Belarus bans imports of pork from south Russia
The veterinary department of the Republic of Belarus has banned the import of pork from North Ossetia and the Krasnodar Region following the outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), said the Department of Veterinary and Food Control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus.
The representative of the service said that this measure is necessary as the ASF virus is very dangerous and authorities cannot put the domestic pig farms under threat.
“We did it recently and we did it again. We should take all necessary measures to prevent the penetration of any products contaminated with the ASF on our territory. The virus caused a huge damage to the pig farming of the southern and central parts of Russia. In Belarus pig farming is the industry that has a strategic importance in terms of food security of the country, so we should protect it,” commented the representative of the veterinary department.
Meanwhile, Russian veterinary services are preparing for the new wave of ASF spread. After months of a trouble-free epizootic situation, three new outbreaks has been reported at the end of March – beginning of April. Two outbreaks were revealed in North Ossetia at private farms, while another one was found among wild boars in Krasnodar Region.
