HAVING just spent a week in the Portuguese hills of Monchique to convalesce and regain a little sanity, we returned to Leeds airport to face not a single question as to where we had been or what we were carrying. There wasn't the slightest hint that foot and mouth, or any other disease for that matter, caused the British Government any concern; and yet this is the very area in which we should be putting maximum manpower to protect ourselves.

We are an island, and being surrounded by water we are in an ideal position to protect ourselves from casual, inadvertent and illegal entry of any commodity. Contrast our import defences with those of Australia and New Zealand, who are also surrounded by water.

Stephen Wharton from Farndale is not only a farmer but a rugby fanatic who has been following the magnificent British Lions in their triumphal march through the Antipodes. He, likewise, is incensed at the apathy in this country over import controls and sent me a photocopy of an advertisement placed by the Australian Agricultural Department in the Lions Tour Magazine.

The heading is "Quarantine. There's more to it than meets the eye"; and a picture of a backpacker highlights the various danger zones in our luggage:

Food, even off the airline, is not allowed and must be dumped immediately.

Souvenirs made from hide or wood need to be treated before entry

Shoes will be checked for dirt

Tea, coffee and even herbal teabags must be declared

Juggling balls stuffed with seeds are banned!

Co-incidentally, my daughter's New Zealand parents-in-law are staying with us at the moment and confirmed that the Kiwi rules are even more stringent. Like everyone leaving New Zealand, Brian and Betty Cooper were given leaflets on what they must do before returning, which includes washing all their clothes and disinfecting footwear, together with a declaration as to whether they have been near or on any farming activity.

Failure to comply will result in clothing being confiscated to be cleaned and long delays at airports.

Please, Mrs Beckett, don't seek to blame the farmers but have a look at the beam in the Government's eye.

I have long admired John Stringer of Acklam as a wise lateral thinker with more experience of our industry than the whole of the political parties put together.

In an attempt to get through to people "cocooned in the protective layer of political office", he has written a most thoughtful plea to Margaret Beckett. He says she "has a high-powered intellect but the question is whether she can distinguish between truth and falsehood; and this is something which requires more than intellectual analysis". The points John makes in his letter to the minister are worth recording:

- The majority of farmers, country people and general public simply cannot accept that a huge slaughter of farm animals is the answer in modern times to diseases such as foot and mouth.

- The financial cost alone has been inestimable and is probably much greater in businesses outside farming.

- The Government claims to take "best scientific advice" but "best" appears to many of us to be determined by political expediency. The lack of consistency in so-called scientific advice makes one distrust its validity.

- The massive slaughter is an indefensible folly and the time is overdue for a European change in this policy.

- The three main farm animal species differ widely in their reactions to FMD and should be treated within a comprehensive strategy involving not only slaughter but vaccination, treatment and the recognition of the place of natural immunity.

It would be interesting to see what other views there are in Ryedale.

I believe there has never been a stronger case for holding a public inquiry than the FMD disaster through which we are still struggling.

For the sake of all those in our industry who have suffered, for the sake of those like the two tragic Yorkshire suicides recently who could stand it no more, and for the sake of the great British public who have been fed so much misinformation, we need to find out the truth so far as possible, not only about the cause of the outbreak but also about the course it has run and the administration methods employed.

Willy Poole is a countryman of renown, and in his role as a journalist he was asked to publicise the diary of an agricultural contractor who has worked for MAFF since the beginning of the great slaughter. Most of the contractor's tales are almost too horrific for public consumption but here are a few extracts:

Mid-March: "Got to gate at 7.30a.m. Slaughtermen were late, pleased in a way; but then it started; 450 ewes pushed into pens, lambs as well. I was left to keep an eye on stock. Lambs being crushed in pen. Too tight, they push 30-40 into a separate pen start slaughtering. This isn't right - these sheep are taking too long to die. The bolts on the guns aren't retracting."

"I spotted a sheep breathing in the grave and I am told not to worry because it will soon be dead."

"When it is finished, vet asked me to count lambs. Lambs go into final count. Told by another that the vets fiddle, later charging for lethal injection. In three farms he has never seen a lamb injected yet. They have all been shot."

End March: "Already wagon drivers sitting bored in queues are telling us about atrocities. One had seen 20 lambs killed with a claw-hammer."

Early April: "RSPCA and animal rights people distancing themselves from this cull. If these were dogs, rabbits or mink, every farm gate would have dozens of protesters."

Tuesday before Easter: "Just before Easter, most contractors and men were stood down. Blair did not want 'white overalls and machines rushing around the countryside while people were enjoying a holiday weekend' - a MAFF officer's words."

However gory, this type of factual evidence needs to come out in order to get at the truth. Blame must be apportioned to avoid the insupportable finger being pointed at farmers; but, more importantly, we need to learn from these mistakes in order to set up a proper strategy for the future acceptable to our industry and the British public.

Life has not been getting any easier in the marketing world with hot weather and still bulging supplies coming from infected areas.

Many of the serious players on the abattoir side are forecasting that cattle numbers will dry up within the next two or three weeks so there is no need to rush to sell unless you or the stock require it.

Please remember that overfat and overweight animals are difficult to place and cattle carcasses in excess of 400 kgs are struggling to find a market, especially in this hot weather when they don't set up properly.

Prices have dipped slightly, with 'R' grade commanding 160-170p/kilo. Retail butcher cattle run from 170p upwards and I did manage to sell one show beast this week at 200p. Please don't demand this price for all your stock, as I have only achieved the magical double century twice in over 6,000 cattle!

Breaking-up cattle are still comparably a good trade with very little under 140p/kilo and running through to around 155p/kilo for the 'O+' cattle.

The lamb trade has gone into a bit of a free-fall spiral and prices have dropped in the last fortnight from around 220p/kilo down to 180p and less. At the time of writing, there appear to be lambs coming out of the south and west at 165-170p/kilo which will compete with the Yorkshire product. Ewes are holding relatively steady at 85-95p/kilo.

The fat pig trade has been kept buoyant by a shortage of numbers and this is still the case with very little now being sold under 100p/kilo. The best lightweight gilts can make up to 114p/kilo.

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

Updated: 09:22 Thursday, July 05, 2001