October 19, 2007

South Korean cows affected by disease up sharply in 2006

The number of South Korean meat cows contaminated with the Brucella bacteria rose sharply in 2006, resulting in KRW162.8 billion (US$177.8 million) in state funds being spent on animal disease control, a lawmaker said Friday, Yonhap news agency reported.

Rep. Lee Bang-ho said at the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, that 23,140 Hanwoo cows were affected by the contagious disease that can be transmitted to humans.

This is a 49 percent rise from the 15,524 animals detected with the disease in the previous year.

The lawmaker from the conservative Grand National Party said because of the surge in sick animals, the government had spent 92 percent of the money it sets aside to deal with livestock losses to compensate cattle farmers.

Seoul spent a total of KRW174.6 billion (US$191 million) last year to pay for damages resulting from the culling of sick animals.

The rise is a source of concern since South Korea cattle farmers are trying to deal with an influx of cheap beef imports by focusing on quality, food safety and superior taste. Local Hanwoo beef usually costs three to four times more than imports from Australia, the United States and New Zealand.

Brucella is caused by the brucellosis bacteria that is transmitted by ingesting infected food, contact with sick animals, or inhalation, but cannot be passed on from person to person.

It is a non-fatal disease in humans, resulting in nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting.