BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental continues to intercept pork products inbound to the province’s various ports.
This is despite a current ban on the entry of pork and pork products coming from outside the province as a precaution against African swine fever (ASF).
Based on the latest monitoring of the PVO’s ASF Task Force from Nov. 21 to 27, they have confiscated a total of 56.25 kilos of pork and pork products with an estimated value of P74,000.
The biggest apprehension was at the BREDCO port in Bacolod City where they confiscated 50.5 kilos, while the rest were from the Banago Port, San Carlos City Port, Bacolod-Silay Airport, and Kabankalan City.
PVO officer-in-charge, Dr. Placeda Lemana, said all of the confiscated pork products were immediately destroyed either by burning or burial.
With the Christmas season now in full swing in the province and with the expected demand on pork products, especially Christmas ham, Lemana said they have not monitored any entry of Christmas ham coming from outside of Negros Occidental, aside from Cebu province.
At present, Negros Occidental and the neighboring provinces of Negros Oriental and Cebu are the only ASF-free areas in the Visayas./PN
