FARMERS fear an increase in red tape in the wake of foot-and-mouth could plunge the industry into a new crisis.

Foot-and-mouth disease has not been seen in the North-East for more than two months, but the National Farmers' Union (NFU) anticipates it will continue to haunt the industry as the Government steps up paperwork and bureaucracy for farmers.

The last case in the region was at Bolts Hope Farm, in Blanchland, Northumberland, on September 4, and last week the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reduced the status of Northumberland from high risk to at risk, allowing farmers in the area to move cattle and pigs to and from similarly classed areas.

Mick Hodgson, from South West Durham NFU, said life appeared to be getting back to normal as farmers in some areas started to restock, but there were others whose animals were culled in April and May who did not yet have their cleaning certificates.

Once inspectors have certified a farm as clean following an outbreak, farmers must then wait four months before they can restock.

Mr Hodgson said: "The industry is never going to be back to normal.

"There will be more red tape and restrictions, so there will be lots and lots of repercussions."

One farmer determined to get his farm back on track is John Anderson, of Friarside Farm, in Wolsingham, County Durham.

His cattle and sheep were culled on March 25 and now he has replaced most of the stock.

He said: "I think most of the farms round here are clean now and most of them are restocking. We just decided more or less from the outset that we would restock as soon as possible."

Rob Simpson, the NFU's press officer, said many farmers would think again about replacing their lost livestock.

"All farmers are questioning whether they should be staying in the business, thinking about diversifying or getting out altogether."

He said for those staying in the business, the threatened increase in paperwork, such as proposed identification for individual sheep, would make it difficult to compete with foreign producers.

He said: "There's all this bureaucracy on farmers in this country, but not in foreign markets. So farmers are being asked to produce goods to a much higher standard for the same price as producers in other countries."

Read more about the foot-and-mouth crisis here.