Uruguay expands free hemovaccine programme to combat tick-inflicted losses in cattle sector

Uruguay’s livestock ministry begins expanding its free hemovaccine initiative to target the ongoing tick problem, aiming to reduce severe losses in the cattle industry and support family producers amidst a US$90 million annual impact.

Uruguay’s livestock ministry has begun expanding its free hemovaccine programme as part of a broader campaign against ticks, a pest that officials say is causing heavy losses across the cattle sector.

Alfredo Fratti, the agriculture minister, said the measure is intended to reach family producers in affected areas and those at high risk of infestation. The ministry has also prioritised producers linked to the Procría programme, alongside the National Institute of Colonisation, and has set up an online application process.

Officials said 20,000 doses are now available, with vaccinations due to start in September. The ministry has also opened a call for eligible family producers, with applications accepted until 15 October.

Fratti said the current supply is far from enough to cover every calf born in the country, but described it as an important step. He has previously said the wider tick problem costs the sector about US$90 million a year, including treatment costs and animal deaths.

The ministry is also backing alternative vaccines after the Pasteur Institute’s candidate failed to meet the required efficacy in larger-scale trials. Fratti said the aim is not total eradication, but to bring tick levels down enough to reduce disease and mortality.

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