October 31, 2005

 

Brazil's FMD outbreak threatens its beef industry
 

 

Brazil's recent foot-and-mouth disease, or FMD outbreak threatened its beef industry, with just a little over 100 countries importing its beef now, down from over 150 before the outbreak began.

 

The country's status as the world's largest beef exporter might be jeopardised after 47 countries imposed total or partial bans.

 

Professor Aramis Augusto Pinto, Sao Paulo State University's School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, said the outbreak was predictable due to weakness in Brazil's disease prevention and control measures.

 

Pinto added that not enough manpower was available for health inspection services, to verify ranchers' compliance in vaccinating their cattle against FMD. Some ranchers might even avoid vaccination totally to save money, he said.

 

A manager of a veterinary-supply shop in Mato Grosso do Sul state, where the latest outbreak occurred, said some local ranchers tried to evade vaccination requirements by purchasing receipts for the order of FMD vaccines. The receipts were cheaper than the vaccine itself, and "normally accepted as proof they have vaccinated their herd."

 

Pinto said that except for the evading ranchers, those who vaccinated their cattle also did not have "100 percent immunity" for the animals. He also urged mutual cooperation among neighbouring countries with Brazil to control animal movement across borders.

 

Local authorities in Mato Grosso do Sul suspected the outbreak was caused by Brazilian ranchers who smuggled unvaccinated animals in from neighbouring Paraguay to increase their herds at lower prices. Paraguayan cattle were reportedly 30 percent cheaper than Brazilian ones.

 

In response, Paraguayan authorities have denied the allegations, saying Brazil had failed to act fast enough in containing the disease.

 

Mato Grosso do Sul had 25 million cattle that made up nearly half of Brazil's beef exports. During the first nine months this year, exports totalled US$2.3 billion, up from US$1.9 billion during the same period last year.

 

The Brazilian Beef Exporters Association said the bans on Brazilian beef would cause the country to fall short of its US$3 billion export target.

 

Brazil's lost export revenue for beef was estimated at US$1.1 billion, according to the government.