Groups support Luzon pork ban

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Visayas Producers Cooperative (CeViPPCo) and the Cebu Association of Veterinary Salesforce (CAVS) said they are in full support of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s decision to continue with the ban on pork, pork-related products, and live hogs from Luzon.

In a statement, both CeViPPCo and CAVS were staunch in their agreement with the 100-day ban on pork products from Luzon in response to the confirmation of African Swine Fever (ASF) as the cause of deaths among pigs in some areas of the island.

“There are 150,000 Cebuano families who are directly dependent on swine raising and are at risk of losing their livelihood should we fail to stop ASF from entering our territory,” the statement read.

They said that while the Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) claims that 95% percent of the pork of their members based in Luzon are from ASF-free countries, the Department of Agriculture cannot give the assurance that these were thoroughly tested upon arrival.

The two members of the ASF Task Force of the Province of Cebu stressed that they are firm in abiding by the preventive measures Cebu Province is taking up against ASF.

They mentioned that the province is the fourth largest producer of pork in the country, with an industry amounting to P11 billion. — BRP (FREEMAN)