CRISIS-HIT livestock farmers in North and East Yorkshire have been given a boost by news that the Government is to relax movement restrictions for most animals.

The 20-day standstill rule, imposed on all livestock in September 2001 due to the foot-and-mouth epidemic, is to be cut to six days.

The easing of restrictions takes effect from March, 4 but will be reviewed at the end of May. It will not apply to pigs. The announcement follows the findings of risk assessments commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

National Farmers' Union president Ben Gill, who farms near Easingwold, said: "This is good news for livestock farmers, who have found the 20-day movement restriction a major obstacle in the battle to rebuild Britain's livestock industry."

The announcement follows protests organised by the NFU in Leeds and Newcastle earlier this month, when local farmers' representatives met with the Government's divisional veterinary managers to highlight the damage the 20-day standstill was doing to farm business.

Mr Gill said: "I hope that this package is the start of a new way of working between Government and farmers - one that produces results without the need to resort to regulation based on the lowest common denominator."

Lord Whitty, the food and farming minister, said the standstill reduction "demonstrated a commitment to an effective programme of biosecurity controls".

Updated: 11:33 Friday, January 24, 2003