County Armagh sheep should have been slaughtered

The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Brid Rodgers MLA has confirmed that the sheep involved in the foot and mouth scare in Co Armagh should not have reached our shores.

The sheep were in a consignment sent to Northern Ireland from Great Britian that in fact, were certified for immediate slaughter.

Instead, the sheep in question did not in fact go for slaughter, and some have now been found on a farm in Northern Ireland.

The investigations of Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, suggest that some of the sheep involved were sourced in Carlisle at the same time as known infected animals.

The Department is currently trying to trace the ultimate destination of all the sheep in question, but they do know that some went to premises at Meigh, in South Armagh.

As a precautionary measure the premises is under restriction and an eight kilometre surveillance zone has been setablished around it.

Department of Agricultural vets, are on the farm at present, and are slaughtering the stock on the farm.

Laboratory testing will be required to confirm whether or not the animals have foot and mouth disease. Test samples are sent to England and results take three or four days.

Meanwhile, the results from the suspect cow, found in Mid-Ulster last Friday are expected tomorrow.

The Department of Agriculture has set up a number of helplines which will operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday and 9am to 1pm on Sunday. To assist which specific queries on the current situation. The phone numbers are as follows:

Milk and Milk products [phone]

Pigmeat and Pigmeat products [phone]

Meat and Meat products [phone]

Live animals [phone]

Products general [phone]