Somerset farmers count cost of bluetongue outbreak as milk losses hit £11,000
Farmers in Somerset are counting the cost of a bluetongue outbreak that caused 350 cases and cut milk production, with one farm losing 30,000 litres worth £11,000 this year.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Farmers in Somerset are assessing the cost of a bluetongue outbreak that spread through cattle and sheep during the summer and early autumn. The virus is spread by midges, which thrived in recent mild weather. It can be fatal for sheep and goats and makes cattle extremely unwell. Symptoms include a severe fever, sores on the nose and in the mouth, reluctance to feed and a significant drop in daily milk production. Pregnant animals may abort or have difficulty becoming pregnant.
Between 10 July and 13 October, 350 cases were reported in Somerset. Neighbouring counties recorded much lower numbers, with 25 cases in Wiltshire and 17 in Gloucestershire. The outbreak has hit farm incomes and family life.
At one farm, the Phillips family considered giving up after decades of farming. They described the distress of seeing animals ill and being unable to help them. The herd got through the summer, but milk production fell by 30,000 litres, worth £11,000 this year alone. The farm expects further losses next year because cows that did not get back in calf will calve later, which means less milk.
The farmer said the impact was worse than expected. They had expected some milk loss but not on that scale. Similar stories have been reported across the West Country. The outbreak caught farmers out because it began in North Somerset on Exmoor, where sheep farmers were said to be desperate. They described it as worse than foot and mouth because it was ongoing, with sick and dead sheep brought in every day.
Cows on the affected farm are now recovering, but the business expects the effects to last for years. Farmers are being encouraged to sign up for a bluetongue vaccine in the spring. It will still cost hundreds of pounds, but far less than the financial impact of the disease.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Bluetongue is an insect-borne viral disease spread by midges. | |
| One farm's milk production fell by 30,000 litres, worth £11,000 this year. | |
| Somerset recorded 350 bluetongue cases between 10 July and 13 October. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC Points West led its lunchtime bulletin with the Somerset outbreak and built the report around one farm's financial and emotional damage. It mixed case numbers with a first-hand account from the Phillips family and ended by pointing to the spring vaccine. The tone was sympathetic to farmers and focused on recovery costs rather than national policy.
- “When you see animals, which I treat them as my children, in distress and that you're helpless to help them, it's totally demoralising and heartbreaking.”
- “It's much worse than I expected really. I expected some milk loss but not to that extent definitely.”
- “It's had a massive effect on our family life. My husband and I had the conversation, do we just finish? Can we get through this?”
Broadcast Timeline
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