ASF task force intercepts 20 pigs over missing papers

CALAPAN CITY  — Authorities intercepted 20 pigs unloaded from a boat along the coast of Barangay Sibalat in Magsaysay town in Occidental Mindoro  on Sunday, after learning that the animals came from another province and lacked the required documents, the municipal agriculture office said.

Concerned residents reported the suspected unauthorized shipment, prompting an inspection by the Magsaysay municipal government’s African swine fever (ASF) task force, the Provincial Veterinary Office, the Magsaysay Municipal Police Station and the Sibalat barangay council, according to a statement from the Magsaysay Municipal Agriculture Office.

The hogs had incomplete documentation, violating local regulations governing the entry and transport of live pigs.

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The municipal ASF task force enforced Executive Order No. 63-B, which amended an earlier provincial order by imposing a temporary ban on the entry of live pigs for slaughter from other provinces, including Oriental Mindoro, and tightening regulations on fresh or frozen pork and processed pork products.

The 20 pigs were culled and buried by the joint task force, the agriculture office said.

Authorities said the operation aimed to prevent the possible spread of ASF and protect the province’s livestock industry.

The municipal government urged residents to report suspicious animal shipments and comply with livestock transport regulations./dp