As foot and mouth disease continues its spread nationwide the impact on the timber industry is beginning to be felt.
Lorries are being disinfected at rural timber yards, deliveries to farmers have been cancelled, some logging has been stopped and timber growers are warning people away from their land.
For the first time in its 80-year history the Forestry Commission has closed all its woodland – 2 million acres – to the public and it is urging other woodland owners to follow suit.
The move follows an emergency meeting last week where the forestry industry pledged support for the farming community.
Urgent advice being issued to all woodland owners, managers, timber contractors and wood processors includes halting all non-essential forestry operations and installing disinfectant baths at the gates of all Britain’s sawmills and wood-using factories.
In Devon, timber merchant Simon Cauldwell’s worst fears were realised when a case of foot and mouth was confirmed on nearby Dartmoor – a big timber resource.
Mr Cauldwell, managing director of Butterleigh Sawmill in Cullompton, said: ‘I am not very optimistic. They have no chance of containing it because of the deer. All the mills in this part of the world probably get timber off the moor.’
He now fears a total shutdown in logging but, for the moment, has good stocks in his yard.
Richard Bendrey, partner of Bristol-based home-grown timber merchant Bendrey Bros said: ‘The biggest worry for me is getting logs in, being homegrown.’
If no runners are declared the TTBS will draw the maximum number allowed of 40 and again divide the total payout between those winning tickets.
