Chungnam Implements AI to Prevent 'Indiscriminate Culling'... Operates Disease Management Grading System

Chungnam Province announced on the 16th that it will pilot the disease management grading system this year to prevent indiscriminate culling caused by the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI). The photo is unrelated to the article. Source=Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province will pilot a disease management grading system to prevent indiscriminate culling caused by the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (hereafter AI).

The province announced on the 16th that applications for assigning quarantine standard types under the ‘Layer Farm Disease Management Grading System’ will be accepted from the 19th to the 30th of this month through the relevant city and county offices.

The disease management grading system focuses on providing incentives (options) so that farms with a high level of biosecurity can be excluded from preventive culling targets.

The target includes large-scale farms that have good breeding and quarantine facilities but have experienced multiple AI outbreaks due to insufficient quarantine management, specifically layer farms permitted under the Livestock Act (layer breeding business and layer production grandparent stock business).

Farms participating in the disease management grading system can be excluded from preventive culling if they receive excellent evaluations based on the status of quarantine equipment and facilities and compliance with quarantine rules.

For example, the evaluation results will classify each farm into three types: Ga, Na, and Da. Among these, farms classified as Ga or Na types will have the option to be excluded from preventive culling between October 9th and March of the following year.

However, if AI occurs on farms excluded from preventive culling, compensation for culling will be reduced to ensure accountability.

Farms wishing to participate can apply voluntarily to the relevant city or county office.

Im Seung-beom, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, said, “We hope the introduction of the disease management grading system will create autonomous quarantine conditions for farms,” and added, “We ask farmers to make farm biosecurity a daily habit by changing boots, disinfecting inside and outside the farm, and so on, to prevent AI from occurring again this winter.”

Meanwhile, the province has so far conducted quarantine activities based on the principle of culling all poultry within a 3 km radius around the outbreak farm whenever AI occurred in the area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.