September 23, 2014

Colombia: Import of breeding pigs from US, Canada resumes

The Colombian Agricultural Institute, ICA, has reopened the country's borders to breeding pigs from the United States and Canada, which was restricted due to outbreaks of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED).

ICA General Manager, Luis Humberto Martinez Lacouture, confirmed that the Institute has established a new health declaration that imported pigs come from farms where there have been no cases of PED in the previous six months and that, during the quarantine period at the place of origin, the animals were subjected to a RT-PCR test for the disease with negative results.

Additionally, it was agreed with the Government of Canada that the diagnostic tests performed on animals during their quarantine are undertaken only in laboratories certified under ISO 17025 by the Standards Council of Canada accredited by the Bureau of Food Inspection Canada.