PH bans entry of pork from 6 countries

The Philippines has placed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild pigs and their products including pork meat and semen originating from Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and China.

The ban coincidentally came at the onset of the “ber” months but Jesus Cham, President of Meat Importers and Traders Association, said that if there is going to be supply pressure on meat products towards the latter part of the year, this should not be the reason.

"We don't import pork from any of those countries so there is no effect," Cham said.

The law allows the Department of Agriculture (DA) to issue a general order preventing the entry of animals and their products from any country with dangerous communicable disease.

Thus, when it received reports from the World Organization for Animal Health that there were several outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and China affecting domestic and wild pigs, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol immediately imposed the ban.

"There is a need to prevent the entry of ASF virus to protect the health of the local swine population," Piñol said.

He also called for the immediate suspension of the processing and evaluation of the application and issuance of Sanitary Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance to these commodities.

All of the shipments that are scheduled to arrive here will likewise be confiscated by DA Veterinary Quarantine Officers at all major ports.

To further protect the local swine population from any potential ASF contamination, Piñol also issued another order prohibiting the use of catering food waste or leftovers from international and domestic airports and seaports as swine-swill feed throughout the country.