Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena is again warning online sellers and travelers against bringing pork products into Negros Occidental because they will be confiscated and destroyed.
The Provincial ASF (African swine fever) Task Force on Thursday burned 27.1 kgs. of assorted pork products worth P12,350 that arrived at the Bacolod Silay Airport, Decena said Friday, February 4.
Negros Occidental is an ASF-free province and has an ordinance against the entry of pork from ASF hit areas.
Decena said they have conducted test buys from online sellers and confiscated the entry of Korean meat products, and expensive hams brought in by travelers.
The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas also announced that it is monitoring online sellers to ensure the sources of their pork products are free from ASF.
Decena said they have to closely monitor pork products to protect the P6 billion swine industry of Negros Occidental.
He noted that 85 percent of the swine producers in the province are composed of about 15,000 backyard raisers who are now earning P160 per kilo on their live weight pork.
Decena said his office has been conducting veterinary missions in the fifth and sixth districts of Negros Occidental to help revive swine production in areas hit by Typhoon “Odette.”*