The Philippines bans pork imports from three countries
Three new countries have entered the blacklist of pork imports in the Philippines. The Asian country has banned pork coming from South Korea, Myanmar and Serbia after these countries announced ASF outbreaks on their territory.
By now, 22 countries are banned to export pork in Philippines, which also included Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, Laos, North Korea, Latvia, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zambia, according to Inquirer newspaper.
Also, customs personnel has been instructed to increase luggage-control operations in ports, airports and at the border in order to stop infected pork or pork products coming into the country. "All district collectors, sub-port collectors and all other concerned are directed to coordinate with DA-BAI (the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry) personnel in all international air and seaports for the conduct of rigid inspection especially on the checked-in and hand-carried luggage of all incoming passengers from ASF-affected countries, and confiscate and destroy all pork and pork-related products coming from the said countries within 24 hours from interception," it is said memorandum issued last week by Deputy Commissioner Edward James A. Dy Buco to all district and sub-port collectors.
The Philippines is also fighting the disease after an outbreak was reported last month in the country. Lab results have confirmed the ASF virus in two backyard farms. 7,416 pigs have bee culled to stop the virus spreading but other dead animals have been reported since then. In July, the total swine population in the country stood at 2.7 million, worth almost $5 billion according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Small backyard raisers account for two-thirds of the country’s swine industry.
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