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| More cows culled over bluetongue | More cows culled over bluetongue |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| More cattle are to be culled on a County Antrim farm following confirmation of blue tongue disease. | More cattle are to be culled on a County Antrim farm following confirmation of blue tongue disease. |
| On Friday, Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew said a cow from the same farm which had contracted the disease had to be put down. | |
| The animal had been imported from the Netherlands. A further 23 cows and four calves will now be slaughtered following further tests. | |
| Ms Gildernew said the farm would remain under restriction. | |
| "This result does not mean that the disease is circulating here, and at present the north retains its bluetongue free disease status," the minister said. | |
| Ms Gildernew also warned farmers not to import livestock from areas of Europe where the bluetongue virus is active. | |
| "On Friday, the Ulster Farmers' Union called for a voluntary ban in relation to the import of animals from bluetongue-affected areas," she said. | |
| "I welcome this move and would plead again with farmers do not import. This experience demonstrates that it is quite simply too risky." |