- The Primary Production Department (PPD) has suspended import of beef from Japan with immediate effect as a result of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.
- Currently, Japan exports only Kobe beef to Singapore. Kobe beef is a very expensive beef produced only in Japan. The quantity imported is very small, about 500 kg per month. Singapore imports 16,500 tonnes of beef valued at $77.2 million annually.
- The suspension will have no impact on the supply of beef in Singapore except that a few specialty restaurants will not be able to serve Kobe beef.
- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Uruguay and USA are countries accredited and approved by PPD to export beef to Singapore.
- Beef available for sale in Singapore is safe for consumption.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is an acute, serious animal disease affecting cloven-hoof animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. It is caused by a virus. The clinical signs in affected animals include high fever, loss of appetite and excessive salivation. It produces blisters in the mouth, on the tongue and in between the hooves. When the blisters break, ulcers are formed. It is a very painful condition. Because of the blisters, the animals stop feeding and suffer from extreme lameness. If diary cattle is affected, its milk production will drop drastically. FMD spreads very quickly and is highly contagious to susceptible animals. Although few animals succumb to the disease (about 5%), the affected animals take a long time to recover and thus severely affecting the productivity of the farms.
It causes serious economic losses to the farmers. Livestock and products from the affected country will not be accepted by importing countries because of the highly contagious nature of the disease.
The infection is air-borne and animals are usually infected through contaminated infected livestock products and contact with the infected animals. The Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus does not infect humans.
A condition in children called Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is not caused by Foot-and- Mouth Disease (FMD) virus. It is caused by a totally different virus.
Contact person: Mr Goh Shih Yong, Head/Public Affairs
Telephone: 3257645 Pager: 94124860
Issued by: Primary Production Department
Date: 29 Mar 2000
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