More than 200 kilos of frozen and other pork byproducts have been confiscated from public markets in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental’s Valencia town amid tightened measures to prevent the entry of African swine fever (ASF).

Dr. Alfonso Tundag, quarantine officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in Dumaguete, said yesterday the confiscation on Tuesday, March 14, was just the beginning of similar activities to ensure that the province will remain ASF-free.

Joint teams from the BAI, the provincial veterinary office, and a local government unit took down the shelves and confiscated “unauthorized” frozen and processed products like longganiza, chorizo, hotdogs, and siomai, manufactured on February 8 or earlier.

By this, he meant those that did not have labels, product and manufacturer information, and a list of ingredients, with most of them coming from Cebu province.

The confiscated items were treated with chemicals and buried.

The selling of these products violated the province’s Executive Order No. 13 signed by the late Governor Roel Degamo on March 3, imposing a total ban on live hogs, raw and processed meat, and other byproducts, from ASF-affected areas, including Cebu.

The fortification of anti-ASF measures in Negros Oriental comes in the midst of similar actions taken by the Cebu provincial government in banning the entry of live hogs, sows, piglets, pork, pork-related products, and boar semen from Negros Island.

The Cebu ban came after the BAI Regional Office said the “carrier” of the animal that contaminated pigs in that province originated from Negros Island. It did not specify whether it came from the Negros Oriental or Occidental provinces.

Vice Governor Manuel Sagarbarria said that while they believed the ban was unfair, it would be better to wait until April 5 or when the 45-day ban is lifted.

He said he would ask Cebu officials not to extend the ban, considering that Negros Oriental still remains free from ASF.

Regular surveillance and blood sampling are being done in Negros Oriental to ensure that none of the pigs are afflicted with ASF.

Veterinarians from the cities of Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Bais, Tanjay, and Bayawan, who were also present during the said press conference, reassured the public that so far, they have not received reports of pigs that have died due to the disease. (PNA)