Baltic states emphasize farm visit rules regarding foot-and-mouth disease

TALLINN - Meeting in Riga on Friday, the agriculture ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania strongly emphasized the recommendation to avoid visiting animal farms within 48 hours of returning from abroad in the context of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, as this reduces the risk of introducing pathogens.

The meeting covered the changing animal disease situation in Europe and the ministers confirmed the need for heightened preparedness and strict adherence to biosecurity measures in all three countries.

"Foot-and-mouth disease is an extremely contagious and economically devastating animal disease. Although there is currently no disease in Estonia, we must be on heightened alert to protect our animals and the agricultural sector," Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras said.

"Close cooperation with neighbors, rapid information exchange, and harmonized prevention activities are the best protection against a possible disease outbreak. I call on all animal keepers to strictly follow biosecurity requirements," the minister added.

Terras said that the meeting analyzed the risk factors for the spread of the disease in Europe. The ministers also agreed on enhanced cross-border information exchange and cooperation in the field of veterinary supervision. In addition, possible harmonized steps to strengthen biosecurity on farms and animal movements were discussed.

The ministers welcomed the additional steps taken this week in all three Baltic states to ensure biosecurity. On Thursday, the Estonian government discussed a proposal to allocate 1.5 million euros from the reserve for investment support for farmers to prevent foot-and-mouth disease. The Latvian government announced the allocation of two million euros to ensure biosecurity. Lithuania is also implementing similar support measures to help livestock farmers improve their biosecurity. These financial contributions and measures will make it possible to enhance prevention work and improve surveillance capacity. They will also help to increase overall preparedness for disease outbreaks, including the risk of foot-and-mouth disease.

The ministers stressed the role of other stakeholders, in addition to national measures. Awareness and responsible behavior of animal keepers, transporters, hunters and travelers are crucial. All stakeholders are called upon to comply with the established biosecurity requirements. Suspected signs of disease must be reported immediately to a veterinarian or local veterinary center.

At the end of the meeting, Estonian Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras, Latvian Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze and Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture Ignas Hofmanas confirmed their commitment to continue close cooperation in the control of animal diseases.