BACOLOD CITY - The Provincial African Swine Fever (ASF) Task Force in Negros Occidental seized almost P5.6 million worth of banned pork products from January 1 to December 27 this year.
A total of 32.641 tons of assorted pork products were intercepted during the conduct of inspections at the airport, seaports and other borders, according to Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, also the co-chair of the task force.
From December 21 to 27, the quarantine team inspected a total of 4,214 incoming vehicles and refrigerated container vans at various entry points in the province, Decena said.
The task force also inspected 57 establishments to ensure compliance with the ASF Prevention Ordinance of the province, which prohibits the transport or sale of pork products from Luzon and other ASF-hit areas to the province.
Decena, in a report to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who is also chair of the Provincial ASF Task Force, said these seized products were from areas hit by the dreaded disease affecting swine.
Meanwhile, the task force also stepped up its measures against the possible entry of the ASF-contaminated products during this holiday season.
The task force seized a total of P43,700 worth of pork and pork-related products from hand-carried, checked-in baggage and cargo trucks arriving at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City, and seaports at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) here, and Escalante City, in the past week, Decena said.