Farmers' group: Imported meat products must be made traceable

A group representing Irish farmers, the Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, is calling on the Government to introduce stricter rules on the importation of meat products, following yesterday's foot and mouth scare.

Preliminary tests on 12 pigs from a Co Carlow processing plant have found no traces of the disease.

The final results of the tests, which were carried out in laboratories near London, will be available in the next two days.

Malcolm Thomson, of the Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, said that it is important that imported meat products be made more traceable.