Northern Ireland will stick to its policy of culling all farm animals in areas where foot-and-mouth occurs, Stormont Agriculture Minister Ms Bríd Rodgers said today.
The minister said after the weekly cabinet meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive they were sticking with the policy because it had contained the disease to just four outbreaks in the province.
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"As I understand it the UK agriculture minister, Mr Nick Brown, has made a statement in the House where he is saying in certain circumstances the vets may decide that cattle may be spared if there is adequate bio-security but it is at the vets' discretion," she said.
"We are in a different situation to Britain because we have been containing the disease. We are still going to cull everything because there is a view that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It seems to have been working so far."
Mrs Rodgers and First Minister Mr David Trimble also revealed how ministers at Stormont considered contingency plans for further outbreaks, including disposing of animal carcasses and identifying possible sites for burial or disposal.
PA