Foot and Mouth outbreak a 'hammer blow' to UK farmers

NFU Cymru President Dai Davies said, "The confirmation of foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a hammer-blow to the industry which has left livestock farmers stunned.

"Our main focus now must be on controlling and eradicating the disease as quickly as possible. Farmers must be extremely vigilant and biosecurity is of paramount importance. The imposition of movement restrictions is absolutely imperative to ensure the disease is stopped in its tracks.

"However, this outbreak could not have come at a worse time, with tens of thousands of stock moving from upland to low-land farm areas in the next few weeks. We must get movement restrictions narrowed down to the area known to be at real risk as quickly as it's safe to do so."