Foot and mouth concern for farmers supplying Gisburn Auction Mart

This latest foot-and-mouth outbreak is completely devastating for our market, its suppliers and the industry, commented auctioneer Richard Turner, of Richard Turner and Son, Auctioneers and secretaries for Gisburn Auction Marts.

“The previous outbreak in August was damaging enough to the industry with loss of export and saturation of the home market. As auctioneers we also had to cope with concentrating two month’s of store markets and breeding sales into one month further restricted by the six day movement stranglehold imposed by DEFRA.”

As farmers now face a bleak autumn, Mr Turner said a large percentage of the farming industry will be on the poverty line before Christmas.  “Even if this outbreak is contained, primestock will not move to slaughter for over a week, slaughter markets will not operate for another three weeks and it will be well into October before store markets and breeding sales can operate.

Farmers are facing extra costs holding livestock on farms which should have gone to market, primestock is spoiling, export markets are lost and the home market is going to be saturated with unsaleable meat causing a free fall in farm gate market prices.”