SAN JOSE, Antique – The Antique African swine fever (ASF) Task Force asked retailers to voluntarily pull out from display pork-based processed and canned goods from areas affected by the ASF.
“This is part of preventing the spread of ASF in our province,” said Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil, head of the Public Health Division of the Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) and member of the task force.
Provincial Ordinance 242-2020 prohibits “the carrying, transport, shipment distribution, storing, trading, marketing and sale of live pigs, boar semen, pork, and pork products including but not limited to canned goods and food items containing pork that originated from, manufactured and/or processed anywhere in the country and countries affected by ASF.”
Trade and Development specialist Glen Fernando, who is also part of the task force, said monitoring has been intensified, from once a month to weekly.
“We are monitoring basic commodities that have pork ingredients,” Fernando said.
Canned and frozen goods like tocino, chorizo and ham with pork ingredients and manufactured in Luzon were being supplied t retailers in Antique, he pointed out.
ASF outbreaks have been reported in Luzon.
Retailers were also advised to put labels on their goods as to where these were manufactured for easy identification.
The provincial government ordered ASF quarantine checkpoints in the northern towns of Libertad and Pandan and in the southern town of Hamtic.
However, instead of imposing fines, the task force only reprimands delivery van drivers found to have violations and were prevented from unloading their products with pork ingredients from Luzon.
Starting next week, pork products without proper documents will be seized and will be fined as provided for by Provincial Ordinance 242-2020 which was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in December last year.
Under Section 11 of the ordinance, a violator will be fined not less than P1,000 but not to exceed P5,000 or imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than one year, or both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. (PNA/PN)
