Discovery of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at a British farm were a precautionary cull took place yesterday would be unlikely to have significant implications, Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan said today.
The Minister met senior Department officials today to review the latest information on the outbreak in Surrey where two livestock on two farms were found last week to be infected.
A precautionary cull was carried out yesterday on a farm in the protection zone set up around the contaminated area though test on animals there have not been completed.
Ms Coughlan said that if infection at the third farm were confirmed it would not be particularly surprising considering it proximity to the other two.
She also noted the UK's agriculture ministry, Defra, had relaxed restrictions on the movement of livestock today and said that normal trade would be facilitated within the confines the EU's ban on Britain exporting livestock and related products.
The ban does not apply to Northern Ireland and the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) met in Brussels yesterday and agreed a new export certification for Northern produce which stares the produce did not originate in England, Scotland or Wales.
The committee also agreed to retain restrictions on exports from Great Britain until August 25th.
Producers have experienced export difficulties since the outbreak was confirmed with Japanese, German and South American markets turning away meat and dairy exports from Northern Ireland because of confusion about the export ban.
There have been warnings that it could take up to three months for exports to return to normal once the UK is declared free of foot and mouth.
Northern Ireland's largest dairy producer, Dale Farm, which exports millions of pounds-worth of milk and cheese to 100 countries, said many customers outside the EU are still not reassured that local produce is safe.
Group chief executive David Dobbin said they were having to argue their case on a customer-by-customer basis despite official efforts to clarify to international trading partners that such produce is not subject to controls.
"This situation will remain serious until the UK outbreak is over and it will take at least three months before Brussels declares the UK free of foot and mouth," he said.
Yesterday's decision followed lobbying by First Minister the Rev Ian Paisley and Agriculture Minister Caitriona Ruane.
Ms Ruane and her ministerial colleagues including Rev Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness met at Stormont today where they discussed the EU's decision and the confusion over the status of Northern Irish produce.
Meanwhile, the presidents of the main farming organisations north and south made a joint call on agriculture Ms Coughlan and Ms Gildernew to co-operate in seeking an immediate EU ban on all beef imports from Brazil.
They claimed the South American country harboured foot and mouth (FMD).