Agriculture shows should go ahead - Coughlan

Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan has said she sees no reason why agricultural shows cannot proceed despite the risk after foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was detected in cattle on a farm in southern England.

She said: "As things stand, there is no threat to the holding of agricultural shows around the country".

Ms Coughlan said she is "acutely conscious" of the number of shows taking place at this time (including the Dublin Horse Show and the Tullamore Livestock Show) and said that there is "no reason why, given the current state-of-play, any agricultural show could not proceed".

The Minister met with officials from her department today to discuss the ongoing situation in England.

Minister Coughlan confirmed that she had spoken to her UK counterpart, Hilary Benn, and had been assured that the UK authorities were doing all they can to confirm the source of the outbreak and to contain and eradicate it.

She also said that the measures currently in place were a "proportionate response" to the current situation and would be modified in the light of any new information or further developments.

Farmers in Northern Ireland were delighted today when it was confirmed that the province had escaped a meat export ban.

Kenneth Sharkey, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, said: "We are delighted with that decision. It is what we expected because there is really no justification for introducing a ban in Northern Ireland."

The news broke as Mr Sharkey and others involved in the meat processing industry met with Stormont Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew to discuss the foot and mouth outbreak in England.

Mr Sharkey added: "It's business as usual for Northern Ireland. The introduction of a ban would have been terrible for the industry.

Ms Gildernew met members of her Assembly scrutiny committee to brief them on the measures which have been swiftly introduced since the outbreak was confirmed on Friday evening.

Both Ms Coughlan and Ms Gildernew are working on an all-island approach to stop FMD entering Ireland.

All ports and airports thoughout the island have been supplied with disinfectant mats and a ban on the importation of live cattle, sheep, pigs and goats as well as fresh meat, meat products, raw milk and other animal products from Britain has been put in place.

Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers Association has accused the Food Safety Authority (FSAI) of perpetuating double standards over the risk of FMD posed by Brazilian beef imports.

IFA President Padraig Walshe said: "the FSAI is ill-advised to rely on the European Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) assessment of Brazilian beef when the authorities responsible for food safety in the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea reject Brazilian imports because of their failure to meet basic standards, and those countries' belief that the risk is too great."

Mr Walshe also accused the Minister of negligence in not calling for an outright ban on Brazilian imports to the EU.

The IFA President said "it is totally unacceptable that Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan stands over such double standards and exposes Irish agriculture and the food industry, our tourism industry and the national economy to the unnecessary risk of a Foot and Mouth catastrophe."

Additional reporting PA