Successful Belgian ASF Approach Leads to Re-Opening of the
Philippine Market
BRUSSELS, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On 26 October,
the Philippine Government published a memorandum order to lift the
temporary ban on the importation of domestic pigs and their
products from Belgium. The order
took immediate effect. Just over two years after the ASF outbreak
in wild boar in Belgium,
the Philippines are the first
major Asian market to re-open for European Pork from Belgium—a
reward for Belgium's successful
ASF approach.
The Philippine Government has determined two important export
conditions for Belgium, which
Belgium will scrupulously
respect:
- The meat has to come from animals that were born in an AVP-free
zone or that have stayed in such a zone for at least 3 months.
- The animals must be slaughtered in an officially recognized
slaughterhouse, where they must undergo a favourable inspection,
ante- and post-mortem.
All domestic swine in the initial infected zone have been
eradicated under the supervision of the Belgian Government, and the
re-population of farms in this zone remains forbidden.
Full text of the Philippine Memorandum Order (official
document)
Never Outbreaks in Domestic Pigs
The Philippines are the
1st major Asian country to lift the ban on importing
pork from Belgium. Michael Goffin, Belgian Ambassador to
the Philippines: "This is a reward
for our comprehensive and successful ASF approach, in which rapid
detection and rapid response have been crucial."
Belgium succeeded in keeping
its 6.2 million domestic pigs virus-free, thanks to strict
bio-security measures, thorough collaboration—on both national and
European levels—and an ingenious zoning system, secured by a
wild-boar-proof 300 km fencing network.
Wild boar were systematically eradicated preventively. Since
October 2019, all wild boar carcasses
have been virus-free, as shown by continuous testing. "Thanks to
our targeted efforts, Belgium is
the 1st country with a substantial pork industry to
become ASF-free," states Michael
Goffin.
Even with such favourable results, strict measures will remain
in place in the future.
Detailed information on Belgium's ASF approach by the Federal Agency
for the Safety of the Food Chain
Importance of the Philippines
as Belgian Trade Partner
Before the ASF outbreak, the
Philippines were Belgium's
2nd largest pork trade partner outside the European
Union, with an export volume of 12,577 tons and a value of
750 million PHP.
About Belgian Meat Office
Belgian Meat Office coordinates pork and beef export activities.
The meat export agency was founded in 2003 under the Flanders'
Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) umbrella. |
www.europeanpork.eu
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1336638/Belgian_Meat_Office_Philipines.jpg