Animal movement bans to be eased

Eight farms in Surrey have been found with foot-and-mouth

Farmers subject to bluetongue disease restrictions will be able to take their animals to slaughterhouses and markets from Monday, the government has said.

Movement will be allowed in the control and protection areas in East Anglia and Essex, subject to certain conditions.

Defra also plans to lift the movement ban in low-risk foot-and-mouth areas on 17 October.

It comes as the EU allows meat imports from Scotland, Wales and parts of England following the two outbreaks.

In addition, the Surrey foot-and-mouth protection zone will be lifted on Wednesday and become part of the surveillance zone.

The changes assume there is no further development of foot-and-mouth in the meantime.

The EU move applies to farms at low risk of both diseases, which excludes parts of south-east England and East Anglia.

But farmers say restrictions they must comply with are so complicated that only a minority can take advantage.

Exports were banned after the first foot-and-mouth outbreak in August.

All farms outside of an area which takes in south-east England and the Home Counties - deemed a "foot-and-mouth risk area" - and outside of bluetongue control areas - taking in Suffolk, parts of Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire - are now allowed to export meat to the EU.

'Enormous problems'

The National Farmers' Union estimates the farming sector has lost more than £100m since the first foot-and-mouth outbreak in August.

NFU president Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers Union, welcomed the lifting of restrictions.

He said: "The restrictions across the country have been causing enormous problems for the whole marketing of livestock.

RESTRICTED AREAS Foot-and-mouth risk areas: West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Greater London and Buckinghamshire FMD low risk area: The rest of England, Wales and Scotland Bluetongue controls: Suffolk, parts of Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire Farmer's diary

"It is a step forward but there is still more to do. Without properly functioning markets, prices have been devastatingly low."

A 3km (1.9-mile) protection zone - inside which all movement is banned - is currently in place around foot-and-mouth infected premises, all in the Egham area in Surrey.

The zone is set to be merged on Wednesday with the 10km (6.2-mile) surveillance zone that surrounds it where lesser restrictions apply.

On Thursday, fresh cases of the bluetongue virus were confirmed in Essex.

The protection zone - from Lincolnshire to East Sussex - was set up after government vets confirmed bluetongue disease was circulating in the UK and was classed as an outbreak.

Stricter 20km (12-mile) control zones have been set up in East Anglia and Essex around known bluetongue cases.

Farmers within the protection zone are currently allowed to move animals only within its boundaries.

From midnight Sunday, markets within both zones and movement to approved slaughterhouses outside the zones will be allowed.

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