Warning over future Foot-and-Mouth outbreak

Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers’ officials were today accused of putting Northern Ireland’s entire farming industry at risk because of a lack of information about any contingency plans to deal with future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.

Sinn Fein Agriculture spokesman Gerry McHugh expressed “serious concern” about a lack of awareness of plans from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for dealing with future animal epidemics.