Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture has ensured that the available livestock for Qurbani (animal sacrifice) is not affected by the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in East Java and Aceh.
Director General of Livestock and Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture Nasrullah in his statement here on Wednesday, stated that the need for livestock for Eid al-Adha Qurbani is usually only 10 to 20 percent of the total population.
"For Eid al-Adha, we are optimistic that, Inshaa Allah (God Willing), livestock will be available. Based on previous experiences, only 10-20 percent of the population was used (for Qurbani)," he remarked.
Nasrullah affirmed that the ministry will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for ensuring safe mobilization of livestock from one area to another in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Ministry of Agriculture and the regional governments have intervened in epidemic control and prevention, so that the spread of FMD in animals does not occur further.
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The ministry has announced that the FMD outbreak occurred in as many as six districts in two provinces of Indonesia.
The two districts in Aceh Province that were hit by the FMD outbreak were Aceh Tamiang and East Aceh. Meanwhile, four districts in East Java Province are Gresik, Sidoarjo, Lamongan, and Mojokerto.
According to the Agriculture Ministry's data, the number of livestock affected by FMD reached 3,205 heads, with a death rate of 1.5 percent. Meanwhile, in Aceh, FMD has been found in 2,226 heads of livestock, with one case of death recorded.
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Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture formulated a strategy to eradicate the disease that is affecting livestock to thwart the spread of the ailment.
Agriculture Minister Sayhrul Yasin Limpo remarked that efforts to eradicate the disease were being made by assigning a team to check the condition on the field.
The minister also highlighted that the disease is not transmissible to humans despite it spreading rapidly to animals. To this end, apart from preparing a strategy to curb the transmission, he also called on people to not harbor concerns and to not overly panic due to the disease.
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