Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, among other animals, and is characterized by fever and the formation of blisters in the mouth, nose, teats and paws. It is not transmitted to humans, but it is cause of rejection when exporting in all markets around the world.
When Carlos Menem was president, Argentina went many years without outbreaks of this disease. And in 1995 the decision was made to stop vaccinating But in 2001 foot and mouth disease returned and The markets closed. Only in 2003 were some of them able to recover. Others remained closed for 14 years.
For this reason it is strange that an increasingly large group of producers propose to stop vaccinating. They are inspired by the Brazilian example, the main meat exporter on the planet.
Behind that decision hide the price of the dose which they consider excessive and they claim that it is double or triple that in other markets. This is what Federico Sturzenegger publicly maintains, none other than the author of the Omnibus law.
Federico Sturzenegger
There some Brazilian states have decided abandon vaccination what has already caused the closure of four production plants of the vaccine and criticism from Mercosur partners such as Paraguay, which has two plants that produce the vaccine and Uruguay, which imports them, but strictly complies with the vaccination schedule.
In both countries, health authorities are on alert for what is happening in Brazil, with 220 million heads. There are known outbreaks in Colombia and Venezuela that can affect the entire region.
Regarding the price of the dose, in Argentina, which has become expensive in dollars, it is demanded that it be imported. Diego La Torre, president and owner of the Tecnovax veterinary laboratory, requests to import some 25 million doses from Brazil at a substantially lower price.
Diego La Torre, president and owner of Tecnovax
The Tower points to Clarion that there is a rule in Senasa, Animal Health Service, that requires that the vaccine have a special strain, which is the A2001 that the vaccine contains in Argentina. “That strain already It is not important and acts as a tariff rule, to prevent the vaccine from being brought from other countries. The important thing is that the vaccine is effective, he says.
Of course, a vaccine is not like a cleaning product or jeans. Importing requires authorization in regulations similar to medicines. It is no coincidence that the vaccine can be brought from Brazil since as a result of the aforementioned plant closure, there is a stock that is in liquidation.
The price is generating growing discomfort. Those who jumped were the small producers represented by the Agrarian Federation that spoke of the “negative impactgiven that added to the other health tasks, the cost per dose skyrockets to $2,200.”
The price of discord
The laboratories that produce it in the country deny that figure. They claim that they sold it to those who apply it between November and January to $550 per dose and collection was after 40 days, which gives a price of 0.65 dollars.
They add that the value has additional components due to the vaccination system that exists in Argentina.
The strong fight to stop the outbreaks in 2001 left a legacy that is being taken into account by many countries. Here in an example of the public-private integration gave shape to the Foundation to Fight Foot and Mouth Disease, Arose from the initiative of producer entities and Senasa (Animal Health Service) it goes field by field, guaranteeing the cold chain of the vaccine and placement by professionals who respect animal welfare.
Bernardo Cané, former head of Senasa in the times of Menem and De la Rúa, explained: Foundations are a success story for having eradicated the disease twice, be legal and legitimate and efficient. Thirty-four years of existence, having managed nearly $7 billion of producer financing by producers. “Complementing health tasks together with Senasa.”
Bernardo Cané
For this expert, “the current system must continue and regarding the provision of vaccines based on the authorization to import from Brazil, it must be analyzed with an open mind and without preconceptions.”
By the way, the vaccine always was related with the value of the live kilo and historically equivalent to 600 to 800 grams of steer, the current $1,200 to $1,400 that is billed by that Foundation that places the vaccine in the animal based on the future replacement cost. The rest is the cost of the service.
As for those who produce the vaccine in the country, the leader with a large portion of the market is Biogenesis Bagó, half from the Bagó family and the other 50% from Insud, from the Sigman family.
Biogenesis Bago
Since 1952 it has been an international benchmark and today has the largest plant on the planet, in addition to being major exporters. After the plant they built in China, They are building one in Saudi Arabia and another in South Korea.
Also working is the Veterinary Diagnostic Center (CDV), with Chilean capital, which with an investment of US$ 60 million They are finishing the third veterinary vaccine plant that they promote as the most modern in the world in the Pilar industrial park.
This group also manufactures vaccines for ACAthe Association of Argentine Cooperatives that markets it among cooperative members.
Hay very few vaccine plants in the world. There are 30. Partly because a plant for this type of vaccine requires an initial investment of US$ 100 million.
Interior of the CDV plant
Here The vaccine is applied two times a year. One campaign runs from March to May and the second from October to December. Adult animals are vaccinated once and children twice. In this way, Argentina requires 70 million doses per year and achieved at least in foot and mouth disease, a health status recognized in all markets. I hope it is not lost.
2024-04-06 12:46:01
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