Alex Fergusson: Farmers are becoming angry

Mr Fergusson told MSPs: "I hope that I'm wrong in saying that we are not far away from an organised revolt but I don't think I am. We are in a very dangerous situation."

But a spokesman for the Scottish Executive said he was not aware of any organised resistance to the culling policy.

Mr Fergusson said: "There is a growing feeling that the disease is creeping ever nearer to hefted stock in Galloway and people are questioning why they should give up stock which has taken them and their fore bearers generations to build up.

"They are asking why they should do that when the chances are that the results are coming back negative and the animals may have been needlessly destroyed."

Mr Fergusson was raising concerns about the executive's 3km culling policy which is being used to tackle the disease in Dumfries and Galloway.

He said the lack of information the executive provided to farmers affected by foot-and-mouth was "horrendous".

'Rule changes'

"The real problem is that nobody is telling people what is going and farmers are beginning to get very angry," he added.

The MSP said that the rules on culling appeared to have changed in recent days so vets could confirm cases more easily, leading to quicker culls at surrounding farms.

But an executive spokesman said: "We don't have any evidence of organised resistance.

"There are occasionally individual farmers unhappy about the contiguous cull and consequent reviews have all found in favour on the policy of culling.

"We are dealing with an extremely virulent disease here and we do have cases that there may be the occasional case that comes back negative but we need to act quickly to stop the spread of the disease.

"There is cautious optimism that the disease is under control but we have to remain completely vigilant."