51AVÊÓÆµ

2001 UK foot-and-mouth outbreak - 25 years on: "For some, the battle was too much"

Tenant Farmers Association chief executive George Dunn reflects on the outbreak 25 years ago, the heartbreaking conversations he had with farmers, the devastating open-air pyres of livestock being culled to stop the disease from spreading, and the determination of farmers to never let things become so bad again

clock • 3 min read
TFA chief executive George Dunn said: "I remember reading the note left behind by one young livestock farmer who simply said she could not live with what her livestock had had to go through. For those who had to watch their precious livestock being culled and burned on their farms, either because their animals had contracted disease or had become dangerous contacts with another diseased premises, the pain was deep and acute."
Image:

TFA chief executive George Dunn said: "I remember reading the note left behind by one young livestock farmer who simply said she could not live with what her livestock had had to go through. For those who had to watch their precious livestock being culled and burned on their farms, either because their animals had contracted disease or had become dangerous contacts with another diseased premises, the pain was deep and acute."

February 21 2001 is etched firmly in my consciousness as a dreadful day and the start of a dreadful 11 months. Reg Haydon, the TFA's national chair at the time, and I had just stepped out of English...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358

Ìý

More on 51AVÊÓÆµLife

2001 UK foot-and-mouth outbreak - 25 years on: "Infectious diseases do not respect borders or species barriers, and we ignore this at our peril"

2001 UK foot-and-mouth outbreak - 25 years on: "Infectious diseases do not respect borders or species barriers, and we ignore this at our peril"

Before his career in politics, Epping Forest MP Dr Neil Hudson was a veterinary inspector who was on the frontline of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001. Dr Hudson remembers the once bustling farms which became empty, the impact it had on the sector's mental health, and why the current Government should never take the UK's national biosecurity for granted

Dr Neil Hudson
clock 18 February 2026 • 3 min read
Young sheep farmers aim for UK glory at Euros

Young sheep farmers aim for UK glory at Euros

Competitors head for Paris to showcase their shepherding skills

clock 18 February 2026 • 2 min read
2001 UK foot-and-mouth outbreak - 25 years on: "It was the worst time of my life"

2001 UK foot-and-mouth outbreak - 25 years on: "It was the worst time of my life"

Auctioneer Andrew Templeton, of Harrison & Hetherington, reflects on a defining chapter in British agriculture's history, the emotional impact of working in the industry at the time, and why the sector has still not fully recovered since

Chris Brayford
clock 17 February 2026 • 4 min read