LUKIĆ: SURVEILLANCE ZONES IN PETROVO REMOVED

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 7 /SRNA/ - Surveillance zones established in the municipality of Petrovo to control and suppress bird flu have been lifted, Assistant Minister for Veterinary Affairs Negoslav Lukić told SRNA.

The zones were lifted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska, and a return of export status for poultry meat to the EU market is now expected, which, as Lukić said, would further confirm the success of the measures taken and the stability of the control system. Lukić emphasized that the timely response of the competent institutions made it possible to bring the situation in the field under control in a very short time, preventing the spread of the disease to other farms and wider areas. “Thanks to the swift and coordinated response of the Ministry, the Republic Administration for Inspection Affairs and the veterinary services, measures to suppress avian influenza in the municipality of Petrovo have produced rapid and concrete results,” Lukić said. He explained that this decision confirms that the system is functioning, and that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Republic Administration for Inspection Affairs, and the veterinary services act in a coordinated, efficient, and responsible manner in protecting animal health and the stability of domestic production. He assessed that such results further strengthen confidence in the control system and the ability of institutions to respond quickly and effectively in crisis situations. “The competent services, with full cooperation from producers, implemented the prescribed measures in the shortest possible time. Such an approach enabled the rapid suppression of the disease, preservation of the poultry sector's safety, and prevention of greater economic consequences,” Lukić said. He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Republic Administration for Inspection Affairs, and the veterinary services will continue with enhanced monitoring and preventive activities to preserve a favorable epi-zootiological situation and provide full support to domestic producers.