Happy new year for foot-and-mouth farmers?

8:49am Monday 17th December 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Foot-and-mouth restrictions could be completely lifted in two weeks for farms around Egham.

All EU restrictions on British meat and livestock were lifted over the weekend for farms except those caught up at the epicentre of the outbreak around Pirbright.

The Epsom farms still face a ban on live exports but acting chief vet Fred Landeg said the Surrey restrictions were expected to be lifted by New Year's Eve if there were no new cases of the disease found.

Eight foot-and-mouth cases were found in Surrey and Berkshire in August and September, prompting surveillance orders and movement bans.

Mr Landeg said animal health workers had completed rigorous surveillance to show the ban should be lifted.

"Our extensive surveillance demonstrates that the 2007 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has been effectively controlled," he said.

"The final stage is to restore our international FMD-free status, which would allow third country exports to resume.

"We are working with third country authorities to achieve this."

Bluetongue restrictions remain in place.