Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Gümen reacts to TARPOL's 'foot-and-mouth disease report': Not possible

Deputy Minister Gümen, appearing as a guest on a TV program, stated that foot-and-mouth disease is a contagious, non-lethal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals and is characterized by loss of productivity.

Pointing out that it spreads rapidly, Gümen noted that the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Institute produces more than 50 million doses of vaccine annually, some of which is used domestically while the rest is sent to Azerbaijan. Emphasizing that the vaccine is the most important tool in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease, Gümen said, "When Sat-2 first arrived in the country in 2023, a similar effort was made. Animal movements across the entire country were brought under control for 49 days. During this period, the vaccine was produced and our efforts continued."

Explaining that the World Organisation for Animal Health showed Turkey as an example to the world due to its success in the efforts made in 2023-2024 about 6 months ago, Gümen said that they recognize and know the foot-and-mouth disease. Recalling that they reduced the foot-and-mouth disease by 80 percent last year, Gümen spoke as follows:

"We carried out three vaccinations last year and reduced the disease. This year, on May 12, the new foot-and-mouth serotype Sat-1 entered our country from Derecik, Hakkari. We caught Sat-1 in Derecik. I also went to the region. We checked the situation there and, by taking measures on-site, we stopped all animal movements in Hakkari. We investigated all animal shipments retrospectively for one month. The next day, we detected the second animal case in Van. It appeared in Van on May 13, and we started vaccination on May 18. We sent 170 veterinarians to all of Hakkari and Van and vaccinated the region in 6 days. Our goal was to prevent the disease from reaching the west before the Eid al-Adha. We achieved great success in this."

Pointing out that closing animal markets is a radical decision, Gümen said, "We did this specifically. The Foot-and-Mouth Disease Institute is working day and night. We produced 6 million vaccines and sent them to the field. As the vaccine is produced, we will provide it to the field, and when we start to see the effect of the vaccine, we will open our markets and allow animal movements again."

Stating that the vaccine is not the only solution and that animal movements must also be brought under control, Gümen continued:

"We closed animal markets in 81 provinces; we did not completely ban animal movements. Currently, animal movements are open in provinces where there is no disease. If someone wants to have their animal slaughtered, they can take it; there is no problem. There is no problem with animal movement in provinces without the disease. We stopped animal movements in provinces where there is the disease. During the Covid period, we stayed at home for 15 days. It was a period required for vaccines to be administered and for immunity to emerge in humans. We are doing the same with this disease. When we exceed a certain level in vaccination, we will open animal markets gradually."

Upon being reminded of the section in the Agricultural Strategy and Policy Development Center (TARPOL) report regarding the "4.1 billion dollar loss," Gümen stated that Turkey's annual animal production is 6-6.5 billion dollars and said, "For a loss of 4.1 billion dollars to occur, the entire livestock industry would have to collapse. Such a thing is not possible. We have administered 6 million vaccines. The vaccinated animals will encounter the virus again, but they will experience it mildly, as if they had a cold. It is not possible not to encounter this virus. It exists in our country and is spreading rapidly. We do not have such a figure in our calculations. These are very exaggerated figures; this calculation is not correct."

Touching upon the decline in carcass meat prices, Gümen noted the following:

"There is no difference between the decline in meat prices after the Eid al-Adha last year and the decline this year. It is not realistic for meat prices to fall due to foot-and-mouth disease. Just as it fell after the Eid al-Adha last year, it fell this year as well. Meat prices will continue to fall for another 2 months. According to our livestock roadmap, we always want our producers to earn. Meat prices will inevitably rise. It needs to rise in a controlled and orderly manner. It will inevitably start to rise after 2 months. Schools will open, consumption will increase, and meat prices will rise. Excessive rises and falls harm us all. That is why we will continue with a model where our producer will continue to earn in a controlled manner."

Gümen said that animal and carcass imports will be removed from the country's agenda in 2028.