Safe to eat pork despite ASF scare

THE OFFICE of the City Veterinarian has assured the public that it is safe to consume pork products or meat even if Zamboanga has declared an outbreak of the African swine fever which is deadly to pigs.

City Veterinarian Dr. Mario Arriola said there is no human health threat in eating pork or pork products even if there is an outbreak of the African swine fever, adding the virus only affects pigs. Arriola and his employees and representatives from the Bureau of Animal Industry even released a set of photos showing them feasting on a roasted pig and assured the public that it is safe to eat pork.

Pig raisers and meat vendors have reported a decrease in sales due to the public fear of the African swine fever which eventually pushed further the prices of dressed chicken and poultry products. 

Before the outbreak of the African swine fever, prices of pork was at P270 a kilo and today, a kilo of meat is priced at over P300. Dressed chicken now sells at P210 a kilo from P180 in previous months. The price of roasted pig is now P600 a kilo from P500 last year, and P480 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Arriola said the local government has implemented strong measures to ensure the virus causing the African swine fever will not spread to other villages.

The outbreak of the African swine fever here has already affected at least 130 hog raisers as the local government battles the spread of the virus. Hundreds of pigs were culled in recent weeks in the villages of Pasonanca, Bunguiao, Mangusu, Curuan and Manicahan to prevent the spread of the virus.  

“The African swine fever virus has affected some 133 hog raisers here, racking up an estimated loss of P1.9 million,” Arriola said and he assured hog raisers that the local government will provide them assistance to cushion the impact of their losses. 

The Bureau of Animal Industry has placed Zamboanga City under so-called “Red Zone” category meaning hog and pork products from here cannot be shipped out or transported to other places. 

Arriola said upon the order of Mayor Beng Climaco, they activated a task force which shall oversee the efforts in controlling the spread of the African swine fever. He said additional quarantine stations were put up in various villages to ensure no infected hogs are transported from areas affected by the African swine fever. 

He said as part of the guidelines regulating the transfer and movement of pork products, only those with veterinary certificates and meat inspection certifications shall be allowed to pass the quarantine checkpoints, particularly in the village of Limpapa which borders Zamboanga del Norte province, and in Licomo village bordering Zamboanga Sibugay province. 

Arriola noted that border control will be particularly strict on returning residents, especially those who carry pork products whether they are cooked or not. “We are very strict on bringing pork products from Manila or Davao, especially meats, because Davao and Luzon areas are also under the Red Zone,” he said. (Zamboanga Post)