Cleanup work begins at Gyeonggi FMD burial sites [English, CSY]

Waste water being extracted in effort to lessen pollution

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932550

Summary: Amid growing fears that the millions of animals buried due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) will contaminate underground water sources, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government yesterday began extracting waste water from burial sites in Namyangju and Yangpyeong.  As of yesterday, roughly 3.3 million animals nationwide have been culled and some 700,000 of them have been buried at 2,017 sites in Gyeonggi, according to the central government. There are about 4,130 burial sites nationwide.

Imports of pork and powdered milk to be raised [English, CSY]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932424

Summary: Korea will “sharply” increase the amount of imported pork and powdered milk subject to its tariff quota system in a bid to ease supply shortages prompted by a massive slaughter of livestock amid the spreading foot-and-mouth disease, a senior finance ministry official said yesterday.  It also plans to add 24 more imported items, including cheese and butter products, to the tariff quota list, bringing the total number of goods to be eligible for relatively lower duty rates to 99, Vice Finance Minister Yim Jong-yong said at a meeting with other economy-related officials. The lower import duties will be effective until the end of June.

S. Korean imports of U.S. beef almost double in 2010 [English, CSY]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2011/02/22/17/0501000000AEN20110222000900320F.HTML

Summary: South Korea's imports of U.S. beef nearly doubled in 2010 from a year earlier due largely to dwindling concerns over its safety here, the government said Tuesday.   The farm ministry said the country imported 125,681 tons of beef from the U.S. last year, up 97 percent from 63,817 tons tallied in 2009.    The total effectively exceeded amounts imported by Seoul before the U.S. beef import ban went into effect in late 2003 after the first case of mad cow disease was reported in the North American country.    South Korea reopened its market to U.S. beef in 2008, although meat can only be provided from animals under 30 months old to alleviate domestic concerns about mad cow disease that can be fatal to humans.    Because of the mad cow scare, there were widespread national protests after Seoul agreed to fully reopen its market, which caused the government to ask Washington for minor modifications to beef trading conditions.

Vaccines could have stopped FMD [English, CSY]

But government was preoccupied with maintaining vaccine-free status

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932488

Summary: To protect less than $2 million worth of meat exports, the government has turned the country into a massive graveyard of farm animals.  Since foot-and-mouth disease broke out in November, more than 3.3 million cows and pigs have been slaughtered, livestock farmers have suffered emotionally and the country is stuck with a bill of trillions of won to compensate farmers for culled animals. Much of this could have been avoided if the government had chosen the more effective and less costly solution of vaccination instead of killing cattle and pigs.  But when vaccinations are used, the country loses its vaccine-free status, which makes its meat exports less desirable.