Structure and Contacts | Valstybinė maisto ir veterinarijos tarnyba

News

In a pig breeding complex of Akmenė district - outbreak of African swine fever

2018 m. August 08 d.

The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) informs that an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) is confirmed in a pig farm owned by the JSC “Idavang” (Akmenė district, Papilė parish, Skabeikiai village), in which approximately 19 500 pigs are kept. After the death of 24 fattening pigs in the farm during the last 3 days an immediate investigation has started. Today the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute has confirmed that in the selected samples the virus of ASF has been detected. In the complex where biosecurity measures were implemented, operating restrictions were imposed immediately and preparatory work for the elimination of the ASF outbreak has started. All pigs kept in the complex must be killed, and their carcasses must be safely destroyed. This is already the forty-first case of ASF in pig holding places this year recorded in Lithuania and the fifth case of the outbreak in Akmenė district. Previously, in this district there were four cases of ASF detected in small backyard farms. New cases of ASF in pig farms are regularly reported by neighboring countries as well. This year, responsible authorities of the Kaliningrad region has reported about several ASF outbreaks in the region, one of them in a commercial pig breeding complex with about 50 thousand pigs kept. About 90 ASF outbreaks are registered in Polish farms, and there are about 600 cases of this disease in Romania. Last week, the ASF outbreak was confirmed in one of the largest pig breeding complexes in Latvia, having about 15 thousand pigs. In addition, the first ASF outbreak last week was reported by China, which is the world's largest producer of pigs per year. The farmers, who are keeping the pigs, please observe their health status and apply biosecurity measures. In case of any suspicion of a contagious disease, it is necessary to inform the SFVS by a free of charge telephone line (8 800 40 403), working 24 hours per day or to notify a private veterinarian.

EU trade issues with Japan have been discussed

2018 m. July 03 d.

Last week, the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) hosted a seminar on “Agricultural sector in Japan – Untapped opportunities”. The seminar was attended by the representatives of the Lithuanian Confederation of Food Industry, milk processing companies and specialists from the SFVT. Lithuanian Agricultural Attaché in Japan, Deividas Kliučinskas, presented the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed by Japan and the European Union (EU) and its possible benefit to Lithuania. This agreement will come into force from 2019. It is planned that under it the trade volume between the EU and Japan will increase up to 24% and trade in some food products may increase up to 180%, thus, it is important for Lithuania to take advantage of this opportunity and start looking for partners in Japan more actively. D. Kliučinskas has stressed that the Lithuanian Embassy in Japan is ready to cooperate actively and help our companies to establish themselves in the Japanese market. In his opinion, in order to successfully sell the products in this country, it is important to know the taste of the consumers, their choice habits and find the right importers. During the seminar, the specifics of the market for dairy products and cheese in Japan, as well as insights and perspectives emerging after the entry into force of the EPA, were reviewed. The Japanese love high quality, natural cheese, and that is why every year the consumption of this milk product is increasing. It is emphasised that the export of cheese from the EU to Japan has a tendency to increase, in addition, according to the EPA, import taxes on cheese will be reduced, and the conditions for exporting cheese from the EU will be even more favorable. The food trade system in Japan was also introduced during the seminar, together with the activities and volumes of the largest retail chains (“Aeon”, “Ito Yokado”, “CGC Japan”, etc.) and the peculiarities of the products to be distributed in this country. D. Kliučinskas expressed his opinion that in order to improve relations with Japanese businessmen and importers, our producers should be more involved in exhibitions, taking place in this country (for instance, “FOODEX”), providing as many examples of quality products as possible. Lithuanian milk producers export cheese, milk powder and lactose to Japan.

Veterinary specialists are discussing how to deal more effectively with animal diseases in wildlife

2018 m. July 03 d.

On June 26, a three day workshop, organized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for the fifth time, has started in Vilnius, which is intended for the veterinarians to deal with the issues of animal contagious diseases spread in wild fauna. An event organized each time in another country this year is jointly organized with the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) in Lithuania. During this seminar, 54 experts from OIE, European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection, European Union (EU) countries and third countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, etc.) will share their experience and insights. The Head of the OIE Regional Representation in Moscow, Prof Dr Kazimieras Lukauskas has emphasised the importance of animal health in the whole region. Today, all countries face the challenges, dealing with the contagious diseases in wildlife and their control, therefore, a close cooperation between the responsible authorities is essential. It is the OIE that is taking a leadership to encourage this cooperation as an international organization, uniting responsible authorities and veterinarians in many countries. "The prevalence of contagious diseases in wildlife in many livestock and agricultural sectors is playing an increasingly important role. Common diseases of farm and wild animals, such as foot and mouth disease, classical and African swine fever, avian influenza and other diseases, cause huge economic losses not only to the isolated area or the country, but become a problem for the region. The saying that diseases do not recognize borders, takes on its direct meaning, thus, diseases are rapidly spreading, including new regions and countries. The management and control of these processes is becoming more and more complex and a constant challenge faced by veterinarians from all countries ", – said Darius Remeika, the Director of SFVS, welcoming the participants of the workshop. During the seminar, participants were presented to the EC data on the spread of African swine fever among the EU countries as well as new measures for the prevention and control of the disease to be implemented throughout the Community. Representatives from Lithuania, Poland and Belarus shared their experience in fighting African swine fever in wildlife and farms. "Lithuania became the first EU country to officially report on cases of African swine fever in wild fauna in January, 2014. Over the past four years, this disease has spread and continues to spread, with more and more European countries reporting on new African swine fever outbreaks. It is not by chance that Lithuania is chosen to organize this workshop. The experience of Lithuanian veterinarians in trying to manage the spread of the disease in wildlife, also the experience of cooperation with hunters and farmers can help other countries to develop disease control plans in their countries", – stated Prof K. Lukauskas. The seminar focuses on the monitoring of wildlife diseases and the application of preventive measures, analysis of good practice. An overview of the contagious diseases of wild and domestic animals (classical and African swine fever, avian influenza, etc.), the exchange of information and data among countries will be reviewed. Practical exercises and examples of implementing biosecurity measures in real field conditions are expected. RUS Семинар НК Дикие животные Литва 2018 OIE Presentations 2018

International team of experts assembled for the asf research

2018 m. June 04 d.

