RP FMD-Free by May; Meat Exports Readied

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The Philippines will be foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-free by May next year, paving the way for the country to export its meat and meat products for the first time in its history.

This was announced recently by the Department of Agriculture (DA) after it entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to intensify the campaign to eradicate FMD in the country.

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, Jr. said the move is aimed at eventually securing the declaration of the entire Philippines as FMD and vaccination-free by the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) or the …