Biosecurity at the forefront once more
I make no apology for returning to the subject of foot and mouth, as it had such a devastating effect on the farming industry 20 years ago.
Biosecurity became the rule of the road. Farmers and businesses introduced wheel-washes and foot dips at their gates, and visitors were discouraged; changes of clothes and handwashing became the norm.
Farming is a "mucky" business, but it was accepted that the transmission of disease is helped by unclean conditions, whether it be infectious, contagious, wind-borne or water-borne.
The period saw the advent of a number of new bodies, who introduced standards to monitor the different aspects of farming, and again, record-keeping was at the root of many of these standards.
Farming has always been a physical activity, and now farmers were being required to introduce office-like systems to their businesses, and find the time to comply with these standards. But farmers are adaptable, and over the years, these standards have been modified to provide workable systems.
Once again, farming has been disrupted by an unpleasant disease, and biosecurity is again at the forefront of daily life, but farming is a way of life, and the industry will continue to provide British produce, and needs the support of us all to keep the rural areas going.
Sarah Norton is a retired rural dweller living near Shrewsbury
