Farmers' leaders are “very optimistic” that the local pork industry will very soon return to normal trading — possibly even today.

Ulster Farmers’ Union President Graham Furey said the local pork industry had been through a “very difficult” few days, but that a meeting with the Food Standards Agency yesterday had been “very positive”.

Mr Furey said: “Based on the information to hand, it appears that all the premises in Northern Ireland associated with contaminated feed have now been traced and put under restriction.

“We now expect that the go-ahead can be given to the rest of the farming industry to return to normality and recommence supplying produce to the Christmas market, hopefully as early as Tuesday.”

Mr Furey said the union would monitor developments.

“We had two priorities throughout this situation,” he said.

“Firstly to ensure consumers could be certain that everything possible was being done on their behalf to protect public health and secondly to return the industry to normal trading conditions as quickly as possible.

“The conditions have now been created to see the industry re-open for business.”