Livestock Infectious Diseases: Strengthen Prevention, Minimize Culling... Farm Compensation Cap Raised to 90%

Ministry of Agriculture Unveils "K-Livestock Disease Prevention Improvement Plan"
AI to Power "Disinfection, Access Control and Disease Detection"; Korean Vaccine Development to Accelerate
Amendments to Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases to Take Effect Next April

The government will introduce artificial intelligence (AI)-powered disinfection, access control and disease detection to proactively prevent livestock infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza. It will also accelerate the development of Korean vaccines to prevent livestock diseases in advance. When an outbreak occurs, the government will limit culling and movement restrictions to cases where they are essential to contain the spread, and raise the compensation cap for farms to 90% to support swift recovery.

At a Cabinet meeting on November 3, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the "K-Livestock Disease Prevention Improvement Plan."

The plan aims to "build a sustainable K-livestock disease prevention system focused on prevention" and consists of three strategies: strengthening prevention and on-site capabilities; improving the effectiveness of responses to outbreaks; and improving the disease prevention management system.

The Asia Business Daily DB

◆ Strengthening prevention and on-site capabilities = The government will introduce smart technologies and artificial intelligence transformation (AX) in five key areas, including farm disinfection, access control and disease detection. It will also upgrade the Korea Animal Health Integrated System (KAHIS) to respond to risks in real time. To this end, data from farms, control posts and disinfection facilities at strategic locations will be linked to KAHIS for integrated use.

Starting in 2027, the government will also work with the private sector to introduce a disease-management certification program for layer farms, breeding pig farms and large-scale pig farms. It will provide incentives, including disinfection supplies and reduced cuts to compensation, to farms certified as disease-free or as having excellent management. Farms with weaknesses will receive consulting support to improve their disease prevention capabilities.

The government will strengthen the prevention of livestock infectious diseases through the development of Korean vaccines in collaboration with the private sector. By 2027, it plans to commercialize a platform vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease and develop vaccines and diagnostic methods for highly pathogenic avian influenza. It also plans to develop a vaccine for African swine fever (ASF) by 2030. In October 2026, it formed a vaccine review committee comprising consumers, experts and relevant organizations to consider whether to introduce routine vaccination against highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The Asia Business Daily DB

◆ Improving the effectiveness of responses to outbreaks = The government will develop prevention and containment measures based on the characteristics of disaster-level infectious diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and ASF, and their risk factors for transmission. For foot-and-mouth disease, it will use the cattle traceability system and KAHIS to identify and manage animals that have missed vaccination. It will also carry out advance vaccination in high-risk areas and stockpile vaccines in preparation for new strains, including SAT1. For ASF, it will manage three key transmission risks: wild boars, inspections of illegal livestock-product distribution, and plasma protein feed.

In particular, for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the government will introduce a system requiring the advance registration of people and vehicles entering layer farms, focusing on farms that experienced many outbreaks last year. It will strengthen disease prevention measures to four stages and operate tailored programs for each densely concentrated farming area. For lumpy skin disease (LSD), it will vaccinate farms at risk and carry out emergency control measures through specialist companies.

The government plans to develop and implement a comprehensive package of new measures for five major economically significant livestock diseases, including bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), which cause livestock farms economic losses of approximately KRW 620 billion annually. The measures will include surveys of actual conditions, tailored vaccine supplies and certification of disease-free farms.

Culling and movement restrictions will be applied flexibly based on disease characteristics and risk assessments, with responses focused on measures essential to contain the spread. Even if a farm is the first to report foot-and-mouth disease in a city or county, partial culling may be carried out if certain conditions are met. The policy will also be revised to allow the postponement of culling at farms that received pigs from an ASF-affected farm, subject to detailed testing and a risk assessment. Movement restrictions and temporary movement standstills will be applied according to the affected area, livestock species and level of risk.

Under amendments to the Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases, starting in April 2027, the compensation cap for livestock farms will be raised from a maximum of 80% to 90%. For the first farm to report an outbreak in each city, county or district, compensation of up to 100% may be paid. The reduction in compensation deductions for farms with excellent disease prevention practices will be increased from 10% to 15% as a preferential measure, while farms that deliberately fail to comply with foot-and-mouth disease vaccination orders will be strictly managed.

The Asia Business Daily DB

◆ Improving the disease prevention management system = To address the shortage of on-site livestock disease prevention officers, the government will work with the private sector on tasks such as vaccination and disinfection, while continuing discussions with relevant ministries and other parties on improving the officers' working conditions. Livestock disease prevention officers will focus on specialized disease prevention work, including diagnosis, surveillance and responses to emerging infectious diseases. Farm inspections, surveillance and vaccination will be carried out in collaboration with private veterinarians and others.

In addition, the government will continue discussions with relevant ministries and other parties on improving working conditions, including the ranks and allowances of livestock disease prevention officers and shortening the service period of public-service veterinarians. To secure specialized disease prevention personnel, it plans to expand the authority to appoint public-service veterinarians from cities and counties to provinces and metropolitan cities, and to make active use of private veterinarians and retired veterinary public officials.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to revise relevant laws, regulations, public notices and emergency action guidelines (SOPs) to implement the improvement plan, and apply it in the field in collaboration with producer organizations, local governments and relevant agencies.

Lee Dongsik, Director General for Animal Disease Control Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "The efforts of the government and those working in the field have helped prevent livestock infectious diseases and contain their spread. However, changing disease prevention conditions, including new transmission routes, have made some aspects difficult to address through the existing system alone. Through this plan, we will strengthen the preventive capabilities of relevant organizations and farms, address gaps in disease prevention, and respond effectively to the changing disease prevention environment. We will work to ensure the economic stability of livestock farms and a stable supply of livestock products."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.