Great news! Hungary to be declared FMD-free on officially set date

Agriculture Minister István Nagy told lawmakers in parliament on Tuesday that Hungary could be declared FMD-free on 30 May if there are no further outbreaks.

In testimony before the parliament’s agricultural committee, Nagy said that the declaration could be followed on 30 June by the lifting of all European Union restrictions.

He said livestock at farms affected by foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks had been culled in line with the strictest safety regulations, while the police had joined in the effort to enforce containment areas and soldiers specialised in chemicals had been involved with decontamination. He acknowledged that the burial of the destroyed livestock had resulted in the largest degree of social dissatisfaction.

He said that preparations were underway on compensation for farmers affected by FMD, and support would go toward a return to normal operation at the farms. He added that incentives would be offered to bring livestock back to the farms within a year and ramp up operations to levels before the outbreaks after three years. Nagy said Hungary’s first shipment of Hungarian Greys had been en route to Japan during the FMD outbreaks and had been forced to return.

Stay informed! Read here for more news about foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary

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