Minister of Agriculture, Michelle Gildernew, has welcomed the decision from the European Union that farmers here can continue to trade livestock and meat throughout Europe and Ireland.
Speaking this week she stated: "I have already ensured that trade throughout the island of Ireland continues freely. The EU decision now means that farmers here can also trade throughout Europe and this is welcome.
"We will have to introduce extra certification and we are in dialogue with our counterparts in Dublin about how we can keep this to the minimum to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and cost," she explained.
The Minister said that she was grateful for the continued support from NI's counterparts in Britain and the South for recognising its unique position. The decision, she revealed, would be discussed at a meeting of Commission officials later this week at which she and her team would take the opportunity to press for further easement.
On Monday, the Minister briefed the Assembly Agriculture Committee, the industry and the First Minister and Junior Minister, Gerry Kelly on the latest position.
However, the decision of Japanese officials to refuse to import products from a meat factory in Cookstown will worry farmers across Northern Ireland. Many will be worried that other countries outside the EU may follow Japan's lead and ban the import of goods from Northern Ireland.
The President of the Ulster Farmers' Union, Kenneth Sharkey, said that local farmers faced an anxious wait following confirmation of a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Surrey, England.
"We support our Agriculture Minister's immediate decision to ban the importation of live animals from GB to Northern Ireland," he said.
"A clear lesson from the 2001 outbreak is that swift action when a disease is detected is crucial. We will work closely with DEFRA (UK) and DARD to ensure all necessary precautions are taken as quickly as possible," Mr Sharkey added.
He stated that the situation regarding Northern Ireland would be kept under constant review and he added that farmers would be prepared to endure whatever inconveniences were necessary in the short run to avoid the disease spreading further.
The UFU urged local farmers to be vigilant and watch closely for any signs of the disease in the local herd.
Kenneth Sharkey said: "We hope this outbreak will be contained. In the meantime, farmers should continue to practise good bio-security, monitor their livestock closely and familiarise themselves with the symptoms of the disease."
Also lending their support to Ms Gildernew was Deputy Chairman of the Assembly agriculture committee, Tom Elliott.
He said: "The news that emerged on Friday night of the Foot and Mouth outbreak hit us all like a sledgehammer. It came as a huge shock to the entire community and, most of all to the farming industry.
"I believe that the initial precautions implemented by DARD and their decisions to date have been swift and practically measured. They have moved quickly to minimise the risk, as far as reasonably possible, of the disease entering the province and ensuring that they are not creating panic within the entire community.
Another Agriculture committee member, Gerry McHugh of Sinn Féin, welcomed the moves announced by the Minister, and back-up support from the EU.
"I would commend the Minister, Michelle Gildernew and her staff for the speedy manner they have put contingency measures in place and, also, the speedy reaction of her Department. I suppose closing the ports was the main one, but I note she is working very closely with her Southern counterpart, Mary Coughlan, in taking almost similar measures in dealing with the situation."
Mr McHugh also welcomed the EU announcement that it was granting derogation to Northern Ireland, separate to England, Scotland and Wales.
"It is important that we don't have any of these restrictions, that we are treated as a separate entity, something we haven't got before. We are, after all, a tourist county, and I note we have coming up, horse-riding at Necarne and, this week, the annual agriculture show in Enniskillen.
"People are coming into Fermanagh for all types of tourist activities, including walking, which I do myself. So, it's business as usual compared with last time when there were very severe restrictions on people moving about the countryside."
From a farming background himself, Mr McHugh recommended that farmers put in place their own bio-security measures, voluntarily.
"It has already been done at the ports and airports and I would encourage farmers to follow suit in case we might have missed out on someone coming from an outbreak area."
