AT LAST there's good news for the livestock farmers of North and East Yorkshire.

The devastating Over Thirty Months ban comes to an end on Monday.

The ban was established ten years ago after BSE "mad cow disease" in Britain hit the headlines. No cattle aged more than 30 months were allowed to be slaughtered for food.

With European Union countries putting their own bar on the import of 30 month-plus meat from the UK, the region's livestock farmers have had to send their older animals for slaughter and rendering into non-food products, such as glue.

With the lifting of the ban, suddenly the domestic market is available again.

For the time being the EU ban continues, but not for long.

Europe has indicated that the barriers might go up at the end of the year.

James Ede, senior food and farm adviser for the York office of the National Farmers' Union, said: "We are very, very pleased that both the EU and the Food Standards Agency has recognised the high quality and traceability within the UK herd - the fact that we have considerably lower levels of BSE than other European countries such as Portugal.

"It is a bit of an unknown how the markets will react, but the Government has given us a commitment that it will give £5.5 million to help with the exports of UK beef to give the process a kick start."

The issue will be top of the agenda at a meeting of the National Livestock Board at the NFU's York headquarters on Tuesday evening, when its chairman, Richard Haddock, and national livestock adviser, Alastair Johnson, will address NFU members.

Mr Haddock will also update them on efforts to work with all parts of the supply chain to improve the prospects of UK livestock producers.

Alastair Johnson will discuss new sheep movement rules and the UK's hard won relaxation of EU rules that means British sheep farmers do not have to record individual identification for each animal.

Updated: 10:47 Friday, November 04, 2005