THE Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-Davao) is seeing no possibility yet that local government units (LGUs) in the region would lift the pork importation ban following the African Swine Fever (ASF) scare early September of this year.
“There are no plans indicated on lifting the ban on pork and pork products issued by the LGUs,” DA-Davao ASF focal person Armie Capuyan told SunStar Davao in a text message.
It can be recalled that the City Government of Davao has implemented an executive order (EO) on September 25 temporarily banning “all live pigs, pork and pork-related products and by-products, whether fresh, frozen, processed or cooked, including but not limited to frozen boar semen, from the entire island of Luzon and other ASF-affected areas.” However, it did not specify the duration of its effectivity.
Aside from Davao City, the provinces of Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte also implemented a similar ban.
“Wala naman timeline ang EOs on banning of pork and pork products issued by our LGUs here in Davao Region (The LGUs in Davao Region set no timelines on their EOs on the banning of pork and pork-related products),” Capuyan said.
“Provinces, including Davao City, are still implementing their issued EO on banning pork and pork products from Luzon and other ASF-affected areas in their respective localities,” she added.
Capuyan also assured the region remains free from the disease.
“As of our monitoring and surveillance activities and coordination with LGUs and other concerned agencies, Davao Region is still ASF-free,” she said.