Batangas bans live hogs, pork entry

SAN PEDRO CITY –– Batangas on Tuesday issued a total ban on live hogs and meat products entering the province because of suspected cases of African swine fever (ASF).

But Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, in a phone interview, said the ban was just a “precautionary measure” and clarified there was no confirmed case of ASF in their province yet.

Mandanas said Agriculture Secretary William Dar directed him to “take precautions” considering that Batangas, along with Bulacan, is a top producer in the P250-billion livestock industry.

“What we are preventing is (having to perform the) culling of hogs. We are protecting our producers,” Mandanas said.

Inspections

The ban came a day after Dar ordered the culling of hogs suspected to be infected with ASF in Rizal province.

Provincial board member Jesus de Veyra, who presided over Tuesday’s meeting with veterinarians and industry stakeholders in Batangas, said they have not yet monitored any case of ASF in the farms.

Instead, “what we were telling them (hog raisers) is to report as soon as there is an incidence of (ASF).  Don’t keep it from us (government),” de Veyra said.

De Veyra said the provincial, city, and municipal veterinarians along with the Bureau of Animal Industry and the National Meat Inspection Services would set up checkpoints and farm inspection and disinfection measures.

Clearance

Meanwhile, meat products coming out of Batangas should be issued clearances by government veterinarians.

De Veyra said they would also extend the inspection to include cattle products.

Batangas Vice Gov. Marc Leviste said they still have to determine the exact number of hog raisers in the province.

Although not transferrable to humans, the ASF easily transmits between farms and is said to have the potential to wipe out the industry.

De Veyra said the ban would stay until the Agriculture Department declares the country safe from ASF./lzb