Tension grows over the sanitary barrier: the vision of the new head of SENASA

With great caution, the new president of the National Service of Agri-Food Health and Quality (SENASA), María Beatriz "Pilu" Giraudo, passed through Río Negro, a hostile territory after the agency she directs relaxed the sanitary barrier to allow the entry of bone-in meat, which sparked the anger of ranchers and some governors. The official agreed to a limited interview, where she addressed the bovine sanitary issue and the operational management of the sanitary barrier. She opted for a technical tone, clarifying in the interview that, by organizational chart, she depends on a more political body, such as the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Nation. What steps are being taken so that all of Argentina, as Brazil has already done, can be declared a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone? The steps we are taking are those that are publicly known, with this new vaccination scheme (which will come into effect next year, and will eliminate the second annual ...