Brasilia, 2 Dec (EFE).-the Ministry of agriculture, livestock and supply Brazil today reopened the importation of processed frozen and meat without bone from Paraguay, country where was detected in September, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
However, the entrance of the Paraguayan meat will be only allowed through the border town of Ponta Porá, in the Western State of Mato Grosso do Sul and where there will be the process of health control, reported the State Agency Brazil.
Import, shall also take place only Paraguayan estates enabled in his country and recorded through distributors Brazilian service of Federal inspection.
Similarly, the Brazilian authorities will require international health certificate of the product and to confirm that the meat comes from regions free from foot and mouth disease in the last sixty days.
The decision, said the information, it was taken after the report submitted by a Brazilian Technical Commission that visited in recent days several Paraguayan farms and met with the authorities of the neighbouring country.
In Asunción, specialists from the Pan American Center for foot and mouth (Panaftosa) today began a technical mission in Paraguay to promote mechanisms for the eradication of the disease detected in the central region of the country last September.
Mission comprises, in addition, by members of the Committee veterinary standing of the Southern Cone (CVP), dependent on the Plan of action Mercosur free of FMD, according to the national service of quality and Animal Health (Senacsa) of Paraguay.
The Government of Paraguay was forced to suspend on 18 September last exports of beef, second source of foreign exchange for the local economy, due to the outbreak of the disease reported in a hacienda in the Department of San Pedro (Center).
El Senacsa proceeded on that occasion to the sacrifice of 820 heads of cattle to isolate the focus of foot and mouth disease detected in the hacienda Santa Helena, 300 kilometers northeast of Asunción.
According to statistics of the Rural Paraguay Association (ARP, the employer livestock), Paraguayan beef reaches some 64 countries and generated under normal conditions an income monthly of 75 million dollars.
The foot and mouth disease is a contagious disease that affects cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats and other ruminants with hooves, but does not affect humans.
Import, moreover, should be conducted solely of Paraguayan estates enabled in his country and recorded by Brazilian distributors in the Federal inspection service. EFE/file
