January 11, 2011

Belarus halts pork import from Russian region

Belarus has imposed a pork import ban after an outbreak of African swine fever has been reported in Leningrad Oblast.

Ivan Smilgin specified that the ban restricts the import of swine, boar semen, pork meat and meat products, fodder and feed additives and equipment for the keeping, slaughter and butchery of swine.

The expert added that Leningrad Oblast did not export any of these products to Belarus, and the ban is a largely preventive measure.

Ivan Smilgin said that the Agriculture Ministry has extended the previously imposed bans on the import of pork from the Russian regions affected by the spread of African swine fever (Kalmykia, Chechnya, Adygea, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan Oblasts of Russia).

The general veterinary directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus has ordered all its departments to work out a plan of action to prevent the outbreak of African swine fever on pig-breeding farms and tighten control over the transportation of swine in Belarus, sales of swine and pork, and food waste utilization at the motorway service facilities.