Gangwon-do Invests 58.5 Billion Won in 'Animal Quarantine and Livestock Product Hygiene'

Advanced Animal Quarantine 39.3 Billion KRW
Animal Welfare Hub 16.2 Billion KRW
Securing Safe Food 3 Billion KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province, marking the inaugural year of the Special Self-Governing Province, will invest a total of 58.5 billion KRW in measures for animal quarantine, companion animal protection and welfare, and livestock product hygiene and safety.

According to the province on the 9th, a total of 39.3 billion KRW will be allocated to projects focused on "preemptive prevention and advanced animal quarantine," including ▲support for operation of key control and quarantine facilities with 6.4 billion KRW ▲support for vaccines preventing livestock infectious diseases such as rabies with 6 billion KRW ▲foot-and-mouth disease quarantine support with 6.3 billion KRW ▲support for joint pest control teams with 2.5 billion KRW.

Additionally, 16.2 billion KRW will be invested in Gangwon-style companion animal policy innovation and building an animal welfare hub, including ▲construction of the Gangwon Province Companion Animal Support Center with 8 billion KRW ▲support for installation of animal protection centers with 5 billion KRW ▲support for protection, management, and adoption expenses of abandoned animals aiming for zero euthanasia with 1.2 billion KRW.

Other investments include ▲10 billion KRW for improving hygiene facilities in livestock product processing plants ▲30 billion KRW for projects enhancing livestock product hygiene and safety and securing safe food for residents.

The province plans to execute more than 70% of this year’s budget in the first half to efficiently implement animal quarantine, animal protection welfare, and livestock product hygiene and safety measures, as well as to revitalize the local economy amid recent inflation and difficulties.

The animal quarantine project will establish a public-private joint quarantine system, with on-site quarantine led by farms and private quarantine organizations, and administrative support focused on field assistance.

The companion animal protection and welfare project aims to create a social culture where people and animals coexist, through building a companion animal support center, protecting and managing abandoned and lost animals, and promoting companion animal accompaniment campaigns.

The livestock product hygiene and safety project will focus on expanding inspections, improving the environment, and increasing certification under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to ensure consumers can trust the supply of safe and hygienic livestock products.

Ahn Jae-wan, head of the Animal Quarantine Division, said, "In the era of 15 million companion animal owners, we will do our best to foster a mature companion culture where people and animals coexist, build Gangwon-style companion industry infrastructure, and enhance consumer trust through the supply of safe and hygienic livestock products."