The Philippines has temporarily banned all pig and pork imports from Spain after authorities confirmed an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the European country, the country’s Department of Agriculture (DA) declared on Sunday.
The Department of Agriculture assured that pork supplies will stay adequate during the holidays, despite the temporary ban on hog and pork imports from Spain due to the ASF outbreak.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel stated that the import ban, which includes live pigs, pork, skins, and semen for artificial insemination, will not restrict supply levels or cause price increases during the Christmas season.
“Cold storage is full,” Tiu Laurel told reporters, emphasizing that stock levels are more than adequate to handle the anticipated rise in the holiday season.
The agency implemented the ban after Spain’s veterinary authorities informed the World Organization for Animal Health on November 28 that African Swine Fever had been found in wild pigs in Sabadell, Vallès Occidental, Barcelona.
Tiu Laurel explained that the temporary halt is essential to prevent the ASF virus from entering the country and to safeguard both domestic and wild pig populations.
The DA declared that all sanitary and phytosanitary permits for importing hogs from Spain have been immediately canceled.
Spain ranks among the European Union’s top pork producers and is the Philippines’ second-largest pork supplier, exporting 117,000 metric tons over the past nine months.
According to the directive, only frozen pork items produced on or before November 11 and shipped, in transit, or cleared at port by December 4 will be allowed entry into the Philippines. Any consignments produced after November 11 will be sent back to Spain.
POLICY & LAW | EU to Restrict Rice Imports From India and Asia
