"Even One Case Can Halt the $73 Trillion Market"…Australia Trembles Over Indonesia's Foot-and-Mouth Disease

"Indonesia Unable to Control Foot-and-Mouth Disease"
Australia Accounts for 13% of Global Beef Export Market

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Australia is on high alert as foot-and-mouth disease spreads in Indonesia. If the disease reaches Australia, it could cause massive damage to the Australian livestock market, which is worth up to 80 billion Australian dollars (approximately 73 trillion KRW).

According to the Australian daily The Australian on the 24th, Murray Watt, Australia's Minister for Agriculture, invoked ministerial powers on the 22nd to allow border guards to order incoming travelers from places like Bali, Indonesia, to remove their shoes or walk over disinfectant mats at airports.

Additionally, the Australian government has provided funds to purchase one million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for Indonesia and urged livestock farmers within Australia to contact the national emergency animal disease surveillance hotline if they observe symptoms such as blisters, drooling, or limping in their animals.

However, the livestock industry considers these measures insufficient and is demanding the closure of borders to prevent entry from Indonesia to Australia.

Matt McDonald, president of the Australian Wagyu Association, argued that the suspension of flights from Indonesia should be considered until the virus is controlled.

He stated, "If foot-and-mouth disease occurs in Australia, it will threaten the livestock market worth 80 billion Australian dollars, but the government has so far only spent 14 million Australian dollars (about 1.3 billion KRW) to respond. This is just a drop of water in the ocean."

Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal Party, said in parliament, "Considering the traffic between Indonesia and Australia, this is a very important issue," and demanded that the Prime Minister take direct control of the disease response and prioritize it on the National Security Committee's agenda.

Currently, Australia has increased surveillance and inspection intensity at the borders to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease inland.

The Department of Agriculture emphasized, "Hygienic foot mats will be installed at international airports this week."

Also, African swine fever tests on other pork products sold across Australia have returned positive results. A senior official from the Department of Agriculture explained that the cause is under investigation.

Australia's extreme alertness is due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease throughout Indonesia. Currently, the disease has broken out in 22 provinces in Indonesia, with about 400,000 animals confirmed infected. It is believed that even more livestock in Australia could be infected.

In particular, foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in Bali, a popular tourist destination for Australians, and recently, fragments of the virus were found in imported animal products, causing a major uproar in Australia.

Experts believe that if foot-and-mouth disease breaks out in Australia, its impact will not be limited to Australia alone.

Australia accounts for about 13% of the global beef export market. If beef exports from Australia are blocked, it will have an additional negative impact on global food prices, which are already soaring.

President McDonald predicted that if foot-and-mouth disease occurs in Australia, it will significantly affect Australian livestock exports and that it will take three years for the industry to fully recover.

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