The Argentine government confirmed Wednesday the existence of foot-and-mouth disease in two more provinces of Cordoba and La Pampa, according to a report of the National Agriculture and Food Sanity and Quality Service ( SENASA).

SENASA, the country's agricultural health agency, confirmed Tuesday the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in a remote part of Buenos Aires province, a popular cattle-grazing area.

The Argentine government has declared voluntary restrictions on beef exports to key markets such as the United States, Canada and Chile, since the acknowledgment of the disease on Tuesday.

Argentina is the world's fourth-largest beef producing nation. The discovery of the highly contagious livestock disease will deal a heavy blow to the South American country that exported 828.5 million dollars worth of meat in 1999.

(Xinhua 03/15/2001)