July 12, 2004

Jordan Bans Livestock Imports From Brazil

Jordanian government has decided to ban livestock imports from Brazil as well as frozen red meat and its derivatives, a government official said Monday.

"The decision was taken after cases of foot-and-mouth disease were reported there," director of the livestock department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Faud Domi, told Jordanian TV.

The official said the ministry has informed health authorities about its decision and measures have been taken to ensure that local merchants will not be granted licenses to import Brazilian meat into the country.

According to Domi, the ban does not include Brazilian-made canned meat as lab tests have proved they cannot carry the virus causing the disease due to the fact they are treated.

Since 1999, when a case of foot-and-mouth disease was reported, Jordan has experienced no new cases of the disease.

A foot-and-mouth vaccine is currently being used in Jordan and is 70 to 80 percent effective in protecting livestock against contracting the highly infectious virus.

Jordan imports livestock mainly from Sudan, Australia, New Zealand and Romania-countries that have not experienced the disease.