AFTER the torrential rains of June and July which decimated many crops and spoiled harvests, now we have two – at the time of writing – confirmed outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.
Having learned the lessons of 2001, the Government has imposed a ban on the movement of livestock, which affects 110,000 farms throughout Britain, while the European Commission has stopped UK farms exporting meat, dairy products and live animals to
the continent.
I'm sure those attending yesterday's Ashover Show will have clearly noticed the impact.
It's hard to imagine having your whole livelihood – and life – put on hold in this way.
In one way, if you make your living from nature, you are forever at its mercy.
However, on this occasion it seems ironic that the source of the latest FMD outbreak – yet to be confirmed as I write these words – could
possibly be the Institute for Animal Health or a lab working on an FMD vaccine, compounded by the further possibility that the virus was
transmitted in floodwaters.
The response has been swift, with no chances being taken.
It will be interesting to see how all of these factors impact on
consumers.
As someone who has been quite particular about buying British produce, to support my local and national economy as much as to reduce the impact of so-called 'food miles', I am concerned about the situation.
I guess we all have to get on with life, but it can be all too easy to turn your back on an ailing industry if you deem its produce too expensive or simply not what you want.
I hope the response from the wider British public is to show its support for its farmers and producers in both good times and bad.
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