Governor Luis Caldera: In Zulia vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease will be increased to 150,000 doses

Published at: 02/12/2025 06:54 PM

In the framework of the meeting of the General Staff of Agriculture and Production, the governor of the state of Zulia, Luis Caldera, reported that the second vaccination cycle against foot-and-mouth disease in the state, which began last week with 83,000 doses, will bring the total number of immunizations to 150,000 by December 15.

In the Situation Room of the Palacio de los Cóndores, the members of Governor Caldera's cabinet in the productive area and the commander of the Comprehensive Defense Operational Zone (ZODI), G/D Javier Magallanes, gathered with representatives of the 21 livestock associations that exist in Zulia, led by the Confederation of Farmers and Livestock Farmers (CONFAGAN) and the Federation of Livestock Farmers of the Lake Basin (FEGALAGO) and in addition to spokespersons for the peasant councils.

The second cycle of anti-foot-and-mouth disease vaccination is a free contribution from national and regional governments to the process of eradicating the disease in cattle that are already being carried out by the same livestock unions in the region and the country. The government effort represents just over 25% of the total number of immunizations needed to declare Zulia free of foot-and-mouth disease.

According to animal health regulations, the immunization of cattle is a necessary requirement for their movement inside and outside the region and for their entry into legally constituted slaughterhouses.

Getting international organizations to declare Venezuela free of foot-and-mouth disease would open up the possibility of exporting meat to the country's major producers.

During the meeting of the General Staff of Agriculture and Production, agricultural roads were also discussed.

After the recovery of the Machiques-Colón highway and other roads in the Perijá subregion and the Troncal del Caribe subregion north of Zulia, by the Ministry of Popular Power for Transport and the Government of Zulia, livestock unions raised the need to rehabilitate the Encontrados road, in the south of the lake region. About 64 kilometers to Tres Bocas on the border with Colombia.

In this regard, it was agreed to create territorial road camps that will operate with the heavy machinery available to livestock unions and some producers, while the Government provides fuel, chemicals, asphalt and technical support in engineering, which will make it possible to recover and expand routes of agricultural penetration in the summer season.