September 29, 2010

South Korea ready to resume meat exports

South Korea's farm ministry said Tuesday (Sep 28) the country has been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and will soon begin talks with other countries to resume meat exports.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on September 27 gave South Korea FMD-free status, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The OIE took note of the country's effective quarantine measures and awarded the status at an earlier date than expected, the ministry added.

Earlier this year, South Korea suffered successive outbreaks of FMD affecting cloven-hoofed animals including pigs, sheep and goats. Humans are hardly affected by the virus.

Efforts to resume meat exports are underway, with the government already in talks with Japanese authorities for pork exports to Japan, the ministry said.