City Government Estimates Bekasi City To Lose IDR 157 Billion If Animals Are Exposed To Mouth And Nail Diseases

Illustration of Bekasi City. (Between)

BEKASI - Foot and mouth disease (FMD) in animals threatens the economy of Bekasi City. The supporting areas of Jakarta will experience economic losses reaching hundreds of billions if exposed to cases of PMK.

"If Bekasi City is infected with PMK, apart from livestock deaths, economic losses will also follow," said Head of the Bekasi City Food Security, Agriculture and Fisheries Service Herbert SW Panjaitan in Bekasi, Wednesday 18 May.

He explained, livestock mortality losses with 90-100 percent morbidity could occur at any time if mouth and nail disease in animals had spread in Bekasi City.

Herbert said the economic loss due to the potential transmission of this disease in his area could reach IDR 263 billion per year due to the death of livestock owned by the community.

This condition will also hamper the trade sector such as the aqiqah business and the sale of sacrificial animals whose losses are estimated to reach Rp. 157 billion a year.

"Similarly, there are potential obstacles to the culinary business from livestock products. Livestock traders are the direct victims," he said.

The Bekasi City Government asked all residents to be aware of the spread of PMK following the spread of the disease in a number of areas in West Java Province.

"We urge all residents of Bekasi City to be aware of this highly contagious disease," he said.

Bekasi City itself, said Herbert, is classified as an area that is threatened or suspected of being infected with the FMD outbreak because most of the livestock needs and livestock products of Bekasi City are imported from areas currently affected by the outbreak.

"It is possible for Bekasi City to find cases of PMK because livestock and livestock products sent to Bekasi City mostly come from areas that have been declared by the Minister of Agriculture as areas of FMD outbreaks, so the risk is very high," he said.

"We ask the public if they find any livestock that are sick and suspected of PMK immediately report it to our team via the hotline channel at 087773361568," he said.