PLEASE can Alison Fraser, Inside Story, (Evening News, Friday, April 13), explain how she came to the conclusion that "the Government should learn to listen to the farming community in trying to deal with the foot-and-mouth crisis"?
It has been the National Farmers' Union which has consistently refused to take on board the call for vaccination from more enlightened quarters - such as the Soil Association.
Now we learn that the live animal exporter who initially purchased animals in the north-east of the country from the probable source of the outbreak, sold them at auction around the country - and is thought to be one of the reasons why this disease became so widespread - is to receive £1m compensation.
I bet that the National Farmers' Union realises that there's more money to be made in the form of subsidies than there is in the utilisation of proper animal husbandry.
Ninety-five per cent of animals recover from foot-and-mouth within two to three weeks and, of course, vaccination would mean that the appalling trade in live animals abroad would temporarily cease.
DAVID HUDSON,
Worcester.
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