Meat processing industry probed on ASF outbreak

MANILA, Philippines — A joint panel at the House of Representatives will focus on the processed meat industry as it continues its investigation into the African swine fever (AFS) outbreak in the country.

Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, chairman of the House committee on agriculture and food, bared this yesterday, citing reports on the massive pullout of processed meat in the local market, particularly in Northern Luzon.

“In the succeeding hearings, the committee will look into matters relating to processed meat. We have to look into how the industry is regulated by concerned agencies,” Enverga said.

He said officials of the National Meat Inspection Service and Food and Drug Administration were invited to the next hearing.

Enverga said processed meat in the market should have been tested for ASF.

Retail industry sources said major meat processing companies are pulling their products from supermarkets, raising suspicions they are avoiding inspections for ASF.

Only Mekeni Food Corp. is being regulated by the government after some of its products tested positive for ASF.

At a recent hearing, Bureau of Animal Industry director Ronnie Domingo said the number of ASF cases in the country significantly decreased in the past weeks compared with other affected countries.

Domingo said the Philippines has a culling rate of 20,000 per month compared to South Korea and China, with 145,000 and 97,000, respectively.

‘Lift ban’

With the ASF outbreak in Luzon under control, Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said the ban imposed by local government units on pigs, pork and processed meat from other areas should be lifted.

Anna Lisa Uy of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines said a zoning plan of the Department of Agriculture should be implemented, noting that the ban on hog imports is hurting their business.

“Now that borders are being closed, it’s getting difficult for hog raisers to sell their hogs. The other provinces are also having difficulties raising their own hogs,” Uy said.

Meanwhile, in Cagayan, authorities held eight plastic drums of ASF-infected pork from Bulacan on Tuesday.

Police arrested trader Neneth Santos and her companions following a brief chase when they refused to pull over at a quarantine checkpoint.

In Isabela, 80 kilos of suspected ASF-hit pork were confiscated at a meat shop in Santiago City. – With Raymund Catindig