The detection of Bluetonuge in an imported animal in Northern Ireland is a stark warning to farmers here to be careful when it comes to importing animals from regions of lower health status.
The IFA Animal Health Chairman, Pat Farrell has called on the Minister for Agriculture and Department officials to be vigilant on all imports and to ensure that animals are screened on arrival into Ireland to minimise the risk of disease introduction to the Country.
Speaking to Ocean FM, the Laois based farmer outlined how the IFA had invested a lot into ensuring that diseases such as Bluetongue was closely guarded against. He also added that should the condition affect Irish livestock it would have a very negative impact on the Irish export trade.
