All 1,100 sheep on the 10 farms Mr Cleave owns in Devonare to be slaughtered as a precaution. This kind of compensation has never been given in the UK before, although during the recent swine fever outbreak in East Anglia, animal welfare payments were given to farmers who were forced to look after pigs in overcrowded conditions because they could not send them for slaughter. At the end of the week the government will review the total ban on the movement of animals. It may allow some animals to go to market in areas free of the disease. Farmers were less calm than Mr Brown about the crisis.
People are scared out of their wits.
We are talking about a threat to 2m cattle, 1m pigs and 4m sheep in the west of England alone. Farmers are at their wits' end but we are asking them to stay put. Farmers and Mr Brown are asking the public to stay away from farms. Mr Brown told MPs that officials were making plans temporarily to close footpaths and rights of way. The agricultural crisis is also beginning to influence the government's calculations over the date of the election.