Thousands more sheep than were originally anticipated have been killed as part of a preventive cull in Co Armagh.
The North's Department of Agriculture expected to kill some 2,500 sheep in and around the site of the North's only foot-and-mouth outbreak at Meigh. The cull was ordered as one of the conditions for Northern Ireland being given EU permission to resume meat and dairy exports.
The Department said the original estimate had greatly increased as it had been based on the number of ewes in the zone. These ewes had now had one or two lambs.
The area involved had also been extended. It is believed as many as 9,000 sheep were killed in the cull which ended yesterday. The Northern Ireland chief veterinary officer, Mr Bob McCracken, goes before the EU Standing Veterinary Committee today to confirm that all conditions for the removal of the export ban have been met. It is hoped the committee will permit exports from all areas except the "region" of Newry and Mourne where the restricted zone is located.
A relaxation of curbs on the movement of livestock and horses came into operation yesterday.
Farmers are now able to apply for a licence to move livestock between their own holdings, provided they are within 10 kilometres of each other. Movement can be made on welfare grounds only.
Despite the easing of movement restrictions within the North, tight bans remain on livestock movements across the Border and from Britain.
However, tourism facilities have largely reopened and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is to mount a drive to win back the lost business which has put the industry into crisis.
Concerns over how sheep culled in Co Armagh were being disposed of were dismissed as "scaremongering" by the North's Minister of Agriculture, Mrs Brid Rodgers, writes Michael Bradley.
Fears that foot-and-mouth may be spread by transportation of culled animals to a rendering plant in Belfast, were voiced in the Assembly yesterday.
Mrs Rodgers sought to reassure members that the disposal of animals in Belfast posed no threat to other livestock or humans.
"I am satisfied with the chief veterinary officer's advice that, with the appropriate disease precautions, this disposal route represents the lowest risk of those available to me," she said.
In response to the concerns of farmers in south Armagh, sheep have been transported to a rendering plant in the Duncrue area of north Belfast rather than being buried in Armagh as originally intended.
Culled animals were transported to Belfast in unsealed lorries, contrary to assurances by the Department, according to agriculture committee chairman the Rev Ian Paisley. Many lorries had been covered only by tarpaulins, some of which did not fit properly, he said.
The Minister said there was no danger of livestock along the route contracting foot-and-mouth. Dr Paisley also claimed fluids from rendered animals were flowing into Belfast's sewerage system as no effluent system existed at the Duncrue plant. "The people of north Belfast have a right to know about that. An explanation should be made if that is risking their health or the spread of this disease." Mrs Rodgers insisted the disposal of animals was safe. "There are no issues of human health involved in this," she said. The plant had rendered animals long before the foot-and-mouth outbreak.