Ban on pork imports from Czech Republic lifted

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it lifted a ban on imports of domestic and wild pigs, as well as pork products and by-products, originating from the Czech Republic.

Via Department Circular No. 07, the DA lifted the 2022 restrictions that had barred the entry of live pigs, pork meat, pig skin, and semen from the Czech Republic due to an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak there.

According to the circular, the decision to lift the ban follows an official report from the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic, which confirmed that the ASF outbreak in the country had been resolved.

The DA also said that the Czech Republic is now considered free from ASF, with the likelihood of contamination from such imports deemed negligible.

The DA said imports may resume, provided that the products were slaughtered or produced after the order took effect and that all transactions comply with existing rules and regulations.

The DA said that standard sanitary and import requirements will remain in place to ensure the continued protection of the hog industry. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel