Restrictions over moving livestock have been eased

Markets have reopened in Scotland, Wales and parts of England after restrictions on movement were eased.

One West Yorkshire auctioneer said the move would help struggling farmers but sales would be 35% below the usual.

Until exports are restarted, prices will remain low while surplus meat is still available in the UK.

EU experts have agreed that exports for some parts of the UK can resume next week if there are no more outbreaks.

I'm not looking forward to too high a price David Pearson, farmer

Auctioneer Ben Atkinson predicted sheep at Wharfedale auction in Otley would sell for between 30-35% less than last month.

"It is very, very sad, but the farmers are a resilient lot - fed up to death of paperwork but thankful at long last they can move some stock on," he said.

He said he hoped trading would be back to normal by mid-October when exporting is due to resume.

Farmer David Pearson, who was hoping to sell some stock at another market in Skipton, said: "I'm not looking forward to too high a price."

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

He said he had hoped the government might have made some payments to hill farmers to give them "some breathing space".

Restrictions on moving livestock to market in areas classed as being low-risk for foot-and-mouth disease are being eased from Thursday.

They had been in place for two months, except for the first week in September when restrictions were briefly lifted.

To allow important movements of animals, rules which restrict lorry drivers' operating hours have also been relaxed.

The Department for Transport have increased the daily driving limit to 10 hours, instead of nine, for the next month.

The foot-and-mouth low risk area includes all of England, Scotland and Wales, apart from south-east England and the Home Counties.

Disease confirmed

There were also concerns that movement restrictions in south-east England and East Anglia because of bluetongue disease - which will continue to apply - could reduce the numbers of people willing to buy livestock at reopened markets.

The restrictions could last for two years with experts warning they will only be lifted when an, as yet unavailable vaccine, is developed.

Earlier this week, the government announced that cattle at four farms surrounding the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak would be culled as a precaution.

The disease had been confirmed at a Surrey farm, near Wraysbury, after tests on livestock returned positive.

The farm is within the current protection zone around previously-infected farms.

It is the eighth farm in Surrey found to have the disease since August.

Meanwhile, national farmers' leaders have rejected calls from farmers in East Anglia for a protection zone imposed after the declaration of bluetongue to be extended to cover the whole country.