Government vows action to stop spread of lumpy skin disease

Social Affairs

Published: 29 Oct. 2023, 18:19

Government vows action to stop spread of lumpy skin disease

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks at a high-level meeting between the government, the ruling party and the presidential office on Oct. 29. [NEWS1]

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the government will make every effort to prevent the further spread of lumpy skin disease on Sunday.

“The next three weeks will be the most critical time for the control and prevention of lumpy skin disease. The government seeks livestock farmers’ proactive cooperation to help get cattle vaccinated quickly,” Han said during a high-level meeting between the government, the ruling party and the presidential office.

In the meeting, the government decided to reimburse livestock farmers for the costs of culling cows even if they broke quarantine regulations.

This measure aims to block the rapid spread of lumpy skin disease by encouraging farmers to report cases to the authorities.

The first case occurred on Oct. 20. in Seosan, South Chungcheong.

The total number of farms and ranches with confirmed cases had reached 60 as of Sunday.

Cases have occurred in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Incheon, North and South Chungcheong and North and South Jeolla.

Some 3,959 cattle have been or will be culled from the 60 locations.

An owner of a cattle farm vaccinates a cow in North Chungcheong. [YONHAP]

The government had vaccinated 217,000 cattle as of Friday.

The government aims to finish the vaccination of all cattle nationwide by Nov. 10. It also plans to import 4 million vaccine doses by the end of October.

So far, 1.27 million doses have arrived at Incheon International Airport.

Vaccination will first be given in counties with confirmed cases or nearby, followed by cities and provinces with cases and, lastly, provinces without cases.

“After a three-week emergency response through Nov. 10, the situation will be stabilized,” said Chung Hwang-keun, a minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

A cattle truck waits to undergo sanitizing in South Chungcheong. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The local authorities and ministry are currently sanitizing slaughter sites and cattle trucks.

The government plans to monitor farms and conduct on-site inspections to prevent major livestock epidemics, including avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease.

The all-out effort aims to mitigate inflationary risks. If the disease gets out of control, wholesale and consumer prices of cows, milk and dairy products could spike.

Sunday's meeting also focused on livelihood issues and the economy.

Household and mortgage loans have been growing recently as the real estate market revitalizes.

“With higher interest rates globally, debtors might find debt repayment and interest burdensome. Thus, the government will look into the size and quality of household loans,” Han said.

The government promised to improve economic conditions for small business owners. Many small business owners have suffered from falling sales since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government will alleviate the financial burden and revitalize the domestic economy,” Han said.

He also sought a bipartisan effort to foster better economic conditions for small businesses and insolvent enterprises.

A temporary allowance given to small businesses to set longer working hours has expired. The Corporate Restructuring Promotion Act, which helped insolvent companies die gracefully, has likewise expired, removing a critical safety net for small businesses.

Han said a bill now in the National Assembly to extend the grace period before laws expire could reduce the risks companies face.

BY JUNG SI-NAE, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]