Bovine brucellosis presented the lowest value ever in the Azores in the end of 2009, lowering to 0.2 percent, which maintained the lowering trend that has been prevailing since in the second half of the previous year. It is the lowest value regarding its incidence rate since the time when the disease was first known on the islands.

The Plan for the Eradication of Bovine Brucellosis, implemented by the Government of the Azores, and primarily focused on vaccination with the “RB51vaccine,” being a new technology at the service of animal health. The official services Azorean were the pioneers in the implementation of this service in Europe.

However, the Eradication Plan and its success, not only focused on the vaccine but also on an innovative organisation, whether in human resources, whether in materials, involving the use of computer infrastructures and georeferencing systems that allow to correctly identify the configuration of each farm, automate the process of field work as well as to organise the scheduling and the departure of the animal health teams to the field.”

The work carried out by the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry demonstrates positive results for our economy, health and image, especially in a Region which is strongly linked to animal husbandry and dairy economy.

It should be stressed that from April 2008, something which had not occurred in the Azores for over 50 years became possible: farms and producers have the possibility of exporting bovines outside the Region, with the added value that these are breeding animals with high quality genetics (for meat or dairy), which represents the creation of a huge potential for the animal husbandry farms with improved animal genetics as they may also diversify their products and sell breeding bovines at competitive prices.

These excellent results in the area of brucellosis eradication also benefit the regional public health and reinforce the consumers’ trust in the Azorean products, thereby increasing and enhancing the quality of regional food, which will boost the choice of regional products of animal origin among consumers, with major benefits for the image of the Azorean economy.

The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry remains committed to develop and consolidate the established plan, always counting on the dedication of all official and the technicians from Agricultural Development Services, producers and their organisations.

There are currently six islands in the Azores with the status of “officially free” from Bovine Brucellosis (Santa Maria, Graciosa, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo), awarded by the European Veterinary Authority.