THE devastation and sheer scale of the foot and mouth crisis in West Devon were bluntly spelled out by West Devon's MP to a senior Government minister and officials at a crisis meeting this week.
John Burnett told agriculture minister Joyce Quin that immediate action was required to avert disaster in the rural community. He said: 'Farmers are in despair, they are staring bankruptcy in the face.'
Mr Burnett told Mrs Quin it was a matter of 'utmost urgency' that finished stock from farms not infected by the disease should be sent for slaughter immediately.
'I've told her she hasn't got days to deal with this, she's got hours,' said Mr Burnett.
'There are people who have stock that's now been kept back from slaughter for three weeks — the scale of the problem is monumental.
'Obviously, containment is absolutely crucial, but there's no reason why finished stock within an infected area should not go to an abattoir in the infected area, subject to veterinary inspection at the farm before they go, and at the abattoir when they arrive.'
In addition to financial loss, the welfare problems in housing overcrowded animals, particularly pigs, were huge, said Mr Burnett.
He also pressed Mrs Quin to involve the military in destroying and clearing livestock at infected farms. He said the army was 'willing and able' to join.
'It's a dire emergency — we need people on the ground to clear these animals. It's terrible for people to have these rotting carcasses which attract rats and vermin, this in itself will spread disease,' said Mr Burnett.
And the MP also asked that the 'firebreak culling policy' on farms around Dunnabridge on Dartmoor — scene of an outbreak almost two weeks ago — be reconsidered.
He was told the minister was considering using the army — and on the advice of senior vets, the culling of animals on farms around Dunnabridge would go ahead.
Mr Burnett said the policy was inconsistent because it did not apply to most farms in Devon.
He said many of the herds and flocks went back over several generations and had unusual if not unique genetic pools and lairage habits.
'We need co-ordinated action from the Government — they really don't understand how desperate people are, they don't understand how critical this problem is.
'It's a monumental catastrophe — they must be decisive.'
The meeting, at which Mr Burnett was accompanied by fellow Liberal Democrat MP Paul Tyler, of North Cornwall, came as the number of confirmed cases in Devon reached 29, the latest outbreaks being in Okehampton and Jacobstowe.
An announcement was due to be made today (Thursday) by agriculture minister Nick Brown, following Mr Burnett's meeting with Mrs Quin.
Mr Burnett added: 'After what I've told her, it will be a total rejection by Government of farmers and the whole rural community if nothing is done.'