Economy Update – Baghdad
The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that there have been no new cases of foot-and-mouth disease reported among livestock, signifying that Iraq is on the verge of eradicating this particular illness.
Mahdi Sahar al-Jubouri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, stated that various facilities, including veterinary departments, clinics, and hospitals throughout Iraq, have been actively monitoring and addressing any cases of infection. Preventative measures are being implemented to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to unaffected regions, along with the identification and containment of outbreak sources.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has established a committee to oversee foot-and-mouth disease cases across all governorates, along with a crisis management team headed by the Minister of Agriculture to focus on the issue.
The ministry’s committee has collected samples from deceased livestock, particularly buffalo, sending them to international laboratories for diagnosis and confirmation of the disease type. Measures such as sterilization in affected areas, vaccination of animals, and distribution of medicines at no cost are underway. Al-Jubouri noted that the impact of the disease on breeders has been confined to specific provinces where cases have emerged.
Al-Jubouri further emphasized that there have been no recent instances of foot-and-mouth disease reported throughout Iraq, signaling a return to normalcy in meat markets with stabilized red meat prices. Health experts confirm that foot-and-mouth disease poses no risk of transmission through consumption of affected livestock products, ensuring their safety for human use.
He concluded that the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have been fully controlled in all governorates of Iraq, attributing this success to the ministry’s effective preventative efforts in the preceding period.
Earlier, Minister of Agriculture Abbas Jabr indicated a significant reduction in foot-and-mouth disease cases, stating that this year’s incidences are fewer compared to previous years.
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