November 26, 2012

Belarus temporarily bans pork imports from Moscow, Latvia

Starting Friday (Nov 23), Belarus has temporarily restricted the imports of live swine, pork and pork products as well as some types of raw materials and fodder from the Moscow Region and Latvia.

Restrictions were imposed by the department for veterinary and food supervision of the Belarusian Ministry for Agriculture and Food.

According to the veterinary service of the republic, the ban was imposed after sources of dangerous animals diseases had been found in the Moscow Region and Latvia. Swine fever has been registered in wild fauna in Latvia. As for the Russian region, according to Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor agricultural watchdog, the virus of African swine fever was confirmed in lab tests of the meat of four wild boars in the Zavidovo residence place, part of which is situated in the Klin district of the Moscow Region.

Earlier, temporary bans were imposed in Belarus on imports of pork from Mongolia, as well as some Russian regions, including the Leningrad, Lipetsk, Pskov, Rostov, Smolensk, Tver regions and Krasnodar Territory.