São Paulo – The minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, Carlos Fávaro (pictured), advocates a worldwide discussion on health crises involving animal products, the Ministry reported on Friday (14). The minister believes that the debate should take place within the World Organization for Animal Health (WHOA) as a way to prevent a supply collapse.
“The current protocol is very strict and even dangerous for the world’s poultry supply. Here in Brazil, for example, if an avian flu case occurs at a commercial farm in Amazonas, the entire system shuts off,” he explained.
This discussion on animal health crises, the minister said, should include topics like regionalization in the meat trade and whether vaccination is viable. Brazil has reported high pathogenicity avian influenza cases, also known as avian flu, in wild birds, not at commercial farms. A case in a non-commercial backyard farm was reported as well.
But both the government and the productive sector have taken preventive measures to prevent the avian flu from spreading into commercial farms. The minister said Brazil has a robust, efficient transversal agricultural defense system, and it’s important that the federal government, states and municipalities reinforce the warning to fight the disease.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
