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LONDON - Britain's latest outbreak of foot and mouth disease could not have come at a worse time for the nation's farmers.
A fresh ban on the movement of animals coincides with the peak trading period for cattle and sheep, sparking fears this week's outbreak could cause more damage than the devastating 2001 epidemic.
And the National Farmers' Union (NFU) estimates a ban on exports is costing the UK farming industry about 2 million pounds($5.76m) a day.
About a third of UK sheep production would usually be exported at this time of year, along with nine to 10 per cent of beef production and 18 per cent for pigs.
NFU president Peter Kendall has held urgent talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and said the focus is on containment, control and eradication of the disease.
"We have talked to him about some of the many problems facing livestock farmers during this critical time of year and we will be in constant review with the government on these issues," Mr Kendall said.
"Although this is a body-blow to the whole industry we must focus our attention on the control of this disease in Surrey and on maintaining bio-security.
"Farmers must remain vigilant throughout this difficult time."
During the 2001 crisis, more than six million animals were culled, costing the national economy about 8.5b pounds.
The latest outbreak at a farm near Egham, west of London in the county of Surrey, came just days after restrictions on animal movements were lifted and the European Union removed a ban on meat and livestock from Britain.
Those restrictions had been imposed following an outbreak last month, which the NFU estimates cost the farming industry up to 80m pounds.
Last week, an official report into the August outbreak identified leaking drains, flooding and vehicle movement from a government laboratory at Pirbright, 16km from Egham, as the likely cause, without pinpointing the exact source.
Initial test results show the latest outbreak is the same strain as the one reported last month.
Cattle were slaughtered on the affected farm and a 3km protection zone imposed around the farm holdings, with a wider 10km surveillance zone.
The government said animals on the farm next to that site were to be slaughtered as a precautionary measure.
But authorities now face questions over the decision to lift restrictions and declare the region disease-free.
But the prime minister's office denied suggestions by Opposition Leader David Cameron that the country's chief vet, Debby Reynolds, was pressured by political and economic interests to lift restrictions early.
"This was a decision that was made on the basis of scientific evidence," a spokesman for Mr Brown said.
"It was a decision made by the chief vet and it was a decision supported by many academic experts."
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) imposed a new England-wide ban on the movement of cattle, sheep, pigs and other ruminants.
The European Union also reimposed a ban on British meat exports.
Britain's red meat export market is worth about 500m pounds a year, mostly with the EU. Britain was the ninth largest beef exporter last year among the European Union.
- AAP
