'Difficult year' for farming community

Flooding, bad weather, foot and mouth disease, bluetongue and avian influenza have made 2007 a "difficult year for many", the deputy director of the Farm Crisis Network (FCN), Helen Bagwell, has said.

"The resulting disease controls and movement restrictions, in some areas on top of existing TB restrictions, and the devastating effects on livestock market prices have been a disaster for many," she added.

The FCN is a network of farming community volunteers and organisations, including the church-supported Arthur Rank Centre and Agricultural Christian Fellowship, as well as rural churches.

Volunteers with the FCN have been working with farmers affected by the severe weather and outbreaks of disease.

Ms Bagwell said this was "likely to continue for some considerable time as farmers, families and businesses struggle to recover".

"Sadly some will not recover, and some have already been forced to finish farming," she added.

Ms Bagwell said that even for the farms that would be able to recover, it would take time "and the problems are far from over", given that the full impact of bluetongue disease remains uncertain, and movement restrictions for the disease are not expected to be lifted soon.

She praised the "amazing support" from FCN supporters and churches, however, and the Prince of Wales for leading an initiative which raised more than £600,000 in funds for the FCN and its partner charities, RABI (the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) and the ARC-Addington Fund.

The charities have also set up the 'Farming Help Appeal' to gather support for those farmers badly affected by the weather or disease outbreaks.

To donate to the Farming Help Appeal, go to www.justgiving.com/farminghelp