SENASA Streamlines Procedures to Evacuate Livestock Affected by El Niño Flooding
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- SenasaInundaciones: Se facilita la gestión de movimientos para la evacuación de hacienda por el fenómeno El Niño
- AgriculturaFenómeno de El Niño: desde agosto ya se trasladaron 147.500 animales desde las regiones afectadas
- bichos del campoAhora le toca a Formosa: La crecida del río Paraguay activa el plan de evacuación y extiende hacia el norte una emergencia que ya movilizó casi 150.000 animales
- bichos del campoEl Niño ya inundó las islas del norte santafesino y crece la preocupación por el futuro de la hacienda y la falta de pasto
- SenasaInundaciones: Se facilita la gestión de movimientos para evacuar hacienda por el fenómeno El Niño
The National Food Safety and Agricultural Health Service (SENASA) eased the administrative procedures for moving livestock out of areas affected by river flooding linked to the El Niño phenomenon. According to the agency's records, 147,500 cattle and water buffalo have been evacuated since August from flooded regions in the provinces of Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe and the island areas of Buenos Aires.
More Transfers Than in 2025
The number of animals moved rose 102% compared with the same period in 2025, requiring 7,448 transfers formalized through the issuance of the electronic Transit Document (DT-e). The agency clarified that these figures represent a partial tally and that movements are expected to keep rising as the situation evolves in each region. To speed up the evacuation, SENASA facilitated the issuance of the DT-e and the registration of producers in the National Agricultural Producers Health Registry (RENSPA), while also providing for exceptional measures to meet health requirements once the livestock reaches its destination.
Emergency Reaches Formosa
The rise of the Paraguay River, caused by the so-called backwater effect generated by the Paraná, extended the emergency northward and activated the contingency plan in Formosa, where operations are concentrated in Banco Payaguá, General Mansilla and Colonia Cano. Provincial government officials noted that the water situation is being managed preventively, although the local emergency has not yet reached the level seen downstream in the Litoral region.
Concern in Northern Santa Fe
In the Jaaukanigás wetland, in the General Obligado department of Santa Fe, producers began removing livestock from the islands two or three weeks ago as the Paraná River continued to rise, its level still high due to rainfall in Brazil and in the upper basin. Milvana Yacuzzi, a livestock producer and Secretary of Production for Villa Ocampo, said that while the evacuation went smoothly thanks to the roughly 15-day margin between the peaks recorded at Iguazú and the water's arrival in the area, the challenge now is finding and affording higher ground to shelter the animals, in a scenario where forecasts suggest the flooding could last until February.
Health Recommendations
SENASA reiterated guidelines for evacuating and managing animals during the emergency, such as securing elevated paddocks with feed and water, beginning transfers 24 to 48 hours before the water arrives using smaller herds, marking animals with veterinary spray paint, and, if evacuation is not possible, opening gates so the animals can move on their own. It also recommended checking animal health upon arrival to prevent leptospirosis, foot rot, anaplasmosis and babesiosis, and watching for toxic plants such as mío-mío in the destination paddocks, since animals moved from the islands may be unfamiliar with them.
