Flávia Albuquerque
Reporter - Agência Brasil

São Paulo - Today (1) marks the beginning of the second phase of vaccination against hoof and mouth disease in 15 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The goal is to vaccinate over 160 million animals, equivalent to 80% of the country's total cattle population. The Federal District and some of the states, such as Goiás, Rondônia, and São Paulo, decided to get a head start and start vaccinating in October in light of the cases of hoof and mouth disease detected in Mato Grosso do Sul.

"The joint effort at this time is absolutely essential in order for us to maintain transparency in the process of reopening the market. No animal can go without vaccination in Brazil," said the minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, Roberto Rodrigues.

He affirmed that the delay in the official announcement of a suspected outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Paraná is bad for the country, because it conveys the impression of a lack of transparency. "We are working to have the tests performed and obtain conclusive results as quickly as possible. The delay in the results is not a positive factor helping in the negotiations to suspend the embargoes." Since the identification of the first focus of the disease at the beginning of last month, nearly 50 countries have suspended purchases of Brazilian meat.

Rodrigues said he hopes the embargoes will be lifted by the end of the year. According to the minister, Brazil intends to dispatch missions to the countries that buy Brazilian meat to explain the steps that are being taken to combat hoof and mouth.

The minister stressed that the government is still investigating the origin of the hoof and mouth outbreak. Moreover, there are plans to install laboratories in four states: Minas Gerais, Goiás, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul. According to Rodrigues, the Ministry is also negotiating the enactment of civil service exams to beef up its staff through the addition of 610 middle-level technicians and 200 technicians with university degrees.

Translation: David Silberstein