Last February, Ecuador announced the eradication of foot and mouth disease in its cattle industry, and in just a few days will receive official certification from the World Health Organization confirming this major achievement. Now that the way has been paved for growth and the importation of high-quality breeds in Ecuador’s cattle industry, Ecuador is importing 1300 cattle from Paraguay throughout the month of May with the aim of improving its genetic stock. The first two shipments have arrived, and three are yet to come. The federal government has invested US$3 million in this month’s imports, which is just a first step towards importing a total of 35,000 head of cattle from different countries before 2017. Ecuador plans to export beef and dairy products to Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and Panama, and has also expressed interest in entering the Russian and Peruvian markets. Liz Scherffius reports from Quito for teleSUR.