A monthly column written for Beef Central by US meat and livestock industry commentator Steve Kay, publisher of US Cattle Buyers’ Weekly
ONE hundred and fifty one years is a very long time. That’s when Australia had its last reported foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD) case. But time passed does not diminish the risk that the disease poses to the Australian livestock industry and the country’s overall economy.
That FMD is present in Indonesia means that Australian authorities need to be even more vigilant through biosecurity measure in preventing the disease from entering the country.
Livestock producers across North America tremble when FMD is mentioned. They know there has not been a case of the disease in the US since 1929 and in Canada since 1952. But they know the disease is endemic in other countries and could enter the continent.
They are also well aware of the colossal financial consequences of that occurring. FMD is the one topic that keeps livestock industry leaders awake at night. This is why many industry groups over the years have urged preventive action on various fronts and warned of the economic impact of an FMD case.
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