April 18, 2007

Brazil earmarks US$9.8 million for FMD in Mato Grosso do Sul

The government of Brazil has earmarked 20 million Brazilian reais (US$9.8 million, 7.3 million euro) to step up measures against the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country's central-western Mato Grosso do Sul state.

The funds will prioritise indemnification of local cattle producers, who had to slaughter their herds after it was required by animal health authorities due to the presence of FMD in the state in early 2007. Some 24,800 animals were butchered in the municipalities of Eldorado, Japora and Mundo Novo alone.

The fund is about one-third of the 60 million reais (US$29.5 million/21.8 million euro) requested by Mato Grosso do Sul's state government in controlling FMD. In February, local authorities carried out veterinary tests in 444 farms in the three municipalities which showed 2.7 percent of the collected 11,499 animal samples were positive to FMD.

The three municipalities have suffered FMD outbreaks in October 2005, which resulted in worldwide restrictions on the Brazilian beef and pork, originating from the country's main meat producing states. Majority of the ban was lifted at the end of December 2006.