November 29, 2007

Kansas researchers: FMD outbreak could cost US$945 million

Kansas agricultural economists predicted that a large outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) could cost up to US$945 million.

Kansas state professors, Ted Schroeder and John Leatherman, published the findings in the October edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Although FMD has not occurred in the US since 1929, it could have devastating effects on livestock regions such as Kansas State.

The Kansas researchers focused on 14 countries in southwest Kansas ¨C an area with large cattle feeding operations.

The three scenarios considered were: introduction of the disease accidentally at a single cow-calf operation, introduction of the disease accidentally at a medium-sized feedlot and introduction of the disease intentionally at five large feedlots.

Results revealed that the greater the number of animals infected, the longer the outbreak would last.

FMD is predicted to wreck the greatest havoc in the third scenario where up to 1.7 million heads of livestock would have to be destroyed. The outbreak would carry on for a period of nearly three months.

Economic losses in all three scenarios would amount to US$23 million, US$140 million and US$685 million respectively.

The study led to an additional call for the National Bio and Agro-defence Facility (NBAF) to be located in Kansas by the dean of Kansas State College of Agriculture, Fred Cholick.