Minas Gerais has national recognition as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination

March 28, 2024 | 15:03

Minas Gerais has national recognition as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination

IMA Disclosure
Vaccination has been suspended in Minas since 2023 and producers now need to provide data on their production

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) published Ordinance No. 665, which nationally recognizes the state of Minas Gerais as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. For the Minas Gerais Agricultural Institute (IMA), Mapa’s recognition is an achievement for the state, which is now seeking international status, which can expand the export market.

The document, published this week, also recognizes the states of Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Roraima, São Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins and the Federal District as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. The new ordinance comes into force on May 2 of this year.

The publication, in addition to confirming that the foot-and-mouth virus is not in circulation in Minas Gerais, contributes to the good reputation of the animal product from Minas Gerais. Furthermore, it generates savings for the producer, who no longer needs to spend on immunizations and hiring specialized personnel to administer the vaccine.

The next step is to achieve international status, granted by the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO). Tiago Moreira, head of the IMA sectional office in Ipatinga, explains that this is a positive classification for foreign markets.

“It brings producers the possibility of expanding their business, since many countries only buy products of animal origin that come from areas free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination,” he said. The expectation is that Minas Gerais will achieve the status of free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination granted by OMSA in 2025.

Vaccines
The ordinance prohibits the storage, sale and use of vaccines against the disease in the state, in addition to the entry and incorporation of animals vaccinated against the disease in Minas Gerais territory.
The document also regulates the transport of animals destined for other Federation Units with transit through the states and regions of the country that still vaccinate against the disease, determining that the route used is defined by the Official Veterinary Service (SVO) which, in Minas Gerais, is the IMA.

States
Another novelty brought by the new legislation is the prohibition of the entry and incorporation of cattle and buffaloes from states with Mapa recognition to states that have OMSA recognition. This means that the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Acre, Rondônia and part of Amazonas and Mato Grosso cannot receive animals from Minas Gerais or states with the same health status.

Update
One of the requirements for the international claim to be free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination is the annual updating of data on the state’s herds, which is why, since 2023, the IMA has encouraged producers to communicate their updated production numbers to the agency.

Tiago Moreira recalls that the update will take place from May 1st to June 30th, and the participation of producers from Minas Gerais in the campaign is mandatory and, in addition to informing the numbers of cattle and buffalo herds, the IMA also calls on producers of chickens, horses , fish, bees, sheep and goats to report their data to the agency.