of meat are down now more than pre-foot and mouth which underlines the power of the supermarkets.
'A lot of our clients say that farmers need to establish a more cohesive marketing strategy. At the moment there is not an organised structure about how farmers market their product.'
While some will support the market 'through thick and thin' others sign up to contracts to supply the supermarkets.
'They do it to take away price fluctuation and give them security – and you can't blame them for that.'
Mr Hess says if anything the foot and mouth crisis has highlighted the amount of movements livestock has to undergo.
'It shows clearly how the closure of small abattoirs and small markets have gone against animal welfare. I think the government will open a discussion panel regarding the long-term prospects for the meat supply industry in this country.'
He believes it is important to get across to the public that foot and mouth is not the fault of the British farmer: 'This disease has almost certainly been imported into the country and isn't a result of intensive UK agriculture.'
He says farmers are understandably incredibly nervous that the disease will hit their stock — but they have taken precautions and are looking forward to putting the crisis behind them.
'They hope to get the livestock back on the market and restrictions lifted as soon as possible.
'On the whole I'd say 99 per cent of the people I have spoken to have said they intend to ride the storm and they will come back bigger and better. They are determined not to let this finish them off — it just shows the resilience of the industry.'