The Philippines has banned processed porcine animal proteins used in manufacturing animal feeds and pet food from countries struck by African swine fever (ASF) to protect the domestic hog population from the dreaded disease.
The Department of Agriculture issued Memorandum Order 6 dated March 8 to authorize the ban. In MO 6, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the DA should institute emergency measures for the importation of processed porcine animal proteins from ASF-infected countries.
The Philippines will no longer issue sanitary/phytosanitary import clearance that is required to import processed porcine/pork meal for animal feed use.
Piñol also ordered DA Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major ports to confiscate of all shipments of imported pork meal.
Countries that are no longer allowed to ship pork products into the Philippines include Vietnam, Mongolia, Belgium, China, Germany, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and Japan.
“Evidence supports consumption of contaminated feed as one of the possible transmission routes of ASF virus to domestic pigs,” Piñol said in MO 6.
“There is a need to prevent the entry of ASF virus through animals feeds of porcine origin to protect the health of the local swine population,” he added.
Member-countries of the World Organization for Animal Health notify ASF outbreaks in their territories as of part of their obligation, according to MO 6.
Earlier, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said the Philippines has readied a contingency plan that outlines the measures and protocols that the government will undertake to deal with possible outbreaks of the ASF in the country.
The BAI said it has come up with the third version of its ASF Contingency Plan, which details the government’s action plan in case of a local outbreak.
The attached agency of the DA has flagged pork products, particularly those brought in by returning Filipinos overseas, as possible carriers of the ASF virus. The virus could thrive in processed meat products and could be transferred to live hogs.
The DA also said it is keen on punishing tourists who will bring in pork products from countries affected by ASF with a fine of not less than P200,000.
Piñol told the BusinessMirror that he has instructed his policy team to review if the DA has legal authority to issue an administrative order (AO) mandating the implementation of the stringent measure.