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Morocco suspends imports of feed grains from Germany


Source: Ukragroconsult (Ukraine)

Morocco has suspended imports of feed grains from Germany, where there has been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, said Omar Yacoubi, head of the National Federation of Grain and Legume Traders (FNCL).

The suspension of imports affected “all unprocessed vegetable feed intended for animal consumption from Germany due to the FMD outbreak,” Omar Yacoubi told Reuters.

A source at Morocco’s Food Safety Agency (ONSSA) confirmed that imports of plant-based animal feed from Germany have been “suspended” until Germany is declared FMD-free again or certifies regions of the country as free of the disease.

Germany announced the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 40 years on Jan. 10, which occurred in a herd of buffalo near Berlin in the state of Brandenburg. It is the only reported case so far.

The outbreak has led to trade restrictions by some countries, including Britain, on livestock-related goods from Germany. The German Agriculture Ministry said Jan. 13 that Germany’s loss of FMD-free status means that exporting a wide range of agricultural products outside the European Union is no longer possible.

Traders reported that exporters bought feed barley for Morocco from France instead of Germany in response to trade restrictions.

However, other importing countries are still accepting German feed grain. One shipment of German barley originally sold to Morocco will be sent to Tunisia, traders said.

Foot-and-mouth disease is regularly found in different parts of the world, including Africa, but Morocco has not seen an outbreak since 2019.

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