Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
I notice on Warmwell that attention is drawn to the article by Muckspeader in Private eye and the Jason Podmore case.

Although Govt chose to believe that FMD was initially found at Cheale Meats in Essex in pigs from Bobby Waugh's farm it was never proven.

However, the then Minister, Nick Brown, ordered the cessation of feeding swill to pigs nationwide but there has never been proof that the 2001 FMD epidmic in the UK was initiated by infected pigs from Bobby Waugh's Farm or from the swill he provided.

In fact, no one knows from whence it came!

The 62 swill producers, forced out of business and as in Jason's case, forced into bankruptcy by this 'knee-jerk' legislation would seem to have a good case for compensation but… will they get it?

It may seem the treatment they recieved at the time was 'cavalier' in the extreme and the fact that swill continues to be produced and fed in many other European countries, must aid their case, but…I can also see DEFRA claiming that the decision they made at the time was with what was thought then was in the best interests of the country. An excuse they are likely to use and apply to many other criticisms of their decisions taken during 2001 and since!