NEW Devon NFU chairman John Dawe, just a week into his 12-month term of office, has called for the ?straitjacket? of post-foot-and-mouth disease livestock movement restrictions to be removed.
Bere Ferrers farmer Mr Dawe joined with the other new NFU South West chairmen in a co-ordinated lobby to Government veterinary offices in the region, protesting at the 20-day movement restrictions which they claim are crippling the farming industry.
Farmers say the restrictions, which have been in place since the foot and mouth outbreak, are totally disproportionate to risk and are stifling trade.
Last Friday the NFU leaders handed in letters to veterinary officials at Government offices in Exeter, Truro, Taunton and Gloucester, calling for an end to the 20-day restrictions.
Mr Dawe said the delegation had been received by the divisional veterinary officer and there had been a ?pleasant exchange of views? with the officer promising to pass the letter onto the government.
Mr Dawe said the movement restrictions caused ?tremendous problems? which would only increase as farms moved into the spring season.
The letter detailed the measures being taken by farmers to reduce disease risk and spelt out the impact upon them of the blanket ban on movements.
An NFU South West spokesman said: ?Farmers have taken significant steps to tackle disease risk and it is now vital for the Government to recognise this by releasing them from the unnecessary stranglehold of the 20-day rule.?
The spokesman said farmers recognised the need for, and had already adopted stringent bio-security controls on farms and at livestock markets.
?What is needed are tighter controls on imports, which is how these diseases always get here and, if necessary on top of the steps we have already taken, specific measures locally agreed at farm level.
?What is most definitely not needed any longer is this sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut whole farm animal movement straitjacket that the Government has got us in for no good reason, and we will be continuing a vigorous dialogue with them to try and get it removed in time for the increase in animal movements during the spring,? the spokesman added.