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Minister confident on export ban Minister confident on export ban
(about 1 hour later)
The agriculture minister says she is confident closing ports to livestock and red meat from Britain means NI will remain free to ship farm produce.The agriculture minister says she is confident closing ports to livestock and red meat from Britain means NI will remain free to ship farm produce.
Details of an EU export ban on UK livestock and produce are expected to be confirmed in Brussels later after a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey.Details of an EU export ban on UK livestock and produce are expected to be confirmed in Brussels later after a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey.
Michelle Gildernew said it was "hugely important" NI was not subject to a ban.Michelle Gildernew said it was "hugely important" NI was not subject to a ban.
The Assembly's Agriculture Committee is to hold an emergency meeting at Stormont later.The Assembly's Agriculture Committee is to hold an emergency meeting at Stormont later.
"We have been able to very quickly take measures to protect them (farmers) against further restrictions" Ms Gildernew said."We have been able to very quickly take measures to protect them (farmers) against further restrictions" Ms Gildernew said.
"People should not be alarmed. We have done everything we could. We have swung into action immediately and we are hoping that the outbreak will be contained in Surrey and it will be business as usual." "We have swung into action immediately and we are hoping that the outbreak will be contained in Surrey and it will be business as usual."
Speaking on Sunday, she said: "We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Defra, with Irish Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan and I have also spoken to the first and deputy first minister. Kenneth Sharkey, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, said he felt reasonably confident that Northern Ireland would be granted special regional status, making it exempt from an export ban.
"Ian Paisley talked both to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about it and was on standby to speak to the agriculture commissioner in Brussels about it yesterday or today if it was thought we were not going to get this regional export status. "We are on an island, we have the same status as the Republic of Ireland, we have banned imports from Great Britain, so really that should mean we should remain free to continue business as normal," he said.
"It is hugely important. We have just had an export ban lifted. We did not want another one."
The agriculture minister urged the public to cooperate with control measures at NI ports after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England.
Disinfectant mats have been installed at ports and airports in a bid to prevent the disease.
Ministers held an emergency meeting at Stormont
Northern Ireland has imposed a ban on all cattle, sheep and pigs from Britain, but there are currently no restrictions on the movement of livestock within NI and across the border.Northern Ireland has imposed a ban on all cattle, sheep and pigs from Britain, but there are currently no restrictions on the movement of livestock within NI and across the border.
Britain has also imposed a voluntary ban on the exports of all animals and animal products.Britain has also imposed a voluntary ban on the exports of all animals and animal products.
Ministers in Northern Ireland held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the Surrey foot-and-mouth case.
Some 60 animals on a farm close to the village of Wanborough near Guildford in Surrey have been culled after testing positive for the disease which wreaked havoc in 2001.
A 3km protection zone has been put in place around the premises
More than 50,000 animals were culled in Northern Ireland during the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
More than £7.5m was paid to Northern Ireland farmers in compensation following that outbreak which led to the slaughter of 6.5 million animals across the UK and is thought to have cost the economy £8bn.