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Foot-and-mouth could cost country estimated $1.37b a year
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Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo and ministry officials inspect efforts to control foot and mouth disease in Tulang Bawang Barat regency, Lampung, on May 22, 2022. (Agriculture Ministry/-)
T
he foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia is expected to cause approximately US$1.37 billion in annual losses to the national economy.
Rochadi Tawaf, who sits on the expert council of the Indonesian Cattle and Buffalo Breeders Association (PPSKI), referred to an analysis conducted by his team back in 2014, which estimated that a hypothetical outbreak of FMD in Indonesia at the time would have caused annual losses of $1 billion as a result of livestock movement restrictions, decreased livestock productivity and measures to stamp out the disease.
Based on that analysis he estimated the potential losses from the current outbreak at $1.37 billion a year.
“That number does not include the national economic losses from importing countries halting purchases of [livestock and livestock derivatives] from Indonesia,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday, adding that some Australian veterinarians had suggested the Australian government restrict Australian tourist visits to Bali to prevent FMD from entering the country.
Should FMD be found in Bali, the risk of Australian tourists getting in contact with infected animals was very high, and this could see the disease enter Australia, Australian vet Ross Ainsworth warned on May 13, as reported by ABC News. The Cattle Council estimated that an FMD outbreak in Australia would cost the livestock sector around $100 billion.
Ira Firgorita, the Agriculture Ministry’s animal health director, said on Tuesday that Australia and Malaysia had temporarily stopped livestock imports from Indonesia, without specifying the reason.
“[FMD] can cause a reduction in meat and milk production, as well as [livestock] deaths,” she said in a webinar hosted by Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Tuesday.
