SOUTH East Cornwall's farmers will be greatly relieved at the news that Liskeard Cattle Market has been given the all clear to conduct its first sales on Thursday, February 21 – a year almost to the day since it was closed due to the foot and mouth crisis.

Auctioneers Kivells, who have spent over £10,000 on the market to comply with new government rules to meet strict bio-security regulations to minimise the risk of infection, have been through a tense week. They were hoping to have been granted a licence to operate under the new Animal Gatherings (Interim Measures) Order after an inspection on Monday. However the market was failed but was subsequently given approval yesterday, after some further minor work had been carried out.

Newly appointed market manager Peter Palmer said staff had worked long hours in preparation for the inspectors from DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Cornwall Council's Trading Standards and Animal Health Department. He said that anything not galvanised had to be painted, with no rust anywhere, and all concrete surfaces had to be impervious and capable of being cleansed and disinfected.

But it is not only the market which has had to make changes. Anyone attending the market, which will be ringed by an enclosure fence, to be accessed only by stock carrying vehicles, will need to be suitably dressed in protective clothing, as there will be disinfectant procedures to go through.

Mr Palmer says the market will be able to auction store cattle, calves, dairy cows, fat cattle and fat sheep, and will still be running the OTMS (over 30 months scheme). However, at the outset the market will only run on Thursdays, as opposed to the two day market, which included Mondays before the closure last year.

The licences required by farmers to move animals under the emergency foot and mouth measures ceased as from Monday, but licences are still required to move store sheep, as they are still considered to be a high risk source of infection. Kivells will continue to trade sheep privately from farm to farm to help ease the situation.

Chairman of Liskeard Chamber of Commerce, Roger Terry, has expressed his delight. 'This is superb news for our local farmers and the market' he said. 'It will also help the traders who have definitely felt a decline in business since the market has been closed, especially on Thursdays. Let us hope there is now a better year ahead for everyone. On behalf of the Chamber I would like to congratulate Kivells on their hard work and wish them well for the future of the market.'