The Department of Agricultures’ Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has confirmed outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in countries like China, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

With the spreading of the disease, the BAI has banned the entry of domestic and wild pigs, and other products like pork meat and semen from these affected countries. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also stopped the use of catering food waste/leftovers from international and domestic airports and seaports to feed the pigs. It has also suspended the processing and evaluation of applications for and the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances from affected commodities.

ASF is a hemorrhagic disease of domestic and wild pigs of all ages. It is highly contagious, and with a mortality rate that can be as high as 100 percent

The local swine industry is one of the biggest contributors to the country’s agriculture development, with over 16 percent growth in gross earnings caused by production expansions and escalating demand for pork.

Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-bans-entry-of-domestic-wild-pigs-from-swine-flu-hit-countries/437293/