THE foot-and-mouth outbreak - a year old yesterday - has demonstrated farmers' amazing resilience and courage, says NFU President Ben Gill.

It was on February 20, 2000, that the first case of the disease was identified - an event that was to bring the British countryside to its knees.

Twelve months - and 2,030 cases - later, a thousand farmers hit by the disaster have started re-stocking their farms with another 7,000 now eligible to begin doing the same.

The country has been recognised as clear of the disease not only by the European but also the world authorities. And domestic restrictions on movements were reduced this month, including the re-opening of the first livestock market in the country on February 12.

Mr Gill, who farms near Easingwold, said: "The foot and mouth outbreak has demonstrated British farmers' amazing resilience and ability to fight back from what has been a catastrophic situation.

"That more than a thousand have found the will to try to resurrect their businesses in some shape or form is testament to this determination.

"It has been a year of unparalleled suffering in the farming community but also of unparalleled courage and spirit. Thankfully, we are looking forward to a very different spring from the appalling one we went through last year.

"We must now ensure that we see this through to the very end. There is a need for continued caution through the lambing period. Once this hurdle has been cleared, farmers will expect the last remaining controls in place are reviewed and removed as soon as possible."

Mr Gill added: "Our goal now is to stop this from ever happening again by ensuring that the country's controls to prevent illegal imports are brought up to scratch. It is a travesty that, one year on, the situation has not markedly improved.

"Every lesson that needs to be learned about how to prevent and fight such awful diseases in the future must be engraved into the minds of the industry and Government."

Updated: 10:26 Thursday, February 21, 2002