On 28-29 May 2018 a meeting of an international expert working group was held at the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS), during which the data collection on the ASF virus, its transmission ways, spreading trends in the disease affected places were discussed as well as the scientific evaluation of this data and preparation of conclusions and recommendations. Representatives from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), responsible institutions of Denmark, France, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as scientists, risk assessors, epidemiologists, statistical data analysts, wild fauna (wild boars) researchers and entomologists are participating in the above mentioned working group. “The work of this group is particularly important for both Lithuania and other countries that have been facing the threat of ASF for several years”, – emphasised the Director of the SFVS, welcoming the participants of the meeting. "We constantly underline that the effective control of this disease is possible only with comprehensive and reliable scientific studies and assessments. I hope that the results of this working group will allow scientists to gather the missing data and information in their work. The purpose of this project is to combine data from actual places, being affected by the disease, and from scientific experiments in laboratories. On the basis of this data, updated recommendations should be drawn up on how to effectively tackle this disease, which is still extremely spreading in Europe", – said D. Remeika. Experts from six countries and scientists have assembled in the working group not only to agree on a joint research study for which it is aimed that the data would be collected this season. Experts have to decide on the common data collection and the application of the aggregated data protocol (questionnaire), examining the outbreaks of ASF in pig holdings. In addition, the goal is to distribute specific tasks for each of the participating countries in the project, being responsible for their implementation. The Director of the SFVS also pointed out that this year has a particularly big number of ASF outbreaks in wild fauna, which is constantly growing. Since the beginning of this year, there are already 2.5 times more cases of the virus, being detected in wild boars, than it was last year during the same period. “This year, ASF has reached the territories in Lithuania with a very high density of wild boar populations, where there are more commercial pig farms and people raising the pigs. All of this poses a higher risk, especially since in recent weeks an outbreak of ASF has been registered just 13 km from our border, in the Polish farm. So, we believe that this year, the threat of ASF to occur in pigs is extremely high. In this situation, only especially strict application of biosecurity measures can save pig holders. The SFVS also makes efforts to comply with these measures wherever there is a real threat of transmission of the virus, i.e. during hunting in small and large pig holdings. The aim is common for all - to make the losses, caused by ASF, as small as possible", – stated D. Remeika. It is expected that this summer (during the most intense period of the ASF spreading) scientists will be able to collect enough data to allow them to identify the main factors, determining the access of the infection into the farms. By the conclusions it is expected for both the European Commission and EU countries to prepare and present a scientific study that will be useful in improving the relevant EU legislation, as well as the prevention of ASF and the control of affected places by the disease.

Priorities of the EU Chief Veterinary Officers – animal welfare and African swine fever control

2018 m. April 27 d.

On 24-27 May, Director of the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) Darius Remeika is representing Lithuania at the conference on animal welfare during transport and at the informal meeting of the Working Party of Chief Veterinary Officers of the Council of the European Union in Sofia (the Republic of Bulgaria). Active discussions were held at the conference on the issues of improvement of animal welfare during long-distance transport and ensuring animal protection when they are transported to countries other than the EU Member States. A decision was taken that competent authorities have to get more actively involved in providing advice to companies engaged in animal transportation services, in developing the competence of responsible employees of those companies and raising the awareness of the public. “There is often a lack of understanding why that much attention has to be given to the issues of welfare and protection of farm animals. After all, the final result, i. e. the quality of food we consume, depends on the quality of transportation and welfare of farm animals in general. Therefore, the education of employees working at companies, which provide animal transportation services, and the development of their responsibility are issues of particular importance. This conclusion served as a basis for the key resolution of the conference, which was supported by all the participating countries.” – said Director of the SFVS Darius Remeika. The situation of the African swine fever (ASF) in Europe has been analysed at the meeting of the Working Party of Chief Veterinary Officers of the Council of the European Union, the latest information has been presented on the ASF case in Hungary, where the first carcass of a wild boar, which died from this disease, had been recently found. The necessity to amend the EU legal framework in relation to ASF control requirements has been discussed, in particular with consideration of the ongoing occurrence of new outbreaks in populations of wild animals. “Extremely strict EU rules are applied in Lithuania just like in Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czechia, and Hungary. At the today’s meeting, the most effective ways to contain this disease at the same time allowing farms, which observe the biosafety requirements, to retain the possibility to develop their business and rear pigs were searched. At the meeting, I presented the position of Lithuania to representatives of the European Commission that the ASF measures have to be simplified and more flexible focussing on preventive measures and biosafety requirements at farm animal keeping places”, – underlined head of the SFVS.

Events

2015 y. March 06 d.

Events

Contacts

State food and veterinary service
State budgetary institution The Register of Legal Entities
code: 188601279

Address: Siesikų str. 19,
07170 Vilnius Lithuania
Tel. +370 5 240 4361
E-mail: info@vmvt.lt

Tipas

Dokumento nr.

Data nuo

iki

Kategorija

Institucija

Žodžiai pavadinime

Žodžiai tekste

Contacts

Structure

Lietuvių

Back