MEXICO CITY, January 2 (EFE) – Mexico and Brazil are seeking to develop an agreement against avian influenza to avoid disruptions to trade in basic products such as chicken and eggs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Development reported on Tuesday. Mexican government.
The Mexican agency said in a statement that the two governments would seek regionalized agreements to prevent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in both countries due to wild bird migrations.
This is a follow-up to the technical and scientific exchange held last year by the Agricultural Secretariats of Mexico and Brazil “to promote safe commercial exchanges in food”.
Javier Calderón, chief director of the National Agricultural Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica), said that when it comes to highly pathogenic avian influenza, Mexico has promoted international discussions around regionalization as a way to protect agricultural production and supply. measures. food.
“So now it is the job of technicians to collect the necessary information to delineate strategic areas in each country,” he said.
He explained that by establishing epidemiological zones in each country, production areas not affected by a certain disease can be shielded “to protect them and maintain the flow of goods supplied and exported by the country”.
Meanwhile, Roberto Cerrone, Brazil’s Minister of Commerce and International Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out that last winter, Brazil was one of the few countries in the United States where there were no cases of AH5N1 avian influenza in commercial units.
However, he stressed that they seek to strengthen preventive measures to avoid disrupting trade in the event of an outbreak in the coming years.
He said that Brazil understands the needs of its trading partners, so in order to maintain healthy trade, Brazil has opened its doors to the Mexican products that the country needs and will soon announce the import of Mexican avocados.
Avian influenza viruses, like the viruses that cause human influenza, are among the pathogens most likely to undergo genetic changes, which means that year after year, when the migration season for wild birds from the north of the continent arrives, the type of virus present must be determined and subtype characteristics.
The collaboration follows a strong call from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean for the region to remain vigilant against the new season of avian influenza.Effie
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