The incidence rate of bovine brucellosis in the Azores registered 0.324 per cent during the first trimester of 2009. The positive cases were only identified on the Islands of São Miguel and São Jorge.

These figures represent the lowest rate ever in the Region, regarding bovine brucellosis, and are the outcome of the Plan to Eradicate Bovine Brucellosis, which was implemented by the Government of the Azores.

The official data was presented during a lecture on ensilage, fodder and animal health, which was held at the Maia Parish Centre with the presence of the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry.

The Islands of Graciosa, Pico, Flores, and Corvo maintain the status of “Officially Bovine Brucellosis-free Islands,” under the Commission Decision no. 2004/199/CE, of February 27.

In turn, the Islands of Santa Maria and Faial are still awaiting the decision of the EU Commission on their application for the aforementioned status.

The vaccination with the RB 51 vaccine continues to be an extremely important tool for the eradication of Bovine Brucellosis in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and even in Mainland Portugal, which copying the Azores’ strategy, has reached incidence rates that had never occurred before.

At the end of the meeting, Noé Rodrigues praised the initiative of the organisers of another edition of the Maia Cultural Week, for having included activities related to the agricultural sector in the agenda, “which help agricultural businesspeople to become better informed and have a better training for their professional activity.”