DEFRA is rumoured to be about to announce a series of movement relaxations in Essex to allow farm-to-farm movements to occur to ease welfare problems, according to a source close to discussions.

The county is currently in both the foot-and-mouth risk area and the bluetongue (blue tongue) control zone, meaning most movements are currently banned.

Many farms have been struggling to cope with excess stock which should have been sold or moved to winter grazing already.

“Meanwhile, there may also be a glimmer of light for Kent and East Sussex too, where similar relaxations may be made. There had been suggestions that a welfare slaughter scheme would have to be introduced to ease problems in those counties,” said the source.

While that is still a possibility, government apparently wants to alleviate whatever problems it can without resorting to welfare culling.

However, allowing movements within the risk area will be little help for many as most of the animals which need to move should be heading for farms out of the foot-and-mouth risk area and the bluetongue protection zone.

“But even if farm-to-farm movements are allowed within the F&M risk area, there will still be just short of 100,000 sheep with no grass to move to, so it there could still be serious problems for many farms.”