Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Accelerates Distribution Of PMK Vaccines From France Before Eid

Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo when met at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo is trying to speed up the distribution of foot and mouth disease vaccines in livestock imported from France to areas with the most spread of diseases.

"We're trying to get better sooner. (Livestock) are affected by hundreds of thousands. Therefore, we focus on that area. There are approximately 70,000 'suspects' who are sick. That means that comes first," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul when met at Jakarta Presidential Palace area, Antara, Tuesday, June 14.

The Minister of Agriculture explained that the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared at least 1.7 million head of livestock from areas with PMK green zones to be supplies for livestock needs during Eid al-Adha.

Meanwhile, handling livestock in areas with red zone status, the Ministry of Agriculture ensures that no live animals can be distributed outside, or must be slaughtered at slaughterhouses.

The Ministry of Agriculture will gradually bring in a total of 3 million doses of the PMK vaccine, with the first phase of 800,000 doses to be distributed immediately.

On Tuesday, the PMK vaccine will be distributed to East Java using a "cool box" to maintain the quality and effectiveness of the vaccine in the destination area.

"We need a vaccine, of course bigger than what is available. We must be able to stop at least 80 percent and above and that's two interventions," said the Minister of Agriculture.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture's official statement, 800,000 doses will arrive in the next three days. Later, this vaccine will be injected into healthy animals that have not been exposed to FMD, but are in the red zone area or are infected.

"So it will gradually be injected into livestock at the source of livestock nurseries, dairy cattle owned by the people and the Dairy cooperative, as well as beef cattle in high-risk areas. We have arranged vaccination priorities based on risk factors," said the Head of the Public Relations and Public Information Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture. Kuntoro Boga Andri.