PNA File Photo
MANILA -- Agriculture Secretary William Dar has ordered the deployment of local government unit meat inspection services (LMIS) enforcement teams to closely monitor all public and private meat markets and outlets in view of the reported increase in swine mortalities in Bulacan and Rizal provinces.
In his Administrative Order signed on Tuesday (August 20) but was issued to the media on Thursday, Dar also directed all provincial/city/municipal veterinary officers to continue implementing precautionary measures to ensure food safety and food security.
Such measures include the prohibition of transporting of live animals, meat products, and meat by-products unless accompanied by veterinary health certificate (VHC) issued by a licensed veterinarian and shipping permit (SP) issued by Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and its regional veterinary quarantine offices; and the setting up of quarantine checkpoints in all ingress and egress from their respective provinces and municipalities.
They were also ordered to report to the BAI any unusual number of swine mortalities in their respective locality; and educate swine farmers to observe good animal husbandry practices and biosecurity measures such as putting foot baths, regular disinfection of farms, vaccination, and deworming.
"All animals brought to the slaughterhouse should be checked for fever and signs of diseased conditions. Diseased animals shall be condemned and properly disposed as per BAI procedures," he said.
Plant officers of the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) and deputized LMIS officers were also directed to strictly implement the "no veterinary health certificate, no slaughter policy”.
The DA earlier ordered the culling of all hogs -- infected or not -- within a one-kilometer (km) radius of infected farms in view of the reported presence of a swine disease.
The BAI and DA regional field offices were implementing the 1-7-10 protocol in managing, containing, and controlling the suspected disease or diseases, which means that all pigs within the 1-kilometer radius of infected farms will be culled.
For swine farms within a 7-kilometer radius, the BAI and concerned regional field offices would conduct surveillance procedures, test animals to determine the extent of the infection, and limit animal movement.
On the other hand, swine farms within a 10-kilometer radius will be required to submit a mandatory report on the disease.
The DA also prohibited swill feeding among hogs, especially among backyard raisers.
Feeding hogs with food leftovers, or swill, poses a heightened risk of foot-and-mouth disease, or even African swine fever (ASF).
DA said the widespread practice of swill feeding needs to be replaced by more effective modern feeds and technologies. (PNA)
