Ang Magsasaka partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat yesterday called for harsher measures to stop the entry of African Swine Fever virus in the country, including a total ban on pork importation and the temporary prohibition on the collection of food leftovers as hog feed.
Cabatbat, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, made the proposal as he aired strong suspicion that smuggling of pork products could be the culprit in the current ASF outbreak that has hit several provinces, including Rizal and Bulacan.
“Ang smuggling ay matagal nang problema, pinaiimbestigahan natin ito,” Cabatbat stated during the Partylist Forum.
He has filed House Resolution No. 336 directing the House Committee on Agriculture and Food to look into the status of the proliferation of ASF and assess its adverse impact to the local hog industry.
The resolution also urges the House panel to look into pork smuggling activities at the Bureau of Customs, noting that source of smuggled products could be from countries already struggling against the effects of ASF.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has reported ASF outbreaks in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Mongolia, Laos, and Myanmar.
Cabatbat admitted that another source of the virus could be canned meat products and the use of food leftovers as feed for pigs.
“Humans can become carriers of the virus, and the virus can also survive even if the meat has been processed or canned,” he noted.
Since government is finding difficulty in pinpointing the source of the ASF virus, Cabatbat said a total ban on importation of meat should be considered. (Ben Rosario)