MR Ben Gill, president of the NFU, said the foot-and-mouth crisis, which was six months old on Monday, had changed the lives of every livestock farmer in the country forever.

The disaster had landed an unprecedented body blow on Britain's battling agriculture industry, and much of the bruising was still to come out.

But despite this, he said more in-roads into the disease had been made than was generally realised.

"The last six months have been desperate for farming and our rural communities," he said.

"But we have come a very long way since the early dark days when we had more than 40 fresh cases of the disease reported every day."

But Mr Gill said widescale movement restrictions continued to cause severe problems for farms and the food chain in many areas of the country.

It was vital, therefore, that the push to snuff out the disease once and for all lost no momentum.

He added: "No livestock farmer has been left untouched by this disaster. The industry will never be the same again.

"I refer also to the "forgotten victims" whose animals have escaped the disease but whose businesses have been caught up in the necessary but damaging controls.

"I would urge farmers, staff, rural operators and indeed everyone to ensure that while the elements are working in our favour we capitalise on this time to beat this dreadful disease."