South Koreans to receive further FMD compensation
Livestock farmers in South Korea whose animals were culled to prevent the spread of animal epidemics will be able to get psychological and mental treatment at government expense, Seoul’s Cabinet decided on 19 July 2011.
The Cabinet approved a revised bill aimed to help livestock farm owners recover quickly from the aftermath of animal epidemics, requiring the central and local governments to subsidize expenses for their psychological and mental treatment, the government said.
South Korea has struggled to cope with the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and was compelled to cull a record 3.47 million head of pigs and cattle nationwide from late November 2010.
Under the revised enforcement ordinance to the law on the prevention of animal epidemics, local governments will be required to pay 20% of monetary compensation for animals culled, with the rest to come from the central government.
Tuberculosis and a fatal type of bird flu will be added to the list of animal epidemics subject to reporting to the authorities, which is currently limited to FMD, the government said.
