January 23, 2006

US groups to attend conference on FMD in Brazil

US representatives from the American Meat Institute Foundation, among others, will be in Brazil this week to attend an inter-hemispheric conference on FMD.

The US mission will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador between Jan 23 and Jan 26.

During the meeting, government and industry leaders from Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Venezuela will discuss plans of action to contain and eradicate the disease.

The FMD virus was found in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana states in late 2005.

"The visitors are potential resource providers to help eradicate the disease in critical areas of nations here or in national regions currently infected," said Sebastiao Guedes, president of the Inter-American Group for the Eradication of FMD, or Giefa.

Guedes said in a press statement released Thursday that US agri-business representatives were also coming to Brazil to network with Brazilian agri-business executives.

"There is an interest there in the potential to build strategic alliances between both countries in providing food to world markets," Guedes said in the statement.

Other US groups expected to travel to Brazil this week are the National Grain and Feed Association, National Institute for Animal Agriculture, Animal Health & Farm Services of the National Milk Producers Federation, and both the American and Illinois soybean associations.