Alan Beat writes: "I have now spoken with Jane Connor of the MLC to run through her estimates of the animal numbers slaughtered during the FMD crisis.

This is the breakdown:

SHEEP

3.4 million recorded as culled by DEFRA
1.6 million culled under the "welfare" scheme
0.5 million culled under the "light lambs" scheme
4 million lambs estimated (this derives from 1.2 lambs per breeding ewe culled, and cross-checks with the shortfall in lambs marketed last year, down from 15 million to 11.1 million)

Total Sheep= 9.5 million

CATTLE

590,000 recorded as culled by DEFRA
169,000 culled under the "welfare" scheme
100,000 calves estimated (this is a best guess only)

Total Cattle= 859,000

PIGS

145,000 recorded as culled by DEFRA
287,000 culled under the "welfare" scheme
No piglets allowed for as most pigs slaughtered were thought to be fattening rather than breeding stock

Total pigs= 432,000

TOTAL SO FAR = 10,791,000

To this must be added the goats and camelids slaughtered, and the piglets that cannot now be estimated, to reach an overall round-figure total of around 11 MILLION DEATHS.

Jane has also calculated that due to the above slaughter:

the UK breeding flock was reduced by 13% (in England alone, by 18%)
the UK breeding cattle herd was reduced by 6%

These figures originate from the economics department at the Meat and Livestock Commision and after initial denials, have been reluctantly accepted by DEFRA as accurate.