Overview

• The Sociedad Rural Argentina formalized a proposal to pursue “free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination” status and offered technical collaboration to SENASA.
• SRA proposed creating a Strategic National Council for the definitive eradication of FMD, coordinated by SENASA with participation from producer groups, academia and provinces.
• Sociedad Rural Valle de Uco, aligned with CAR, condemned the initiative as opportunistic and called stopping vaccination irresponsible, arguing there is no need for a new body.
• CRA and CARBAP voiced caution, warning that halting immunization could jeopardize hard-won progress and citing past setbacks when vaccination was suspended in 1999.
• SRA says any shift must be gradual and evidence-based with stronger surveillance, labs and trained personnel, claiming the higher status could unlock premium export markets; no government policy change has been announced.