RABAT: Morocco has halted imports of feed grains from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the head of Morocco’s grain trade federation (FNCL) said on Thursday.
The import suspension affected “all untreated plant-based feed intended for animal consumption from Germany due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak there,” Omar Yacoubi told Reuters.
A source at Morocco’s food safety agency ONSSA confirmed that plant-based imports from Germany for animal feed had been “suspended” until Germany is declared free of foot and mouth again or certifies local regions that are free of the disease.
Germany announced its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Jan. 10 in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin in the Brandenburg region. That remains the only reported case so far.
The outbreak has led to trade restrictions from some countries including Britain on livestock-related goods from Germany.
Germany’s agriculture ministry said on Jan. 13 that the loss of Germany’s status as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease meant exporting a wide range of farm products outside the European Union would no longer be possible.
Traders have reported that exporters have sourced some feed barley cargoes for Morocco in France instead of Germany in response to the trade restriction.
However, other importing countries were still accepting German feed grain and one cargo of German barley initially sold for Morocco would be shipped to Tunisia, traders said.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly infectious virus that causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants, such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, but poses no danger to humans.
The disease occurs regularly in parts of the world including in Africa but Morocco has not recorded an outbreak since 2019.
Morocco stops German feed grain imports over foot-and-mouth disease
https://arab.news/gdgjw
Morocco stops German feed grain imports over foot-and-mouth disease
- A source at Morocco’s food safety agency ONSSA confirmed that plant-based imports from Germany for animal feed had been “suspended“
- The outbreak has led to trade restrictions from some countries including Britain
Tunisian police clash with youths in Kairouan after man’s death
- Tunisia President Kais Saied shut down parliament and began ruling by decree in 2021 in what he called a move to root out rampant corruption and mismanagement, but which the opposition called a coup
TUNIS: Clashes erupted for a second night on Saturday between police and youths in the central Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police chase, according to his family, fueling authorities’ fears that protests could spread across the country. As Tunisia prepares to mark the January anniversary of the 2011 revolution, which sparked the Arab Spring uprising, tensions have risen amid protests, and a powerful UGTT union call for a nationwide strike next month. Thousands have been protesting for weeks in the southern city of Gabes, demanding the closure of a chemical plant on environmental grounds.
Witnesses said demonstrators in Kairouan threw stones, petrol bombs and flares, and blocked streets by burning tires, prompting police to disperse crowds with tear gas.
The family said the man, riding a motorcycle without a license, was chased by police, beaten, and taken to a hospital. He later fled and died on Friday from a head injury.
The government was not immediately available to comment. Relatives of the deceased said they will not remain silent and will spark major protests if those responsible are not held accountable.
In a bid to defuse tensions, Kairouan’s governor visited the family on Saturday evening and pledged to open an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death and establish accountability, witnesses said.
Tunisia President Kais Saied shut down parliament and began ruling by decree in 2021 in what he called a move to root out rampant corruption and mismanagement, but which the opposition called a coup.
Rights groups accuse Saied of using the judiciary and police to stifle criticism, something that Saied denies.
