First Step in Disease Management Grading System for Laying Hen Farms... 41% of Total Applied

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 19th that, in order to enhance the autonomous quarantine level of farms, 41% (30.24 million heads) of the total laying hen population (73.71 million heads) applied for the Disease Management Grading System, which is being piloted for the first time this year.

Based on the number of farms, 25% of the total (1,091 farms), or 276 farms, participated. The Ministry explained that this indicates most farms participated, excluding those that found it difficult to apply due to inadequate quarantine facilities or past outbreaks.

In terms of scale, 46% (97 farms) of large-scale farms with more than 100,000 heads applied, 100% of farms with over 1 million heads, and 60% of farms with 500,000 to 1 million heads participated.

With active participation from farms in the pilot project, it is expected to be an important opportunity to shift to a farm-led autonomous quarantine system, which is the practical quarantine entity. It is explained that once the Disease Management Grading System is established, farms equipped with quarantine systems will become the center of the poultry industry.

Additionally, the improvement in quarantine levels of farms under the Disease Management Grading System is expected to lower regional risk levels and contribute to minimizing the occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The Ministry plans to evaluate the quarantine facilities and compliance with quarantine rules of the applying farms and assign disease management grades in three categories before October, when the special quarantine period begins. Farms granted disease management grades can select the scope of exemption from preventive culling in October, which will apply until the end of March the following year.

The Ministry also intends to strengthen quarantine measures to block horizontal transmission between farms following the implementation of the Disease Management Grading System. To improve farms' quarantine levels, they will use evaluation guides to provide consulting on quarantine vulnerabilities and make improvements accordingly.

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