And this has been compounded by a raft of additional costs because of the exports ban and hides and other by-products that are now worthless.

Also, allowing only movements of stock direct to slaughter has increased transport costs significantly, says the association.

Earlier this week one of its members had to use transport with a capacity for moving 3,500 sheep to source just eight hundred animals.

“It is too early to calculate a total industry cost for this outbreak, but it is expected that the cost to a number of our members will be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds by the time the situation returns to normality,” said director Stuart Roberts today.

“We are asking for an opportunity to review how the outbreak has affected all food chain businesses to ensure that one sector is not disproportionately affected.”