Posted on February, 5, 2025 at 04:22 pm
Morocco has halted imports of untreated plant-based animal feed from Germany following a foot-and-mouth disease, FMD outbreak, according to Omar Yacoubi, head of the country’s grain trade federation (FNCL).
Speaking to Reuters on 30 January 2025, Yacoubi stated that the suspension is a precautionary measure to protect Morocco’s livestock industry from the highly contagious disease.
A source at Morocco’s food safety agency ONSSA confirmed that imports from Germany would remain “suspended” until the country is either declared free of FMD or certifies disease-free regions for export.
Germany reported its first FMD outbreak in nearly 40 years on 10 January after detecting the virus in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin in the Brandenburg region. So far, this remains the only confirmed case. The outbreak has prompted trade restrictions from several countries, including Britain, on German livestock-related products.
Germany’s agriculture ministry announced on 13 January that losing its FMD-free status would prevent it from exporting a wide range of agricultural products outside the European Union.
In response to Morocco’s import ban, traders have redirected some feed barley shipments to Morocco from France instead of Germany. Additionally, one cargo of German barley originally destined for Morocco has been rerouted to Tunisia.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious virus affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. While it poses no risk to humans, the disease causes fever and painful mouth blisters in livestock.
Although FMD remains common in parts of Africa, Morocco has not reported an outbreak since 2019.
Source: News Central