Northern Ireland and Scotland have both achieved Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) negligible risk status from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Northern Ireland has had no case of BSE since 2012.

This is a significant boost to the North as it improves its reputation in export markets and is likely to reduce rendering costs at factories.

It will be 2021 before the Republic of Ireland will be eligible to change its BSE status and 2020 before England and Wales can apply.