Farmers, food processors and retailers were anxiously waiting to see whether foot and mouth had spread from the Northern Ireland into the Republic as The Grocer went to press on Thursday. One outbreak was confirmed at a sheep farm in Meigh, Northern Ireland. But the fact the farm was close to the border, and some of its sheep have been shipped south, left many in the industry fearing the worst. Michael Bell of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association pointed out that the province had been free of foot and mouth for 60 years. "It will have more of an impact on us than in GB because our meat and dairy sectors are more than twice as significant. I hope we've caught it in time. The process of re-establishing our integrity starts now." The Irish food board Bord Bía said it was very concerned that the disease would spread to the Republic ­ and described the situation as "quite scary". UK retailers have been sourcing extra supplies of meat from the Republic in recent days. But chief executive Michael Duffy warned this business would only last if the country remained free of foot and mouth. He said: "If the disease spreads here, we will be in the same situation as Britain, with the whole industry virtually closed down." The Irish government has pulled out all the stops to prevent the disease spreading. And agriculture minister Joe Walsh said: "There is so much at stake in terms of the risk to this country posed by the outbreak, that national concerns must take precedence. "We have said consistently that any action necessary to protect this country against the spread of the disease would be taken." {{NEWS }}