Brazilian beef imports and the recent foot-and-mouth alert were discussed at the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday.
Disinfectant measures at Northern Ireland's ports and airports to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease ended last Saturday, Stormont Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew confirmed.
Ms Gildernew said: "My department's latest veterinary assessment is that the additional disinfection controls which we had introduced at our ports and airports are no longer required." The Minister confirmed that, after consultation between her department and the Department of Agriculture and Food in Dublin, parallel action is being taken in the Republic.
There had been concerns about the future of millions of pounds worth of dairy and meat exports worldwide. At one stage, supplies to Japan, Germany and Venezuela were threatened.
In a statement to the Assembly, Ms Gildernew noted concerns in the Irish Republic about Brazilian beef. But the Sinn Féin Minister said Northern Ireland was bound under European law to accept meat imports unless EU officials decided otherwise, and could be sued by Brazilian beef importers and exporters if it did not do so.
"However, I remain concerned about the findings of the Irish Farmers' Association and the Irish Farmers Journal investigative report and I will be closely monitoring the situation as the commission progresses its investigation.
"I have been watching last week's developments in Brussels closely, particularly the declaration put forward by MEPs calling on the commission to ban imports of Brazilian beef into the European Union. The matter of Brazilian beef imports is also something that I plan to raise with my ministerial colleagues."
Tributes were also paid by Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to those who helped the North's meat and dairy producers continue their exports while foot-and-mouth bans were imposed on English, Scottish and Welsh goods.
Mr Paisley said the help of the British, Irish, US and Japanese governments was particularly welcome.
Mr McGuinness revealed Paula Dobriansky, US president George Bush's special envoy for Northern Ireland, the US ambassadors to the UK and Ireland, Bob Tuttle and Tom Foley, and US congressmen Richie Neal and Jim Walsh played key roles.