Beware FMD

KEEPING animal disease out of Cumbria is one of the biggest challenges facing the county's farming industry in 2008.

Bluetongue and foot and mouth failed to breach Cumbria's boundaries this year but county farmers are still reeling from the devastating affects of the twin outbreaks this year, according to the NFU's Nick Utting in Carlisle.

He said: "There had been great optimism for 2007. With any surpluses all but disappeared, food security was becoming of concern.

"However, foot and mouth disease dealt a cruel blow to the Cumbrian livestock sector and to sheep producers in particular.

"The government accepted responsibility for the virus leak but failed to compensate those who lost thousands of pounds as the harvest of the hills got underway. The big worry for 2008 has to be over keeping foot and mouth and bluetongue out of our region."

Lamb and breeding sheep prices have yet to fully recover and the knock-on effect of keeping livestock on the land longer than expected will be felt for many years.

But the backlog of heavy lambs has been largely cleared and it is hoped prices will recover in the New Year.

NFU president Peter Kendall has predicted that farming will become more important to the nation in 2008. Wheat stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 1983 and the impact of climate change on harvests is expected to worsen the situation.