-Caveat Lector-
Again the old "What did they expect?" routine. Sounds like those
in charge of this entire disaster did not realize that artificial
insemination is the preferred procedure today and pedigreed
livestock, because of their production potential in this area, are
very valuable. Think of the cost for a foal from a Kentucky Derby
winning horse, for example. A prize-winning bull can garner
astronomical income. These farmers did NOT ask their govt to come
and kill their animals. This was a treatable disease. So now they
blaming the farmers.
~Amelia~
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 7:52 PM
Subject: Foot and mouth UK
Foot And Mouth Slaughter
Makes 37 UK Farmers
Millionaires
By Jonathan Leake
Science Editor
The Sunday Times - London
8-5-1
At least 37 farmers have been made compensation "millionaires"
after
their
livestock were slaughtered in the foot and mouth cull. They
have all
received
cheques for more than �1m - with the largest being for �4.2m -
an
amount
which has shocked ministers and embarrassed the National
Farmers'
Union
(NFU).
This weekend Whitehall and industry sources said the highest
payment
was
thought to have gone to a pedigree livestock farmer in
Dumfries. He
had spent
32 years building up a herd of Charolais and Limousin cattle,
said
to be one of
the finest in the country, only to see them all slaughtered in
March
after the
disease broke out.
This weekend Elliot Morley, parliamentary under-secretary at
the
Department
for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said there would
have
to be a
"major independent inquiry" into the foot and mouth outbreak
and the
future of
farming. But the government was still resisting demands for a
formal
public
inquiry.
The revelation about the million-pound compensation payments
coincides with
new figures showing that foot and mouth has cost taxpayers more
than
the entire
British agricultural industry produces in pre-tax profits each
year.
Last year the net value of all farm produce was �1.9 billion.
By
contrast,
ministers admitted last week that foot and mouth has cost
taxpayers
�2.2 billion
in direct costs - and several times that in indirect costs such
as
damage to
tourism.
Ministers are worried about the impact that such revelations
will
have on the
electorate. So far Labour has remained largely unscathed by the
crisis but
taxpayers could become resentful at seeing so much money poured
into
a single
industry.
Morley, the minister who is responsible for animal health, said
the
government
would meet its obligations to farmers by paying compensation
for the
remainder
of this outbreak - but emphasised that it would be "the last
time"
they could
expect such payments.
"I think there will have to be a major independent inquiry into
foot
and mouth.
There may have to be more than one because there are so many
facets
to the
industry. There must also be a major restructuring of the
industry,"
he said.
Government sources confirmed that an announcement about the
inquiry,
headed
by an independent figure such as an academic or a businessman,
was
likely next
month.
The identities of most of the 37 compensation millionaires is
uncertain, although
almost all are likely to be specialist breeders of pedigree
cattle,
some of whose
animals could have been worth up to �45,000 each. Whitehall and
industry
sources say the recipient of the largest payment, for �4.2m,
was Jim
Goldie,
whose 741 Charollais and Limousin cattle, plus 531 Texel sheep,
were
slaughtered in March after disease broke out on his two farms.
Goldie admits to
having received compensation, but denied that �4.2m was the
correct
figure. He
refused to confirm the actual amount, saying it was his
personal
business.
"Whatever money we got was for the value of our stock, but we
got
nothing for
the income we lost," said Goldie. "We have seen our lives
destroyed
and our
business wiped out and that money will go to rebuilding it."
Critics say that what such figures really show is how over-
dependent farming
has become on public subsidy. One other farmer has received
more
than �2m
compensation, and there are hundreds more with livestock worth
more
than
�1m. Few farmers have insurance against the risk of disease.
By contrast, almost every other type of business in Britain has
to
buy its own
insurance and include the cost among its overheads.
Critics also say the cost of foot and mouth is due to a series
of
government
mistakes, such as failing to vaccinate animals and inadequate
monitoring of
external contractors brought in to help with the slaughter and
the
subsequent
clean-up.
This weekend ministers announced that several contractors had
been
sacked and
would be asked to repay millions of pounds in payments approved
by
civil
servants.
There are increasing signs of discontent among Labour
backbenchers
about the
size of the payments and the government's handling of the
dispute.
Eric Martlew, of the Commons agriculture select committee,
said:
"The NFU
seems to think the public purse is to be dipped into whenever
it
wants. There is
no other industry that receives these kinds of subsidies."
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001/08/05/stinwenws01
039.html
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