Farmers in North East the hardest hit
The North East is being hit much harder than the rest of England by foot-and-mouth disease, according to a study by chartered accountants in the region.
Research revealed eight out of ten farmers in the region have been ‘extremely affected’ by the disease compared with six out of ten nationwide.
Evidence of the knock-on effect of the disease could be seen as 55% of tourism-related shops and 36% of catering businesses said they were hit, against 42% and 21% in the rest of the country.
Peter Armitage, president of the Northern Society of Chartered Accountants said: ‘It will take a long period of time to get back to where we were before.’
To ensure all sectors hit by the disease are adequately aided, the ICAEW is recommending the government take a series of measures, including the creation of a ‘hardship fund’.
Armitage explained: ‘We’re not asking government to write out a blank cheque. We would like it to set up eligibility criteria, in consultation with farmers and the rural business community.’
Links
The Northern Society of Chartered Accountants’ website
ICAEW calls for rural business fund
Foot-and-mouth’s domino effect
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