BACOLOD City – The province of Negros Occidental has expanded its entry ban of live pigs, pork, and pork-based products from the whole Mindanao to protect its multi-billion swine industry from the dreaded African swine fever (ASF).
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, chair of the Provincial ASF Task Force, cited in a memorandum the report and findings of the Provincial Veterinary Office on the spread of ASF in Mindanao on Feb. 6.
“The Department of Agriculture has no clear-cut and immediate measures to protect the nearby regions and provinces from being affected by the ASF virus,” Lacson said in the directive issued to the mayors of the 12 cities and 19 municipalities of the province on Thursday.
“Such incidence of ASF poses a great threat to the province, being one of the gateways of livestock and meat products trading to Panay provinces and Luzon,” he added.
“Therefore, I hereby declare the banning on the entry of live pigs, boar semen, pork, pork products, and other pork-related food items from Mindanao,” Lacson said.
Initially, the ban only covered entry of products from the region of Davao, following the reported positive case of ASF in Davao Occidental that caused the death of a thousand pigs.
It was on Feb. 3 when he first issued a memorandum to all the mayors to prohibit the entry of live pigs, pork products, and pork-based items coming only from the Davao region.
In his latest memorandum, he also directed the local chief executives to ensure the implementation of preventive and safeguard measures as embodied in the “ASF Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental.”
He also told them to implement preventive measures in their respective areas of jurisdiction and to enjoin local government units to coordinate their activities with the task force to ensure a coordinated response and action throughout the province.
The measures include the conduct of rigid and stringent screening and inspection of incoming shipments of live animals and pork products from Mindanao, and holding of checkpoints to intercept and control the movement of live animals, pork, pork products, and other related items entering the province.
Last December, the province already imposed a permanent ban on the entry of pork from Luzon and other affected areas through an ordinance.(With a report from PNA/PN)
