TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar provincial government is intensifying its monitoring on the transport of live swine and pork products to protect its swine industry amid continues threat of possible intrusion of the dreaded African swine flu into the province.
The Municipal Agriculture officers and the provincial ASF Task Force recommended the regulation on the movement of pork products within the province through the setting up of checkpoints in every municipality.
These checkpoints will be manned by LGU personnel, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, who will require the presentation of veterinary health certificate issued by the municipal agriculturist from point of origin before it will allow the entry of swine and pork products in their respective area.
He said transport of swine and pork products must be accompanied by transport or shipping permit and the registration of the vehicle or swine carrier being used for the transport of swine. Without which, the swine or pork subject of check point will be asked to return to origin.
He added that live swine that manifest symptoms of illness will be confiscated and dealt with according to established rules.
Acompañado said that while there is already a reported vaccine against ASF, the provincial government cannot be complacent until it becomes available for use.
He said there have been reported swine deaths in some municipalities in October and November last year immediately after the flooding, there were no testing done to verify if they were caused by ASF.
Municipal veterinarians also proposed to localize the declaration of ASF cases, which at the moment is a sole discretion of the Department of Agriculture regional office after confirmatory tests of suspected cases.