January 19, 2011

 

South Korea culls 15% of pigs, cattle amid FMD

 

 

South Korea said on Tuesday (Jan 18) it had culled about 15% of its pig and cattle count to contain FMD outbreaks, while it slaughtered 3% of its poultry population to prevent the spread of bird flu.

 

Asia's No. 4 economy confirmed 120 cases of foot-and-mouth disease as of Tuesday (Jan 18), up from last Friday's (Jan 14) 116 cases, and 26 cases of H5N1 avian influenza, up from 23 cases on Friday (Jan 14).

 

The ministry said 2.1 million animals, mostly pigs, and 3.6 million poultry, mostly chicken, had been killed and would be buried.

 

The nationwide outbreaks of foot-and-mouth originated in pigs in the city of Andong in North Gyeongsang province on November 28, and rapidly spread to six provinces, leading South Korea to expand vaccination nationwide.

 

The highly contagious disease also appears to have crossed into North Korea, local media said on Tuesday (Jan 18).

 

According to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap, South Korean government officials said as quoting recent visitors to North Korea that the impoverished communist country was believed to be stepping up its quarantine efforts after outbreaks of the deadly animal disease were reported.

 

In South Korea, the outbreaks have prompted all the livestock markets across the country to be closed for more than a month, while a small volume of meat has been traded online or by telephone.

 

The massive slaughter and market closures have helped wholesale and retail prices of pork jump by 43% and nearly 10%, respectively, from December average prices, according to one statement from the ministry.

 

Wholesale and retail prices of cattle also rallied before returning to its average prices of December thanks to rising imports and release from local reserves.

 

South Korea, a net importer of beef, pork and poultry meat, saw its meat imports jump last month to meet lost local supply due to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, but industry experts said future import gains might be short-lived.

 

The US is the largest exporter of poultry and pork to South Korea, and the second-largest beef exporter after Australia. Canada is the second-largest pork exporter to South Korea.

 

In addition to the slaughter, the South Korean government has been conducting nationwide vaccination. Nearly 2.6 million of cattle, or 71% of its total population, have been vaccinated, one ministry said.

 

More than 1.3 million pigs, or 13% of the pig population, have received vaccinations, it added.

 

"The government set a policy to minimise slaughter against foot-and-mouth, while utilising vaccination to prevent the disease," said President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday (Jan 16).

 

On top of the serious outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, South Korea also confirmed the first case of bird flu on December 31 in ducks in the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong province, and in chickens in the city of Iksan in North Jeolla province.