ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn paid a fact-finding visit to an auction mart yesterday.

His trip to Skipton, North Yorkshire, coincided with the sale of 5,000 store lambs on the first day of normal livestock sales after foot-and-mouth disease restrictions were eased.

Mr Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said the lifting of restrictions, particularly with regard to exports from October 12, were key to the industry's gradual recovery.

He said he wanted to "listen and learn" what Government support farmers need.

He said: "We are looking at where we can ease some of the red tape and what we can do to help the industry, like encouraging people to eat and buy meat."

Mr Benn said he was also considering what financial help he could give farmers.

Richard Ellison, North-East regional director for the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said farmers were far from being out of the woods.

But he said Mr Benn was not shying away from his responsibilities.

"If he didn't know the problems before, he certainly does now," he said.

Auctioneer John Hanson said the mood of farmers before the sale had been "fairly downbeat".

He said: "Hopes were not high but things turned out a lot better than anticipated with an average price of just over £28. We normally expect about £33, so it was not too bad, although it is not exactly covering the cost of production."

It was the first store sale at Skipton since July.

Farming organisations have given a guarded welcome to the lifting of an export ban on British beef and lamb.

Malcolm Corbett, chairman of the North-East NFU regional livestock Board, said it was good news for local farmers but recovery would be slow, made more complex by restrictions differing in areas of the UK.

But he said even limited exports would help the market. He added: "Speaking for local farmers, I think it's safe to say our response will be a collective sigh of relief."

But Peter Morris, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said most farmers could not meet the tight export rules.

The requirement that no farm- susceptible animals had gone onto the holding in the previous 21 days meant most could not comply.

He said: "If this was spring the issue would not be as serious, but in autumn, with so many breeding sheep, rams and store lambs to move, virtually everyone will be having sheep onto their holding."