The 2nd stage of vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease began on the first of November and continues until the 30th for cattle aged zero to 24 months. In the last campaign, in May 2023, 94% of the total of 4.5 million animals in this age group were vaccinated against the disease, which prevents export in several countries.
Since 1968, the state of Bahia has been vaccinating against foot-and-mouth disease, reaching levels higher than those required by international animal health organizations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa).
“We call on the entire production chain to participate in this action. Society, committed and united, can strengthen the segment, help the Agency in this important task and impact economic development in all territories of Bahia. No one defends agriculture alone and all of us, together, we carry out agricultural defense in our State”, assesses the general director of the Bahia Agricultural Defense Agency (Adab), Paulo Sérgio Luz. At this stage, Adab is also placing emphasis on two other essential actions in agricultural defense: the geolocation of properties and vaccination of calves against Brucellosis.
For the director of Animal Defense, Carlos Augusto Spínola, highlights that the work against Foot and Mouth Disease requires a joint effort. “Cohesion has always been a characteristic of the segment and we have an immense heritage of rural production to defend. Therefore, we are sure that the health of the herd is a priority on the breeders’ agenda”, emphasizes the director, remembering that the last outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease identified in the Bahia occurred in 1997 and from then on the state began intense work to combat the disease, including the creation of Adab, in 1999.
“We have to be together in all actions, carrying out activities in a shared and coordinated way with unions, cooperatives, slaughterhouses and the entire agribusiness production chain”, says the Coordinator of the National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Surveillance Program (PNEFA-Ba), José Neder. “Adab is an organization that works with disease prevention to certify the quality of production, guarantee the strength of the segment in Bahia and, thus, promote the growth of livestock farming in Bahia.”
Ascom Adab
