Ok so DERFA say this is an economic disease for the industry to sort out. Lines have been drawn across the country to try and stop the spread as we wait for a vaccination programme that may or may not work.. All seems fair enough based on the science. From the SE and EA it looks as though our livestock industry is being sacrificed to save the rest of the country. Our businesses are suffering because of these movement controls,  peeps are having to sell their breeding stock because they cannot move  to winter grazing out side of the control zone and are making big decision that will affect  future viability. We have a restricted market because stock once sold can only remain within that zone until ready for slaughter. There are graziers desperate for our stock in the protection zone.

 This regime of disease control has a cost and we in the SE and EA are bearing it for the sake of the rest of you who quite understandably want the disease spread contained. But fair it aint.

When ever we approach government with our plight the response is that this is an economic problem for the industry to resolve, whilst they hold all the regulatory cards.

Anybody from outside the zone think that this is a proportionate and considered way forward, because from this corner it looks entirely disproportionate and grossly unfair.

I only hope when vaccination becomes an option, it is made available- unlike FMD vaccine which is there, but no one can use it! Is it any wonder i'm crazy. Good luck to you folks in the SE & EA, i wish the zone didn't exist as much as you do.

The big problem we have with DEFRA contingency plans is that they make them with regard to the disease in question. Full stop. That is fine if you are being scientific about it but, of course, the disease is only one aspect of a very complex and integrated industry, which has to function inspite of the impediment. There is no contingency for the economic effect, as far as I can see.

If you know that an area produces breeding  or other stock that moves elsewhere, then someone should take that into consideration when devising the movement restrictions. One could have forgiven them slightly in 2001 as we had an "urban" government that probably had never met a cow or sheep before, but "lessons" were presumably "learned" and the structure of the livestock industry should have sunk in a little. It may well be the case that the type of disease is such that movements really are not possible. If so, then an estimate of the numbers of animals likely to be affected ought to be made and plans put into place to utilise the stock to good effect. Don't simply wait until the poor creatures are starving and are only fit for landfill. That is both inhumane and a criminal waste of resources from a Government who is always exhorting US to cut down on waste.

Having read the Government's (admittedly welcome) decision to implement vaccine production, I cannot see much point in the disease remaining notifiable if the vaccine uptake is going to be a voluntary one. That is not going to eradicate the disease - you need regulation for that. If you are not going to eradicate, then movement restrictions lose much of their protective value in the long term. In the short term, of course, you cause huge disruption to the South and east of the country. I know there are many who sincerely think it is worth the cost. I am on the furthest edge of the Protection zone but personally, I don't wish to see that sacrifice made, even if it delays the disease from my sheep by a few months.

One thing the farming industry should consider is to think of ways that trade can continue in times of crisis in more local respects. We are going to get more of these problems - blame international trade, global warming or what you will. If DEFRA can't come up with sensible economic contingency plans, perhaps the big "stakeholders" such as the NFU and NSA etc can (after local consultations). Perhaps we shouldn't wait for the next crisis but get in first. I'm sure DEFRA would be amenable as it saves them having to think!

I'm afraid there is more bad news to come for the south east. On 15 November the export rules will change again and they won't do anyone in the former F&M risk zone any favours at all, in fact they'll put us further back in terms of prime sales than we are now.

I was shown a map defining the new rules on Wednesday night, unfortunately, I can't remember the exact detail and the source who showed it to me wasn't able to let me take a copy (understandably as there are only a limited number of copies of the map in circulation and passing it to the press would have been more than their life was worth).

In basic form the new rules will free up exports for the rest of the country, but there will be areas where the 21 day standstill prior to export will continue to apply and crucially for the south east no stock will be able to be exported at all (I think that's right, I'll confirm when I can) and even more critically, no stock will be able to move to slaughter outside the area unless they go direct from farm to abattoir. That means no markets and possibly no collection centres either.

This was fought strongly by stakeholders in the meeting, but as one said "it was a question of who's leg we cut off first". Also, DEFRA assembled the stakeholder groups representatives in a room and wouldn't allow them to consult with anyone before a decision was made. Somewhat unfair tactics I'm sure you'd all agree.

I'm pressing to find a copy of the map. The only good news from all of this is that the rules will only be in force for one month,

Jonathan Long, Livestock Editor, FW