A NEW advice and information helpline for farmers to help them rebuild their businesses following foot and mouth disease was launched at a DEFRA conference in Okehampton last Thursday.

The free service will be operated by DEFRA's technical section, the Rural Development Service, and farmers will be able to talk through their plans for the future with agricultural advisors, all of whom have had experience in the farming industry.

Presenting opportunities and options for farmers who have had their animals slaughtered was the aim of the first of a series of conferences by DEFRA in Okehampton's Charter Hall.

The aim of the event was to draw together experience from all quarters including the Farm Business Advice Service, the Meat and Livestock Commission and the NFU.

Speakers included Terry Bayliss, founder director of Farmers First plc and one of the driving forces behind the Farmers' Ferry, a successful initiative in Wales where a group of farmers funded their own ferry to export live animals to the Continent.

Group secretary of Okehampton and Hatherleigh NFU Simon Whattler said he hoped the conference had got farmers thinking about their future.

'It was a very useful kick-off to start the brain ticking over,' he said. 'Farmers have been so involved with foot and mouth and disinfecting and cleansing, but they now have to start thinking about the future.

'The business can no longer stop at the farm gate — farmers need to get closer to their markets and cut out the men in between.'

Mr Whattler said when there was a wave of protest over live exports three years ago, the ferries stopped taking animals to the Continent and consequently there was a surplus of lamb and the price dropped dramatically.

With a market there for the taking, 100 farmers in Wales took full advantage and funded their own ferry to France. While many remained sceptical, the farmers stuck to their guns and the price of lamb increased.

The NFU group secretary said foot and mouth had brought a halt to these exports but the farmers had since hired a big slaughterhouse on the back of their success, once again cutting out the middle man and making it easier to get their meat from the gate to the plate.

'Farmers can no longer expect someone else to find a market for them — the farming industry has to change to survive and it is time to start thinking,' added Mr Whattler.

Pig and sheep farmer Graham England from Germansweek said he found parts of the conference interesting and it helped to clarify the issues.

'One thing that will be particularly useful is a five-day free business consultancy which we have been offered,' he said.

George Thomas from Highampton said he hoped to expand into the farm/tourism business and attract more visitors to his two trout lakes.

Regional director of the NFU in the South West, Anthony Gibson, who chaired the conference, said it was crucial that the disinfecting and cleansing process started again as soon as possible so farmers could begin to get back to normal.

Head of operations at DEFRA Marie Winckler said she was hoping for a decision some time this week.

She said the directive to stop the cleansing process came down from London because of accelerating costs in some parts of the country.

'Devon is not responsible for the problem and I hope it will be resolved by next week,' she said at the conference.

She added it appeared that costs in Devon were nowhere near the estimates of £104,000 per farm quoted in some parts of England and Wales.

Mrs Winckler confirmed that the cost of all the cleansing work which had been carried out so far would be met and there was no indication that it would be any different when work resumed.