NI To Highlight Disease Free Status In Brussels

Officials from the Department of Agriculture will reinforce Northern Ireland's foot and mouth free status during high-level talks in Brussels today.

Northern Ireland firms that are exempt from the EU ban on exporting British meat have experienced problems in shipping meat and dairy products to some countries.

A shipment of pork from County Tyrone has been stopped from entering Japan and Dale Farm had a £500,000 order due to go to Germany yesterday but that has been put on hold and the company fears further business could be lost.

The dairy industry exports around £1million pounds worth of products every day and the current crisis poses a real threat to that business.

Northern Ireland has been cleared to continue exporting meat and dairy despite a ban on UK produce due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Grampian Food, a Cookstown based pork-processing company, told the Japanese that Northern Ireland had a separate region status and was exempt from the export ban, but unfortunately on Monday morning the situation had not been clarified by the EU enough for the Japanese authorities.

Later today the Chief Veterinary Officer from Northern Ireland will argue the local case at a meeting in Brussels.

(SB)