July 26, 2012

Belarus to halt pork imports from Russia's two oblasts

Due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) propagation, Belarus had earlier banned the import of potentially dangerous products from the two oblasts of Russia, Yuri Pivovarchik said.

The ban is still in place but measures will be enhanced to prevent the disease from penetrating Belarus. The official said measures have to be taken to prevent the import of live animals, sperm, pork and processed pork products, hides, hoof raw materials, hog hair, and hunter's trophy acquired from susceptible animals.

Everything will be done to prevent the import of zoogenic and phytogenic feed and supplementary feed for animals, including those made from poultry and fish, supplementary feed for cats and dogs and ready-made feed for dogs and cats that have been thermally treated and made out of raw materials originating from Tver Oblast and Volgograd Oblast, second-hand equipment to breed, slaughter and gut swine.

There are plans to take additional measures to ensure biological protection of major pig-breeding complexes, pig-breeding farms, and farms of all ownership patterns.

According to the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service of Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor, on July 16, 2012 genetic material of ASF was detected in a dead pig formerly owned by a resident of the village of Ivanovka, Oktyabrsky District, Volgograd Oblast. ASF was detected in the village of Glushkovo, Rameshki District, Tver Oblast on July 23 and at a pig-breeding complex of OAO Zavolzhskoye, Kalininsky District on July 24.