ONLY three cases of BSE have been recorded so far this month, the lowest figure since last June, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, confirmed yesterday at a Fine Gael press conference outlining the party's agricultural policy.
Mr Yates said that, although the final figures for the month were not yet available and two more heads from animals were being examined, he was confident the maximum number of cases for the month would not exceed four.
"It seems to confirm there is a clear trend indicating that the rate of increase has slowed dramatically," the Minister said.
Last year BSE infection figures began to climb dramatically and from an average of fewer than 20 each year from 1989, 1996 returned a total of 74 cases in the national herd.
Figures have shown a decline since January when the Department of Agriculture decided to issue statistics monthly. There were 11 cases in January, eight in February, five in March and six in April.
The increase in BSE infection last year cost Ireland the lucrative live trade with Egypt and led to Russia, the State's largest customer for beef, imposing a ban on beef from eight counties.
But yesterday the Minister said he was confident the live trade with Egypt, which was worth £200 million when it ended last January 6th, might soon be resumed.
Most of the technical work has been completed, and I will be speaking with the Egyptian minister for agriculture, Dr Wally, in the next few days.
It is now a matter of when the market will open, and I expect that will be in a couple of weeks," he said.
He added that he expected the Libyans to resume importing Irish beef and live cattle when the Egyptians resumed trade because of Egypt's role as the leading nation in that area.
"I think we may have turned the corner, but I cannot predict when the disease will be eradicated even though the controls we have now put into place will lead to the end of it," said Mr Yates.