Algeria postponed importing cattle indefinitely

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on a comprehensive comment for the importation of ruminant animals of different kinds, and this against the backdrop of the spread of the foot and mouth disease in 18 cities of the country, noting that the epidemic resulted in the slaughter of 964 heads of cattle out of only two million heads that are available to Algeria.

Director of the Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Karim Boughanem, who was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Ministry, Fodil Ferroukhi, said that after the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease in a number of cities, they decided to suspend all import operations, especially ruminants, both the big ones, such as goats and sheep or cows.

“Goats which traders obtained licence to import them, was suspended months ago.

“Ruminant animals that were imported from Europe especially have no immunity against the pandemic, and therefore they decided to suspend the import in the current period”.

964 heads slaughtered, 9,000 vets recruited

As for the seriousness of the disease spread, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture asserted that it is not as dangerous as portrayed by some people, as spots at the level of 18 cities were recorded. Some cities were classified as infected, but heads that were slaughtered did not reach more than 6 heads, and with the language of numbers, number of heads that were slaughtered since the discovery of the disease reached 964 heads out of two million that are available to the country.

“Number can hardly be compared to what has been recorded in 1999, when thousands of heads were slaughtered (9,000 heads across 44 cities).