More livestock restrictions eased

12 April 2012

The Government is further easing livestock movement restrictions put into place to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth following the outbreak in August and September.

The 3km protection zone around farms infected with foot-and-mouth in Egham, Surrey, is being lifted, allowing for some animal movements in the area, Defra said.

And controls in low-risk areas of the UK are also being removed - giving a welcome boost to thousands of farmers around the country.

But the surveillance zone in Surrey will remain in place until at least November 5, with further monitoring of animals, Defra said.

Restrictions will also continue in the foot-and-mouth risk area which covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex.

The relaxing of restrictions, announced last week, comes after Defra lifted a temporary control zone around land in East Sussex when sheep tested negative for the disease on Tuesday.

Since Monday the Government has also allowed markets within the bluetongue control and protection zones to restart and permitted movement to approved slaughterhouses outside the restricted areas.

Defra has made the decision to lift the restrictions to help the farming industry start to get back to "business-as-usual", a move welcomed by farmers' leaders.

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