"Bali is the first province to have received FMD emergency assistance for 273 affected cattle. The total aid distributed was Rp2.73 billion to 86 beneficiaries in Badung district and Buleleng district," the ministry's director general of livestock and animal health, Nasrullah, informed in Bali on Wednesday.
The assistance is in the form of compensation for FMD-infected livestock that have been conditionally slaughtered.
The distribution of assistance demonstrates the government's commitment to providing compensation for animals subjected to conditional slaughter as well as the prevention and control of the FMD outbreak, Nasrullah said.
Through the aid provision, the government is hoping to reduce the economic losses due to FMD, he added.
"We are trying to accelerate the assistance target for 15 thousand heads (of cattle) by continuing to coordinate with the provincial and districts/cities offices in charge of livestock and animal health," he informed.
The FMD emergency aid has been provided to individuals or farmers meeting the administrative requirements and animal criteria, such as their owned livestock have died or have been conditionally slaughtered after contracting FMD, Nasrullah said.
Meanwhile, he added, the conditional slaughter is expected to have reduced the spread of FMD.
Nasrullah said that currently, the government is continuing to encourage farmers owning infected animals to conduct conditional slaughter so that Indonesia's target to be FMD-free can be realized without delay.
"We appeal to the community, especially to farmers (to carry out conditional slaughter) so that Bali can be an example for other regions in the context of controlling FMD outbreaks toward zero reported cases," he added.
Related news: Ministry presents two awards to South Kalimantan for FMD handling
Related news: 1,589,144 farm animals vaccinated against FMD: task force
Translator: Naufal Y, Kenzu T
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
