Foot-and-mouth outbreaks in neighboring countries keep Brazil on alert

Still, many players in the livestock chain believe the return of the virus is inevitable. The question is when it will happen—and whether Brazil will be ready to respond to such a sanitary emergency. Unlike poultry and pig farming, which are largely carried out in controlled environments, Brazil’s extensive cattle ranching in open pastures makes containment much harder.

Outbreaks in neighboring countries like Uruguay serve as warnings. Uruguay saw cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) even after receiving certified FMD-free status without vaccination and continues to immunize its herds. In Germany, the disease reappeared after more than 40 years, though vaccination was not made mandatory.

“The question isn’t if FMD will return to Brazil, but when—and how we’ll respond,” said Emílio Salani, vice president of the National Union of the Animal Health Products Industry (SINDAN), who was involved for decades in negotiations for the gradual phaseout of vaccination. “If we hesitate and need to restart vaccination, timelines will be extended, and the entire chain will suffer major losses.”

Among neighboring countries, Venezuela is the main concern. It lacks official FMD status and offers little transparency about its situation. Bolivia, however, received FMD-free certification without vaccination from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) last week. Argentina and Paraguay have not reported recent cases but continue to vaccinate.

Currently, studies show the virus is not circulating in Brazil, Mr. Salani said. But risks remain due to the movement of infected animals across dry borders, as well as smuggling and cattle theft. Infected goods or individuals arriving at ports and airports also pose a threat.

Mr. Salani said the ideal solution would be to create a “protective ring” on the Venezuelan border, including donations of vaccines and financial resources. “The dry borders are our Achilles’ heel. One sick animal is enough [to jeopardize our status],” he warned.

“The challenge is much greater because cattle roam and move through open environments,” said João Paulo Franco, livestock production coordinator at the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA). He noted that Brazil is transitioning from a vaccination-driven approach to one that depends on constant vigilance. He emphasized that this “active surveillance” will rely heavily on farmers to spot symptoms and quickly alert the authorities.

Mr. Franco said the key to maintaining FMD-free status will be individual traceability of cattle and buffalo. A federal government plan launched at the end of 2024 aims to identify all livestock within seven years.

Lack of personnel

The need to uphold high safety standards also involves increasing personnel and investment, said the National Union of Federal Agricultural Tax Auditors (ANFFA Sindical). The organization said the new scenario will require greater attention from the state and called for adequate infrastructure to support the “new and rigorous surveillance and sanitary control measures” that will be needed.

“This progress comes at a critical moment, when production could be at risk if Brazil moves forward with privatizing inspections—a measure that weakens food safety and undermines international trust in our inspection system,” said Janus Pablo Macedo, president of ANFFA Sindical.

The Agriculture Ministry recently hired 200 new auditors approved in the 2024 public exam and 240 animal and plant health technicians. The union is pressing for additional hires from the waiting list, citing a shortage of professionals and increasing demand from the agribusiness sector.

Roberto Perosa, president of the Brazilian Meat Exporters Association (ABIEC), said a proposal to allow companies to conduct carcass inspections before and after slaughter—under the supervision of federal auditors—could benefit the sector. The idea, which is still under discussion at the Agriculture Ministry, has drawn criticism from the union.

Mr. Perosa also supports having agribusinesses contribute to the fund used to pay overtime for public inspectors in this area.