Belarus bans pork imports from Moscow and Latvia

Belarus has banned the import of pork from the Moscow region of Russia because of recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), while pork from Latvia has been banned due to Classical Swine Fever fears.

“According to Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) in the Moscow region, the African Swine Fever virus has recently been detected in wild boars. In the Moscow region previously, the disease has not ever been detected,” said the representatives of the departments of veterinary surveillance under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus.

In the official message, it stated that because of these outbreaks, as of 23 November temporary restrictions on imports were imposed by Belarus from the Moscow region, the restrictions include live pigs, pork (including meat of wild boars) and processed pork. The ban also applies to leather, horn, hoof and raw intestines, hair, hunting trophies, animal feed and feed additives for pigs, as well as already used equipment for keeping, slaughtering and butchering of pigs.

Recently outbreak of ASF in Russia was reported only among wild boars. Over the past few weeks, a few boars with ASF virus have been found in the hunting complex of Zavidovo, particularly in its south part. The complex is mostly located in the Tver region but its south part is located in Moscow region, and on 22 November Rosselkhoznadzor’s specialists found boars here infected with ASF.

In addition, the departments of veterinary surveillance imposed temporary restrictions on 23 November 23 on the imports of pig products from Latvia because of registered cases of wild animals infected with Classical Swine Fever.