Bogor, West Java (ANTARA) - The Bogor City Government and its stakeholders have put in efforts to address foot and mouth disease (FMD) spreading rampantly among cattle prior to Eid al-Adha by establishing five stops on routes along its borders.
The stakeholders comprise the Bogor Police Force and Transportation Office.
Head of the Bogor Food Security and Agriculture Office Anas S. Rasmana stated here on Monday, the anticipatory measures were expedited since in the areas surrounding Bogor City, 14 cattle were found to be infected with the disease, which came from East Java.
“It is unlike COVID-19 posts. It is just a post to halt the (vehicles). There is no tent. Every vehicle passing by carrying cows or goats, (such as) pick up or truck, usually would be stopped by the Transportation Office or Traffic Corps personnel,” he elaborated.
The five stops were at Yasmin Street, Pomad, Ciawi lane, Bubulak, and Pamoyanan.
The personnel at those stops would contact veterinarians from the Health Office, which worked with the Bogor Food Security and Agriculture Office, to come immediately and conduct check-ups on the cattle.
Should there be no indication of the disease, the vehicle would be allowed to come to one of the total 30 animal shelters and slaughterhouses in Bogor.
According to data from the Agriculture Ministry, as per May 22, 2022, the disease spread to some 16 provinces and 82 cities and/or districts, with a total of 5,454,454 infected and 20,723 being sick.
The West Java Food Security and Agriculture Office stated that 2,816 split-hooved animals, such as cows, sheep, and goats, in that area were infected with the disease. Some 14 of those were in Jonggol Sub-district, Bogor District.
Rasmana remarked that usually, Bogor needed as many as 17 thousand cows and 20 thousand goats for Eid al-Adha.
Livestock were usually supplied by Central Java Province, such as from Pati District and Boyolali District. They were also supplied by East Java, usually by Bojonegoro City and Madura Island, and from Bima District in West Nusa Tenggara Province.
Bali Province also supplied plenty of cows. With the virus spreading in East Java, East Nusa Tenggara could still be involved in the supply process, although it was hindered by distance.
Thus, it was necessary to stop the spread of FMD by halting the flow of vehicles to ensure that animals from East Java would not make their way into Bogor.
Rasmana said that no infected cows were found in only five areas of Bogor City, Depok, Ciamis District, Majalengka, and Pangandaran District.
The West Java Food Security and Agriculture Office dispatched seven teams that will visit the 30 places to regularly check on the cattle’s health prior to being sold to the public.
“For sacrificial animals, there was a two-month period of fattening. Seven teams of veterinarians would routinely monitor despite (the animals) making it past the stop points upon entry to Bogor,” he concluded.
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