Historic agricultural events across the district are being forced to scale down as thousands of cattle and sheep are quarantined following the foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey.

And farmers dependent on autumn breeding sales, which began last Friday - the day the disease was found on a farm in Guildford, are bracing themselves for financial hardship.

Business has been halted at auctions marts in Skipton and Otley.

The doors will be closed for at least two weeks, the minimum incubation period for foot and mouth, with all livestock shows and sales cancelled until the green light is given from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Jeremy Eaton, general manager at Skipton Auction Mart, said: "We must assume there will be a standstill for a period of time. Fortunately, we are in a position to clamp down as Defra has acted quickly and stopped all movement of livestock, which will hopefully have the desired benefits.

"However, the outbreak is a major setback, both for farmers nationally at a time when export markets had only just been fully redeveloped again and regionally for us here at Skipton, where our busy show season is due to begin later this month.

"We are obviously monitoring the situation very closely and will put into force any actions or further restrictions required by Defra."

Michael Harrison, auctioneer manager at Otley, said: "Last time, foot and mouth decimated the whole of the farming industry and obviously people are worried. But, we have to be optimistic, people are hoping that it will be contained in a short time. But all the time in the background they remember what happened in 2001. They are still recovering now."

Simon Foster, who farms at Airton, near Skipton, knows first-hand the devastation the disease can have, after losing 230 cattle and 1,200 sheep in a contiguous cull after the devastating national foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.

Mr Foster, who now keeps about 750 sheep, said: "When we heard the news, it was no great surprise to the farming community, you have to expect the unexpected.

"But farmers have not recovered economically since the last outbreak. Obviously, there is nothing going on in the industry at the moment, if we can't sell our livestock, then we can't pay the bills. I have been selling lambs every week for the past three months, but it looks as though there isn't going to be any sales in the next two to three weeks."

And, Mr Foster said the farming community was "sceptical" as the Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, which is about four miles from the Surrey farm, and its bio-security arrangements are under scrutiny. An inspection team is also looking at private next-door pharmaceutical company Merial Animal Health, an international animal healthcare firm which makes vaccines.

Mr Foster said: "The farmers I have spoken to are very sceptical about this outbreak, it seems to have come to light that now there was a mistake at Pirbright and, at the end of the day, the buck stops with the farmers. It makes you feel very sceptical. We are certainly concerned. With regards to the various agricultural shows, it won't affect them greatly, there isn't as much emphasis on livestock as there used to be, the only problem is if events are held on farm land they may have to be cancelled."

National Farmers Union (NFU) spokesman, Rachel Gillbanks, said: "We were devastated when the news came about this outbreak.

"From an NFU point of view, we were very pleased with the swift reaction that the Government has taken this time around. While we know the restrictions do cause immense difficulties for the farming industry, it is something we all know we have to do for the time being.

"But, it could not have come at a more difficult time, with annual sheep sales coming up and if this is part of people's business, it is going to cause people hardship. There is no doubt that if the government restrictions go on for a long time, it will cause real difficulties for the livestock industries. It is another difficult time the industry is having to deal with, but is we all pull together, hopeful we can bottom this out as quickly as possible, that is our aim."

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