This week marks 25 years since the first case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Wales during the 2001 outbreak.

The crisis brought profound emotional and economic hardship to rural communities across the country and its far-reaching impact on farms and community life is still remembered today.

The economic scale of the outbreak was immense. A 2023 Cabinet Office report estimated that in 2021 prices, the crisis cost £13 billion - £4.5 billion borne by the Government and a further £8.5 billion by the private sector. Yet beyond those stark figures lay a deeply personal toll, with the impact on individual farms and families equally profound.

While much has changed in the past quarter of a century, the fundamental lesson of 2001 remains clear - disease threats do not disappear and vigilance must at all times be a priority. Recent developments underline just how real and present those risks continue to be.

Last week alone data showed a record total of 34 tonnes of illegal meat was intercepted at the Port of Dover in January 2026. This total far exceeded previous January figures, with officers seizing just under 8.5 tonnes in January 2024 and 24.5 tonnes in January 2025. It also broke the earlier monthly record of 20 tonnes, set in September 2025.

The latest figures reflect a worrying trend, and reinforce the need for a more robust and visible approach to protecting the UK’s biosecurity and safeguarding our food production standards.

Last September alone, a report by Westminster’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee warned that “alarming amounts” of illegally imported meat and dairy are entering Great Britain unchecked, risking public health, food safety and animal disease outbreaks. The Committee called for stronger deterrents, enforcement and a national strategy - aims that have previously been advocated by the FUW.

Welsh farmers continue to invest in high standards of animal health, traceability, and food safety. However, these efforts are being systematically undermined by the threat of unchecked imports that could bring disease into the country and compromise food chain integrity.

As we reflect on twenty-five years since one of the darkest chapters in Welsh farming’s history, we must remain committed to ensuring that every possible measure is taken to prevent such a devastating outbreak from ever happening again.