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UPDATE 1-S.Korea culls 15 pct of pigs, cattle for foot-and-mouth

by (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Click For Restrictions. http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 07:29 GMT

* Culls nearly 2 mln pigs, 135,000 cattle, 3.6 mln poultry

* Confirms 120 foot-and-mouth cases, 26 cases of bird flu

* Wholesale, retail prices of pork jump

(Adds more details and quotes)

By Cho Mee-young

SEOUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - South Korea said on Tuesday it had culled about 15 percent of its combined pig and cattle population to contain outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, while it slaughtered three percent of its poultry population to prevent the spread of bird flu.

Asia's No.4 economy confirmed 120 cases of foot-and-mouth disease as of Tuesday, up from last Friday's 116 cases, and 26 cases of H5N1 avian influenza, up from 23 cases on Friday, in statements from the agriculture ministry.

The ministry said 2.1 million animals, mostly pigs, and 3.6 million poultry, mostly chicken, had been killed and would be buried.

The nationwide outbreaks of foot-and-mouth originated in pigs in the city of Andong in North Gyeongsang province on Nov. 28, and rapidly spread to six provinces, leading South Korea to expand vaccination nationwide.

The outbreaks have prompted all the livestock markets across the country to be closed for more than a month, while a small volume of meat has been traded online or by telephone.

The massive slaughter and market closures have helped wholesale and retail prices of pork jump by 43 percent and nearly 10 percent, respectively, from December average prices, according to one statement from the ministry.

Wholesale and retail prices of cattle also rallied before returning to its average prices of December thanks to rising imports and release from local reserves.

South Korea, a net importer of beef, pork and poultry meat, saw its meat imports jump last month to meet lost local supply due to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, but industry experts said future import gains might be short-lived.

The U.S. is the largest exporter of poultry and pork to South Korea, and the second-largest beef exporter after Australia. Canada is the second-largest pork exporter to South Korea.

NATIONWIDE VACCINATION

In addition to the slaughter, the South Korean government has been conducting nationwide vaccination. Nearly 2.6 million of cattle, or 71 percent of its total population, have been vaccinated, one ministry statement said.

More than 1.3 million pigs, or 13 percent of the pig population, have received vaccinations, it added.

"The government set a policy to minimise slaughter against foot-and-mouth, while utilising vaccination to prevent the disease," a statement from the presidential office on Sunday quoted President Lee Myung-bak, who visited disinfection sites, as saying.

"Through the disinfection, I hope there will be fruitful outcomes before the Lunar New Year holidays," he said, referring to the country's biggest holidays when local meat demand usually peaks and the largest number of people move around for family reunions.

On top of the serious outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, South Korea also confirmed the first case of bird flu on Dec. 31 in ducks in the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong province, and in chickens in the city of Iksan in North Jeolla province.

The country has no human cases of bird flu. Foot-and-mouth disease affects livestock including sheep, cows and pigs, while meat from infected animals is not harmful to humans. (Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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