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Minister confident on export ban NI brief on foot-and-mouth alert
(about 5 hours 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. Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew is briefing her Stormont committee on moves to ensure foot-and-mouth disease does not spread to Northern Ireland.
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. The meeting comes amid efforts to identify the source of the outbreak in Surrey.
Michelle Gildernew said it was "hugely important" NI was not subject to a ban. Ms Gildernew is setting out the local response to the emergency. The executive met on Saturday to discuss what measures should be put in place to ensure the disease does not spread.
The Assembly's Agriculture Committee is to hold an emergency meeting at Stormont later. Earlier, Mrs Gildernew said she was confident that closing ports to livestock and red meat from Britain meant NI would remain free to ship farm produce.
"We have been able to very quickly take measures to protect them (farmers) against further restrictions" Ms Gildernew said. Details of an EU export ban on UK livestock and produce are expected to be confirmed in Brussels later.
"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." Ms Gildernew said it was "hugely important" that Northern Ireland was not subject to a ban.
"We have been able to very quickly take measures to protect them (farmers) against further restrictions" she said.
Measures
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.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.
"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."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.
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.