Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry Issues Directive to Strengthen Biosecurity in Live Animal Transport

The Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon has issued a directive aimed at all personnel involved in the transportation of live livestock. This measure is part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the country’s animal wealth and reinforce the national biosecurity framework. The directive emphasizes strict adherence to cleaning, disinfection, and preventive protocols designed to minimize the risk of contagious and infectious animal diseases spreading among farms, markets, slaughterhouses, and sales centers.

The ministry clarified that these measures are intended to enhance health prevention, protect national herds, ensure the safety of animal production, safeguard public health, and prevent economic losses that could result from transboundary or epidemic animal diseases.

The directive outlines several mandatory procedures, including the thorough cleaning of trucks and trailers used for live animal transport after each trip. This involves removing all organic waste, excrement, and adhered dirt, followed by disinfecting the transport vehicles with approved and effective disinfectants targeting animal disease agents. Special attention must be given to truck floors, walls, doors, and loading and unloading equipment. The cleaning and disinfection must be completed before loading any new batch of animals, whether transported from Beirut port to farms, from farms to slaughterhouses, or between other relevant locations. Mixing animals from different sources within the same transport vehicle is prohibited unless it complies with current veterinary regulations and instructions. Full cooperation with veterinary doctors from the Ministry of Agriculture is required, allowing them to verify compliance with cleaning and disinfection procedures upon request. Additionally, documented records of cleaning and disinfection operations, including dates, must be maintained and presented to competent authorities when requested.

The Ministry of Agriculture stressed that adherence to these measures forms a fundamental pillar of the national biosecurity system. It contributes to reducing the spread of animal diseases, enhancing the safety of the animal production chain, and protecting consumer health, in alignment with internationally recognized veterinary and health standards.

The ministry also called upon all relevant parties—particularly the Union of Butchers Syndicate, live livestock traders, the Dairy Cattle Breeders Syndicate, regional departments, and the Directorate of Animal Wealth—to fully cooperate in implementing this directive and disseminating its content among sector workers to ensure the highest levels of prevention and protection for the national livestock resources.