Minister of Agriculture will Take Full Responsibility Regarding Foot and Mouth Disease

Jakarta, Kompas –  Minister of Agriculture, Anton Apriyantono is willing to take full responsibility if foot and mouth disease or FMD ever attacks cattle in Indonesia, as a result of the policy to allow import of beef from Brazil. He is certain that the policy made is according to procedures. That statement was said by the Minister on Wednesday (24/9) in Jakarta, in response to the demand that he would morally and legally take responsibility if there were FMD outbreaks in the future. Secretary General of the Indonesian Cattle and Buffalo Farmer Association, Teguh Boediyana, had asked the minister to take full responsibility. He even demanded the President take part too.

The Minister of Agriculture realizes that Brazil is not yet free from FMD, as stated by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE). Therefore, there is potential of disease transmission if meat from that country is imported. But, the Minister explained, Brazil is a large country. The country is divided by natural barriers, like rivers, valleys, and mountains. Movement of cattle from one area to another is strictly monitored using global positioning (GPS).
Director General of Livestok, Tjeppy D Soedjana, said that when the Minister visited Brazil in May, there were six FMD-free zones in Brazil. Now, it has turned to 10 zones in total.
Many requirements
In developing a policy for meat import from a country, the Indonesian government no only requires the country to be free of infectious disease, but there are also establishment requirements. For example, it must have slaughterhouses or processing plants that meet with this country’s health and halal standards.
The Minister said that as long as the policy is made through the right procedure, he is not afraid to take responsibility.
Teguh added that the effect of FMD is not directly once we start importing beef from Brazil, but it takes time, because FMD is a disease that spreads silently, it’s hard to overcome and is costly.
Cattle infected with FMD will be paralyzed and will have difficulties in eating, causing weight loss and thus the overall value of the cattle drops. The farm will no longer gain profit.
Member of the Indonesian Veterinary Watch, Soehadji, said that in 1980 Indonesia had been struck by FMD. Fortunately by the 1990s Indonesia had managed to eradicate it. Eradication at that time took long hard work and many expenses.
Mangku Sitepu, a veterinarian, said the government does not understand how FMD could ruin cattle farms in Indonesia. He thinks that the Minister’s decision to allow beef import from Brazil shows that the government does not care about its citizens. Currently Indonesia’s population of beef cattle is around 11 million.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture denies that Indonesia has made a beef import agreement with Brazil. He said that until now, they haven’t signed anything related to beef import from Brazil. “There is no agreement yet whatsoever, we’ve only signed a MoU with the private sector in Brazil and the Indonesian Co-operative Council (Dekopin),” he said. (MAS)
Source : Kompas