Taiwan group opposes pig FMD vaccine plan

The Taiwanese Swine Association has called on the government not to reuse the practice of vaccinating domestic pigs against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), despite recent FMD outbreaks.

 

Recent FMD outbreaks at two farms in Yunlin and Changhua counties have prompted authorities to reportedly resume the practice of vaccination nationwide.

 

The reported move would waste the efforts of the past 12 years to building a ''zero-vaccine'' environment in Taiwan, a key requirement needed to be designated as FMD-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), according to Swine Association Chairman Pen Lien-chou.

 

Lai Shiow-suey, a professor in National Taiwan University's Department of Veterinary Medicine, said it is important for Taiwan to become an FMD-free country in consideration of domestic pig farmers' benefits.

 

 

He said the government could use the funds allocated to vaccination to paying pig farmers subsidies worth 80 percent of the cost of pigs culled during disease outbreaks.

 

Lai theorised that would encourage the farmers to report outbreaks earlier and make it easier to eradicate the disease.

 

Taiwan launched a programme in April 2007 to stop vaccinating pigs against FMD. Through the programme, the proportion of unvaccinated pigs increased from 10 percent in 2007 to over 90 percent as of November 2008.

 

FMD vaccinations were expected to be terminated in March, but the schedule has been disrupted due to the recent outbreak, Pen said.

 

Taiwan's pork exports have stopped since the FMD outbreak in 1997. Taiwan raises about 6.4 million pigs per year, mainly for local consumption.