December 31, 2008

Malaysia quarantines 10 pig farms

Malaysia's Veterinary Services Department (VSD) has quarantined 10 pig farms following the discovery of Beta Agonist in pig feeds.

Animals were not allowed to enter or leave the farms since December 22, 2008.

VSD director-general, Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin said the department had conducted tests which started in September on 490 pig farms nationwide and found that 10 farms had used Beta Agonist.

Jamaluddin said it involved five farms in Melaka, three in Selangor and a farm each in Perak and Penang.

He said the livestock would not be issued health certificates at the moment and cannot be slaughtered.

He also said farm owners were given 30 days to clean up any trace of the drug in the feed supply system and ensure that the animals were free of the drug.

He said after the 30-day period, farmers could appeal for their quarantine orders to be retracted and veterinary enforcement personnel would conduct tests on all pigs on the farm.

He added that farms would be quarantined for another 90 days if the pigs were tested positive of the drug.

The use of Beta Agonist is prohibited under the proposed 2008 Animal Feed Bill tabled in Malaysia and expected to be approved as the Animal Feed Act next year.