Free at last!

It has been an agricultural annus horribilis of unprecedented proportions, devilishly embellished with animal suffering, human stress and financial deprivation.

However, by far the most galling feature is the nagging doubt of mismanagement by ministers who had no knowledge of our industry, and by civil servants who appeared more akin to headless chickens at the height of the epidemic.

For agriculture and the countryside the sooner we forget about 2001 the better, but before it is finally put to rest we need the public inquiry.

The New Year broke with the long overdue announcement that North Yorkshire has at last achieved 'Disease Free' status and we are, apparently, expected to be duly grateful to our DEFRA masters.

May I remind Lord Whitty that it was he himself who indicated in the autumn that any county remaining without a confirmed case for three months should expect to become 'Free' and yet four-and-a-half months later we were still waiting.

'Free' status is accompanied by a proposed interim arrangement for livestock movements starting in February with the following broad controls:

- It will no longer be necessary to apply for individual movement licences from trading standards, apart from certain sheep movements. Livestock movement will be controlled by a general licence which will have terms and conditions such as animal identification, cleansing and disinfection, 20-day standstill, etc.

- Livestock markets are forecast to open on Monday, February 11, subject to new biosecurity rules.

- The movement of any susceptible animals onto a farm will trigger a 20-day standstill.

- There will be special arrangements for the movement of young calves, bulls, breeding pigs and probably sheep in the autumn.

- Multiple pickups and drop-offs will be allowed.

- All movements of cattle and pigs will have to be notified to BCMS and the local authority within three days of movement.

The above interim measures are due to be introduced around mid-February and until then the same licensing procedures will continue.

Our 'Disease Free' status will allow stock to move up and down the country more freely.

These are the first tentative steps towards normality and on that note we must welcome in the New Year and I wish everyone in agriculture a more prosperous 2002.

It's difficult to know why it has taken so long to blood-test contiguous flocks of sheep and I deplore DEFRA's decision not to use independent vets to help them get through the programme more quickly.

The consequence of the delay is that a new scare erupted on a Northumberland farm where there was a positive blood test indicative that the flock had at some time in the past been exposed to the disease.

The slaughter of some 2,000 sheep followed and that could explain the phone call I had from a farmer near Helmsley who had heard that a haulage contractor had been told to prepare 40 lorries early in the New Year!

Here are a few notable snippets:

- The European Parliament is due to vote this month on the issue of an FMD public inquiry. Robert Sturdy and his allies are quietly confident that this will be given the go ahead.

- On January 1, legislation on beef labelling became law and all labels must now show the country in which the animal was born and reared. It is an offence not to provide this information and when you next go into the supermarket make sure it is there.

- Sheep meat reforms have been agreed by the Council of Ministers but fall short of NFU expectations. In practical terms, there will be a flat rate payment for the Sheep Annual Premium of £13 per head plus £4.30 for less-favoured areas.

- Comparative cereal prices were published last week showing that wheat this year has risen to £77.30 compared to £63.80 last year; and feed barley is averaging £66.40 which is virtually the same as 12 months ago.

Prices for all species are very erratic and seem to fluctuate with the individual abattoir circumstances.

It seems clear that there is going to be a shortage of meat and prices have started to rise. With cattle, the 'R' grade bench mark is moving from 170p through to even 180p/kilo; and there are premiums to be had provided the carcasses are not too fat.

Black and white bulls and breaking-up cattle are also wanted and we can get good deals negotiated. For the best retail butcher cattle, prices have run from 175 up to 200p/kilo.

The lamb trade has reacted to the shortage by raising prices to around 210p/kilo but do keep an eye on the other terms such as maximum weight and deductions for fat.

The pig market has been surprisingly buoyant after Christmas and baconers have been making from around 105p/kilo up to 114p for lighter weights.

As we look towards the reopening of livestock markets please remember that we need your support if they are to survive.

Help us to help you and phone our help lines at Malton on (01653) 697820/692151 and York on (01904) 489731.

We, the willing,

Led by the unknown,

Are doing the impossible

For the ungrateful:

We have done so much

For so long

With so little,

We are now qualified

To do everything

With nothing.

- A very happy New Year to one and all.

Updated: 08:41 Thursday, January 03, 2002