Disease-free Areas

Bridgend Denbighshire Carmarthenshire Flintshire Wrexham Anglesey Ceredigion Pembrokshire Vale of Glamorgan Gwynedd

But it is the government's preferred movement mechanism and farmers will still not be able to bring hundreds of animals together for sale at cattle marts because of fears surrounding the spread of the disease.

And in areas still subject to a "high risk" status, including Powys and Rhondda Cynon Taff, animal movement is still outlawed.

Powys contained 78 of Wales's 118 outbreaks. There has not been a confirmed case of the disease in Wales since 12 August.

Powys cases

Those areas will receive new guidelines governing movement for sale next Monday.

Autumn is the busiest time for trading animals at cattle markets, but restrictions imposed earlier in the crisis meant farmers could not sell their livestock.

The decision not to allow use of cattle marts could mean they will not see another sale until January.

Brecon carries the brunt of disease cases in Powys

Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones was angered last week, along with local politicians, that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had grouped the county's many areas into one category.

Brecon and Radnor MP Roger Williams and Liberal Democrat AM Mick Bates took farmers and union leaders to a meeting with Defra Minister Lord Whitty to call for the county's risk status to be split in two.

The minister said there was a "strong argument" for the delegation's case.

Oswestry farmer Roy Hughes attacked Defra's stance on the restrictions.

"The way I see it, Defra are not understanding the problems that we have," he said.

"They are not moving fast enough in the decisions that they do take."

Status review

Defra said it reviewed the county-by-county disease status every Tuesday.

Necessary blood tests in Montgomery have been completed and farmers are confident the results could allow them the safe limited movement of animals now enjoyed by other counties.

With farm markets still not allowed to function properly, however, it will be left to farmers themselves to find buyers for their animals and the coming autumn could still see problems with shifting a backlog of cattle.