February 16, 2007

Philippines' Luzon region to wait for OIE clearance to export pork

Although declared as free from foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD), hog raisers in the Luzon region in the Philippines will have to get a formal clearance from the Office Internationale de Epizooties (OIE) before they can export pork products abroad.

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) director Davinio Catbagan told the Philippine Star daily that the region will have to wait for a year to export pork products but this will depend on whether their areas will remain free from the FMD for the rest of the year.

Agricultural Secretary Arthur Yap earlier said Mindanao is already preparing pork products to fill in the demand for at least 200 tonnes of pork in Singapore monthly starting July or August. It will be Mindanao's first export since it was declared free from FMD in 2000.

Yap called on all sectors to help keep Luzon free from FMD, noting that the National FMD Task Force is implementing "progressive zoning" with the help of local government units, commercial farms and slaughterhouses in preventing another occurrence of the disease that affects the mouth and feet of pigs.

Catbagan said that as soon as the OIE gives clearance for Luzon after a year, producers in the area could look forward to a big market abroad. He noted that many pork product producers in Luzon already have facilities complying with international standards.