Pork crisis: This is the last thing pig farmers need, says union

The latest crisis to hit the Northern Ireland farming industry could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, it was feared last night.

Joe McDonald from the Ulster Farmers’ Union said that farmers across the province have been left in an uncertain position as the investigation into the extent of the contamination scare continues.

And with less than three weeks until Christmas and supermarkets across the UK removing all pork products originating from Northern Ireland from their shelves, he called for swift action from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the handling of the situation.

"There is going to be financial loss and there is going to be a bill for this and who is liable is a matter which remains to be seen but the farmers affected are going to need help," he said.