Argentina | Foot and Mouth Tests Negative | Argentina’s National Service of...
Argentina
Foot and Mouth Tests Negative
Argentina’s National Service of Animal Health (SENASA) reported last week that tests on a suspected foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in southern Buenos Aires have come back negative. SENASA previously reported the possibility of an outbreak in Carmen de Patagones to the Organization of International Epizootics (OIE) on June 6.
Since Argentina’s FMD crisis in early 2001, its cattle herd has gone through three successful vaccination rounds paid by the government.
A new case of BSE might have delayed Argentina’s re-entry into the very important Chilean market, and also postponed renewed beef exports to the U.S. and Canada which will permit imports of Argentinean raw, boneless beef one year after the last FMD outbreak.
Total Argentine cattle slaughter for 2002 is now projected at 12.7 million head, lower than previously forecast, but still higher than 2001. Beef exports are projected at 280,000 MT, as many markets that were closed during the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001 are expected to reopen during the year. The EU has agreed to resume imports and several other countries are likely to follow its lead.