A veterinary agreement which is about to be concluded between the Russian Federation and the EU could cost Ireland millions of euro in lost agricultural trade, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said recently.

Its president, Pat O'Rourke, said the Russians were refusing to take dairy products from countries whose herds were not brucellosis or tuberculosis free and this would exclude Ireland.

"We cannot claim to be brucellosis free even though the levels of brucellosis in our herd are very low and because of the controls we have and pasteurization, there is no public health issue," he said.

"If the EU signs this agreement with the Russians we stand to lose at least EUR 2.5 million worth of trade in butter, skim milk powder and other dairy products," he said.