LONDON - Farmers in Britain could face huge financial losses and destitution if the latest foot and mouth outbreak proves as serious as a crippling crisis in 2001, industry leaders warned Monday.
The European Union-wide ban on meat and livestock from Britain could have catastrophic effects on the industry, as well as associated activities such as transport and abbatoirs, if it remains in place for a long term, they added.
"The export ban will mean a loss of 10 million pounds (15 million euros, 20 million dollars) per week to UK red meat businesses," said Guy Attenborough of the Meat and Livestock Commission.
He added that some 90 percent of British red meat and live animal exports went to the EU.
Anthony Gibson of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) added that the longer restrictions were in place, the more damaging they would be.
"We know from long and bitter experience that a ban on exports leads to very low prices," he said.
"Further price cuts could be the last straw for an awful lot of people."
Images of culled cattle and sealed-off farm buildings have brought back unhappy memories of Britain's last major foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 which saw up to 10 million animals slaughtered.
This led to plummeting meat prices, devastated many rural communities and cost the British economy some eight billion pounds.
Farmers have reacted with a mixture of fear and anger to the prospect of a return to such dark days.
This is complicated by suggestions that the disease may have leaked from a research centre in Pirbright, southern England, which houses the government-run Institute for Animal Health and a laboratory owned by animal pharmaceutical firm Merial.
Richard Macdonald, director-general of the NFU, told reporters it would be a "body blow" if foot and mouth had sprung from a well-established site.
"My members are very frustated, angry and amazed at the likelihood that this may have come out of Pirbright," he said.
08/06/2007 15:31 GMT