"Farm Access Restricted After Ancestral Grave Visits" Strengthened Livestock Quarantine During Chuseok Holiday

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Announces Livestock Environment and Disinfection Days on 18th and 23rd... Intensive Disinfection
"Request to Refrain from Visiting Livestock Farms and Farm Gatherings by Returning Visitors"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] With an expected increase in people traveling for the Chuseok holiday, including returning home and traveling, the government announced on the 16th that it plans to strengthen quarantine measures as a warning has been issued for livestock disease prevention, including African Swine Fever (ASF).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated that to prevent the outbreak of livestock infectious diseases, it will promote Chuseok quarantine measures and strengthen nationwide simultaneous disinfection and quarantine. ASF cases were reported last month at three pig farms in the Goseong, Inje, and Hongcheon areas. Wild boar ASF cases reached 164 between June and August, a 71% increase compared to the same period last year, highlighting the need for strict quarantine management during Chuseok.

Avian Influenza (AI) cases in Europe and Asia during the first half of this year increased 44-fold and 3.1-fold respectively compared to the same period last year, with virus types becoming more diverse, making urgent quarantine measures necessary to prepare for domestic introduction during the winter season.

The Ministry plans to inform returning travelers to refrain from visiting livestock farms, prohibit entry to farms after grave cleaning and ancestral rites, and restrict access to areas with livestock infectious disease outbreaks as basic quarantine compliance measures. For livestock workers, it will strengthen promotion of basic quarantine rules such as controlling vehicle and personnel access, disinfecting inside and outside livestock barns and equipment, and refraining from gatherings. The Livestock Environment and Disinfection Day, held every Wednesday, will be designated on the 18th and 23rd, before and after the Chuseok holiday, for cleaning and disinfection activities.

Approximately 200,000 livestock farms raising pigs and poultry, and about 5,700 livestock facilities such as slaughterhouses and feed factories will use their own disinfection equipment for cleaning and disinfection. About 6,000 livestock vehicles should visit nearby key disinfection facilities or be cleaned and disinfected by their affiliated companies.

Local governments and the Quarantine Headquarters will check and inspect whether disinfection of livestock facilities is being carried out.

In areas with wild boar ASF outbreaks, major roads, pig farms, and traditional market poultry sales points, available quarantine vehicles will be deployed as much as possible for intensive disinfection.

Park Jeong-hoon, Director of the Quarantine Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Both ASF and highly pathogenic AI are dangerous situations," and urged, "Livestock farmers should thoroughly follow basic quarantine rules, and returning travelers should actively cooperate with quarantine measures."

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