Party-list solon seeks moratorium on pork imports

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:39:40 +0000

House Deputy Speaker Conrado Estrella yesterday said the imposition of moratorium on the importation of all pork products in the country has become inevitable as the local hog industry has started to absorb over P1 billion in losses since the African Swine Flu virus entered the country.

Estrella, representative of the agriculture-based Abono partylist, said the moratorium may be lifted as soon as the ASF has been totally eradicated.

“I think it is now time for government to impose a moratorium on pork product importation until we have completely cleared our pig farms of the ASF threat.  We have to stop the bleeding before it’s  too late,” said Estrella in an interview.

The House official said the House Committee on Agriculture and Food will continue with its probe on the ASF problem but so far his House colleagues have aired support for the proposal to stop local meat processing firms and distributors from purchasing imported pork.

“We have sufficient supply to cover the needs of every Filipino.  Visayas and Mindanao can be tapped to supply affected meat processors who do not want to source pork from Luzon,” stressed Estrella.

Visayas and Mindanao pig farms are still ASF-free, he said
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