PETER Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), makes a fact-finding visit to Hawes Auction Mart, in North Yorkshire, today.

He will hear what impact the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey is having on hill farmers in the North.

Hawes mart should have begun Britain's largest sale of breeding lambs yesterday.

But the two-day sale, which normally sees £2m exchange hands and represents the biggest pay day for about 500 local farmers, had to be cancelled due to the restrictions.

Mr Kendall will meet about 20 farmers from across Yorkshire and the Durham Dales to hear at first-hand the difficulties they are experiencing.

Malcolm Corbett, Northumberland farmer and chairman of the North-East NFU regional livestock board, has warned the region's livestock industry could be crippled unless livestock movements are allowed soon.

Mr Corbett has urged the Government to ease movement restrictions in areas well away from Surrey as soon as possible.

There are more than 4,000 hill farmers in Yorkshire and the North-East - 1,469 in Durham and Northumberland and 2,832 in Yorkshire. During the next six weeks it is estimated that 162,000 cattle and sheep were due to be traded in Durham and Northumberland and a further 201,000 in Yorkshire.

Andrew Pratt, chairman of Hawes mart, said the suspension of the two-day sale would affect about 1,000 people across the UK, including buyers and sellers.