Of Camels, Cows, and Compensation

The news that almost 2,000 camels have died in Saudi Arabia as a result of food contamination is regrettable; yet it is the reaction of Saudi authorities that grabbed my attention.

Since the country’s Agriculture Ministry announced that tests revealed the bran was contaminated by insecticide, camel owners have been promised compensation from King Abdullah. As camels are often traded for thousands of dollars each for both racing and as a source of meat, the losses are substantial.

Contrast King Abdullah’s reaction with that of the British government during the recent – and past – foot and mouth outbreaks on British farms, and a sorry contrast emerges.

During the recent outbreak, around 200 cattle were slaughtered to control the spread of the disease and farmers were granted compensation by the government for each animal culled, in a similar fashion to the previous pandemic.

In 2001, compensation varied from month to month, with average prices reaching £1,689 per head of cattle, and a total of £2.5 billion was paid to 9,000 farmers.

Nevertheless, the government was criticised for not granting compensation to those who suffered the secondary effects of the disease, estimated at a further £900 million by the National Farmers Union. In sum, the total loss was £8.5 billion – indicating a £6 billion shortfall.

The reality facing farmers is rendered stark through the rising suicide rates among cattle and sheep farmers in the aftermath of pandemics such as foot-and-mouth, salmonella and swine flu.

Changes in the Common Agricultural Policy, following the EU’s eastern European intake, have meant bale-out subsidies are few and far between and farmers are hard-pressed. A third are thought to have given up completely after the last outbreak.

Moreover, in Britain more farmers commit suicide than do members of any other professional group in the country. While few other professional groups are expected to sell their products for less than they cost to produce, farm incomes have fallen by 66% in the last thirty-years and a quarter of farms now run at a loss.

Back to the camels. While the story is fresh and details of exact compensation figures are not yet in circulation, the swift pledge by King Abdullah bodes a promising relief. It never fails to tickle inhabitants of this fair island that extensive government pondering often quickens when the coffers are directed towards more contentious foreign investments.