MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay closer to achieving full free of FMD with vaccination status

OIE president Carlos Correa Messuti

The World Organization for Animal Health, OIE, will examine the South American request to consider free of foot and mouth disease with vaccination the border areas of Paraguay with Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.

“We will be holding a meeting to address the issue”, said OIE president Carlos Correa Messuti, “because farmers in border areas are being unfairly punished” since they don’t consider themselves free of FAM in spite of all the strict controls

“There are no elements to insist in maintaining under strict monitoring for FMD the 15 kilometres strip on both sides of the borders” said Correa.

He anticipated the South American request will be in the agenda of this week’s OIE annual session in Paris, so it can be considered sometime before 2011 and “if all runs smoothly it could be discussed next September”.

“This will facilitate trade among the region” since farmers are being penalized at the moment of exporting beef because of the special regulations in place which consider them exposed to FMD” added OIE president.

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile (net beef importer) have formalized the request for a review of the compulsory testing along the 15 kilometres strip on both sides of the border.

Correa also underlined before delegates from the 176 OIE member countries that the strategic plan of the organization for 2011/2015 has introduced innovative objectives such as animal health quality for all livestock produce. World demand for animal protein is expected to soar 50% in the next 25 years according to FAO.