NFU boss puts his foot in it over disease claim (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

NFU boss puts his foot in it over disease claim

A FARMING chief has found himself in hot water over "hypocritical" comments he made about the foot-and- mouth crisis.

Anthony Gibson, south west regional director of the National Farmers' Union, claimed farmers had not looked back since 10 per cent of all sheep "went up in smoke" in 2001.

Animal rights group blasted Mr Gibson for the comments made in a magazine article.

Juliet Gellatley, director of animal rights group Viva, said: "At the time, all the farmers were crying on the television about the animals being killed.

"We always suspected they were crocodile tears and this proves that was the case.

"Privately they were rubbing their hands with glee.

"They are not interested in animals, they are only interested in money. It is a very callous thing he has said.

"It is a completely heartless statement to make and shows the hypocrisy of the farming industry.

"At the time we were repeatedly told 95 per cent of the animals would recover fully but millions were killed anyway."

Ms Gellatley also said the decision to order the mass slaughter was purely economic and nothing to do with animal welfare.

In a magazine article for the NFU, British Farmer And Grower, Mr Gibson wrote: "Sheep farmers have never looked back since 10 per cent of the national flock went up in smoke in the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak.

"Less can indeed often mean more."

Speaking this week Mr Gibson defended his comments saying the foot-and- mouth outbreak was a tragedy but that lessons could be learnt from it.

He said: "I would have much rather it hadn't happened but it did. It was very sad but it is a fact that it did.

"The point I was trying to make was that the foot-and- mouth epidemic had the effect of reducing the flock by 10 per cent.

"The price of lamb went up 40 per cent overnight but the cost increase in supermarkets was much less than that.

"It could serve as a lesson in market management.

"Farmers need to tailor their production to what the customer wants."

In 2001 the foot-and-mouth outbreak killed nearly four million animals in the UK, and destroyed thousands of farmers' livelihoods.

It also brought devastation to the tourist industry and the rural economy.

In Wiltshire many businesses faced ruin as the crisis strangled the county.