Will there be a shortage of dairy and meat products? Foot-and-mouth disease is spreading on farms in Israel

Veterinary services are reporting an unusual and widespread outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Israel.

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According to a report by Yaeli Yaakovi-Handelsman in Israel Hayom, the disease - which affects cattle, sheep and goats - has already been identified in dozens of locations across the country, forcing the authorities to impose strict lockdown zones and containment measures - measures that may soon show their signs in dairy farms and on milk shelves in supermarkets.

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The chairman of the Federation of Veterinary Doctors, Dr. Michael Ettinger, told Israel Hayom: "The outbreak started in the northern region, and today there are already 106 farms where the disease has broken out, and we are also seeing it in the Shephelah region.".

According to him, consumers of milk and meat can rest assured in terms of health, as the disease is not transmitted from animals to humans, "but since it is an economic disease, it severely damages the economy. The farms where it breaks out are put under full quarantine; animals and products are not allowed to be brought in or taken out.".

The meaning: an immediate halt to the marketing of meat from those regions, but the equally dramatic impact is on dairy farms.

Dr. Ettinger explains that beyond the natural and significant decrease in milk production in sick animals, there is a real difficulty in milking them.

At this stage, the Israeli consumer is not yet feeling the impact on the shelves. Dairy products are mostly produced in Israel, and local beef consumption relies largely on imports. However, the problem is starting to get complicated on mixed farms. "If there is a farm that has both beef and chickens, you can't take the poultry out of there without close supervision and special permits," warns Ettinger.

He said that if the rate of infection is not stopped, the situation could change. "If 70% of those 106 infected farms are dairy farms, there is a decrease in milk production that we will begin to feel. If we do not manage to stop the outbreak within a few weeks, it will be very difficult for us to maintain supplies.".