It's expected that many of those hit by the infection will claim the statutory compensation for their dead livestock before finally throwing in the towel. Many farmers cannot face the struggle of resurrecting their business. Recently, Agriculture Secretary Nick Brown has hinted to Parliament that a government-backed early retirement scheme could be in the offing. Infected farms must go through a series of disinfection processes designed to wipe out all traces of the virus. The time this takes will depend on the farm's proximity to other infected holdings.
Analysts expect the average disinfection period to be six months.
The disinfection delay means most farmers who have recently experienced a cull cannot realistically expect to restock their farms before mid-October. How quickly a farmer can get his operation back to full productivity depends on a range of variables, most importantly the type of stock he keeps. There is widespread uncertainty about restocking prices, with fears that a sudden burst of demand will push up prices on the open market. October is too late Farmers looking for new beef cattle will ideally want weaned calves or heifers already in calf. But if they bought them in mid-October there is no chance they would be ready for slaughter by April next year.