BRASILIA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has declared Brazil's federal district and 10 states free from the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the Brazilian agriculture minister said Monday.

    "The good news of the day is that the OIE has just released all Brazilian states that had been blocked in 2005," said Reinhold Stephanes, Brazil's minister of agriculture, livestock and supply.

    Brasilia, the federal district of Brazil, was freed from suspension due to the FMD. Besides, the states receiving the new rating issued by the IOE are Bahia, Sergipe, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Goias, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Parana.

    The new rating replaced the decision taken by the OIE at the end of 2005, when a few cases of the FMD were detected in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana.

    But OIE requested Brazil to hand in further information of Mato Grosso do Sul within two months before removing it from the alert list. The first cases of the FMD were detected in this state in 2005.

    The announcement would probably generate immediate gains to the country, since the world demand had been so heated that Brazil might soon run out of meat to export, Stephanes said.

    Moreover, he added that the decision also favors medium-term prospects, such as an increase in production of meat.

    Brazil is the world's largest exporter of beef and has maintained the leading position despite the embargo imposed by several importing countries.

    According to the minister, Brazil has financed the defense system of animals and vegetables so that the country will be able to swiftly respond to new findings of the FMD.