Novosibirsk Lifts Quarantine That Triggered Mass Cattle Culls
Authorities in Russia's Novosibirsk region have lifted quarantine measures linked to an infectious disease that prompted the culling of around 90,000 cattle across nine regions earlier this year. Meat products that have passed veterinary inspection can now be sold freely within the region.
The Novosibirsk region's agriculture ministry announced Friday that all quarantine restrictions introduced due to an infectious disease among livestock have been officially lifted. The head of its veterinary department said beef, other animal meat, and products that have cleared veterinary inspection can now be sold freely throughout the Novosibirsk region. The ministry also allowed the transportation of livestock across the region under close supervision by veterinary specialists. Transportation and sale of live animals and animal products outside the Novosibirsk region will be permitted after veterinary experts restore its health status.
Between February and March, approximately 90,000 cattle were culled across nine Russian regions, including Novosibirsk. Russian officials blamed the mass culls on rabies and an "unusual mutated form" of pasteurellosis. In Novosibirsk alone, analysts estimate that half of the 6,800 cattle on affected farms were slaughtered, resulting in losses exceeding 235 million rubles ($3.1 million).
Despite the authorities' claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's foreign service suggested the culls may have actually been a response to an unconfirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious and often fatal virus. That theory gained traction after Kazakhstan banned imports of Russian meat and livestock. Russia's agriculture watchdog has dismissed the allegation.
