Warning from POGEDY on the ban of animal imports from countries with foot-and-mouth disease

The Panhellenic Federation of Agricultural Technicians (POGEDY) has raised alarm over the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Greece’s livestock sector. The union has called on the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to implement an immediate ban on the import of animals from countries where the disease has been confirmed.

According to the federation's statement, the risk of the disease entering Greece had already been highlighted last week due to imports from Central European countries. Despite these warnings, an incident occurred last Friday involving imported animals showing suspicious symptoms, prompting authorities to act quickly. Although the test results came back negative, POGEDY considers the situation to be borderline.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE RISK
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs. Currently, the disease has been reported in Hungary and Slovakia, and the federation insists that preventive measures must be taken to safeguard the country’s agricultural industry.

POGEDY urges the Ministry to take immediate action to prevent the virus from entering Greece, emphasizing that protecting the domestic livestock industry should be a top priority.