African swine fever could only have entered PHL through smuggled meats — importers’ group

The African swine fever (ASF) virus could have only found its way to the Philippines through the "smuggled, illegal and undocumented" entry of foreign meat into the country, an importers' group insisted on Wednesday.

"Imported pork which is legally imported cannot be the source of ASF infection. The source of ASF infection can only be from smuggled, illegal, undocumented entry of foreign meat," said Jesus Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Traders Association, at the inquiry of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food into the ASF outbreak in several areas nationwide.

Cham said legally imported meats are carefully examined by state inspectors from their origin countries ante-mortem and post-mortem.

"That means it was inspected when it was still alive and after slaughter, the carcass was inspected and certified to be disease-free. The legal imports cannot, can never be the source of ASF infection," he said.

The Department of Agriculture on September 9 confirmed that 14 of the 20 blood samples from pigs in suspected areas in the country were found to be positive for ASF.

The samples were collected from hogs in three barangays in Rizal province where around 100 pigs died in August.

ASF cases have since been recorded in various areas of the country, including Quezon City, Pangasinan, and Pampanga.

But Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan pointed out that imported meat could be just one of the sources of the ASF outbreak in the country.

"In so many times, we've said that swill feeding is also probably one of the sources. Swill feeding doesn't narrow down to importation," he said.

Cayanan said that the DA had earlier imposed a ban on imported meat from ASF-affected countries even if their declaration was regionalized.

"Meron silang region na meron at merong wala, pero kapag nagkaroon, naka-ban na," he said.

Cham is hoping that government agencies could work hand in hand in order to stop the further spread of ASF in other areas.

"We hope this body and the executive branch of the government can work together to formulate science-based regulations and policies and guidelines in order to move forward," he said.

Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves, for his part, reiterated his proposal of a "no X-ray, no entry" policy to prevent meat smuggling.

"Tatlong taon akong nagsasalita ng 'no X-ray, no entry' policy sa Customs, hanggang ngayon hindi pa ginagawa. Ang problema ng droga doon din, ngayon sakit sa karne," he said.

"Sana finally mapakinggan din ako na let's really do the 'no X-ray, no entry' policy in Customs, I think it will solve a lot of problems," he added. — BM, GMA News