Northern Ireland has restricted animal imports from an area of Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said.
Following an Executive meeting on Thursday, Mr Muir said the emergence of FMD in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg, north of Berlin, was of “significant concern” for farmers in Northern Ireland.
FMD is a severe and highly contagious viral disease which can affect cattle, sheep and pigs.
Mr Muir said: “The emergence of FMD in Germany is a significant concern, not only for our livestock owners but also for the entire agricultural sector across the UK, Ireland and the EU.
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said there was significant concern over the FMD outbreak in Germany (Liam McBurney/PA)
“My department has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and our food security and I want to set out what is happening to mitigate any risk.
“I understand that German officials have taken, and are continuing to take, steps to mitigate against onward spread of the disease, including the culling and safe disposal of all animals of susceptible species and the establishment of disease control zones.
“These steps are designed to ensure that the disease does not leave the area currently affected.”
The minister said to date German authorities have not detected any further cases.
He added: “To protect Northern Ireland, we have strict import controls in place prohibiting the movement of animals and animal products from FMD-affected areas.
“That means that all susceptible species and their products from disease control zones in Germany are restricted from moving to Northern Ireland.
“I am in regular contact with my DAFM (Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine) counterpart, Charlie McConalogue, to discuss the approach across the island of Ireland and, recognising the importance of a co-ordinated approach, will be seeking a meeting with the incoming agriculture minister in the days ahead.
“I am also meeting next week with the Secretary of State for NI and the relevant UK Government Minister, Baroness Hayman, and will be working closely with my ministerial counterparts to ensure a collaborative response to this issue across the UK.
“Our chief veterinary officer, Brian Dooher, is also maintaining close contact with his counterparts across these islands.”
Mr Dooher said FMD can have “devastating consequences for our farming community”.
He added: “It is only through responsible sourcing and excellent biosecurity that we will keep foot-and-mouth disease out of Northern Ireland.
“Continued vigilance is vital – livestock keepers are reminded to adhere to high levels of biosecurity and to remain alert and report any unusual symptoms promptly to a veterinarian or directly to DAERA.
“The DAERA website contains important information on clinical signs and the steps livestock keepers should take to protect their animals.”
On Wednesday, DUP MP Carla Lockhart raised concerns that the UK Government’s ban on pig, sheep and cattle imports from Germany announced earlier this week did not apply to Northern Ireland, which through the Windsor Framework remains aligned to the EU in a number of areas, including animal and plant health rules.