Tests of sheep on a farm in Ballintoy, Co Antrim, suspected of having foot-and-mouth have been declared negative.
The news came as Minister of Agriculture Ms Bríd Rodgers announced an easing of restrictions on the movement of cattle in Northern Ireland.
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But movements of livestock will be on welfare grounds only and subject to certification by local vets.
Ms Rodgers also said there would be no relief for sheep farmers.
"The important point to be made at this stage is that sheep are still not permitted to move under any circumstances and the movement of pigs will be considered on their merits," she said.
The easing of restrictions has been made mainly to enable cattle farmers to put their animals out to pasture.
The minister said that sheep must not have been grazed in the last 14 days on land to which animal movements are being made.
Only one licence to move animals to a specific parcel of land would be issued within any three-week period and no movement of livestock would be authorised into or out of an existing control zone.No movement would be authorised to a unit with pigs.
Ulster Farmers Union president Mr Douglas Rowe said: "Good news had been in scarce supply since foot-and-mouth disease arrived in Northern Ireland, but the news that Ballintoy has got the all-clear is very welcome."
He said the easing of restrictions on animal movement would come as a relief to farmers who were desperate to turn livestock out to fresh pasture.
He said there were still restrictions which would cause practical problems to farmers but they were "a step in the right direction".
PA