Market feels force of outbreak

Welshpool Livestock Market could lose £20,000 a week in commission alone as the foot and mouth outbreak continues to bite. Since Friday the Smithfield Road market has stood eerily empty.

Defra imposed a nationwide ban on livestock movement as soon as the first outbreak was confirmed.

The weekly Welshpool auction is usually packed with sheep, meat buyers and farmers, but yesterday's sale was called off due to the disease scare in Surrey.

And if the crisis drags on, next month's key sheep sales could have a drastic impact on the business.

"Last week, we had 9,500 sheep," said senior partner John Jones. "And today there was nil and it cost us between £15 and £20,000 in commission.

"But it's not just today's costs that are the problem. The three-month export ban will reduce the price of sheep and cattle substantially."

He said auctions would usually take place three or four times a week from September, when the sheep breeding season starts in full.

"That's only a month away and it's vital we are back in business then or the loss will be extremely substantial for both ourselves and the farming community," he said.

"Back in 2001, we had to sell via a video system and we are not sure if we are going to have to do that again."

Keith Davies, an auctioneer at the site for 21 years, said yesterday that organisers "didn't have a clue" when it would re-open and they were waiting day-by-day for more news.

A second outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey has been confirmed, Government officials said today.A cull of animals on the farm, which is within the protection zone, began yesterday as soon as there was a suspicion they were carrying the disease, a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

He added that Dr Debby Reynolds, the chief veterinary office had announced that the laboratory results had confirmed an outbreak of the disease at the farm.

"This is the second infected premises and announcements will follow later today confirming arrangements for the protection and surveillance zones," he said.

It is not known whether the source of the second outbreak was the first affected farm, near the village of Normandy, outside Guildford, or the research institute in nearby Pirbright that has been linked to the infections.