THE reclassification of Herefordshire as a high-risk foot-and-mouth county has brought howls of protest from farmers.

DEFRA says the classification will be reviewed on a weekly basis but that is little comfort for breeders who rely on sales to producers in other counties at this time of year for their main income.

The switch means that the autumn movement of stock is now only being permitted within the county, with the exception of animals going for slaughter or being transported under special circumstances. And there are a raft of rules applying to movements which farmers say they find confusing.

Pedigree breeders, in particular, are being severely affected. Mrs Sue Farquhar of Canon Frome, said many farmers were being denied their harvest. As a pedigree breeder she sent stock to many different parts at this time of year. Last week she was due to send cattle to another county, only to be told that a licence would not now be issued.

DISPENSATION

David Owens of Luntley Court, Pembridge, called for special dispensation so that breeders could dispose of stock. There were lots of breeders, particularly in north Herefordshire who sold stock at ram sales at Builth Wells and to breeders in Powys. They had had their markets cut off overnight, said Mr Owens.

"Historically, there has been a special trading relationship between Herefordshire and Powys and producers are geared up for this at this time of year."

Mr Owens, who has 150 pedigree Suffolk and Texel rams on the farm that would normally be sold to breeders across the Welsh border, pointed out that the north of the county had been largely free of the disease.

"We are classified as high risk and have been left high and dry. We were going to have a farm sale here but it had to be cancelled."

Mr Owens complained that the move by DEFRA was ill thought-out, without warning, and in the middle of the breeding season. The rules were also very unclear. Other counties had had their regulations lifted, he said.