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MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews /17 Sept) — Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Monday cautioned local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao from banning the entry of pork and pork-based products in their areas in the wake of reported cases of the African Swine Fever.
Dar said LGUs should wait for the guidelines that would be issued by the agriculture department on the African Swine Fever.
“Unless there is a confirmed case of the African Swine Flu in the locality, local government should not ban the entry of pork and pork-based products,” he said.
Dar said implementing a ban could cause major losses in the local swine industry in Mindanao.
Last week, the provincial government of Misamis Oriental ordered a temporary ban on the entry of pork and pork-based products from areas believed to have reported cases of African Swine Flu.
Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Emano issued Executive Order 2019-13 creating a task force that would oversee the implementation of the ban.
Emano said the ban covers raw, processed and cooked pork products.
Cagayan de Oro veterinarian Dr. Perla Asis in a radio interview said the city is also implementing a similar ban. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)