The local hog industry has opposed calls by aquaculture feed producers to allow the importation of processed animal protein (PAP) from Italy which is currently still resolving a case of African swine fever (ASF).
Aquaculture stakeholders have earlier warned production of local fish feeds will be hampered with the ban on the entry of processed animal protein from Italy, the Philippines’ top supplier of PAP.
The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc., Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura and the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines and 10 allied groups in a statement said instead of importation that may threaten the hog sector with ASF infection, the local aqua feeds sector must look for alternative sources of raw materials beneficial to all food- producing industries.
These include poultry meals and fermented soya.
“Whereas the aquaculture sector’s request to lift the ban of PAP from countries with ASF cases limited to wild boars will certainly expose the fragile and recovering swine industry to further threats from contaminated raw materials… We have come up with a common position based on various expert advices that we cannot agree to the request of allowing importation of PAP from countries with ASF cases or outbreaks even if the outbreaks are limited to wild boars…,” the group said.
They added the ASF outbreak in the Philippines in 2019 could have been caused by the entry of contaminated meat in our borders due to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs’ “inability to implement preventive safety controls due to the lack of first border inspection facility and ASF testing protocols and procedures on imported pork.”
The DA implemented a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild pigs and related products originating from Italy due to a reported case of ASF.
Local aquaculture feeds stakeholders are proposing for the direct importation of PAP to local manufacturers that solely produce fish feeds.
Norbert Chingcuanco, vice president of Feedmix Specialists Inc. II said aquafeed producers had long been using rendered animal protein such as meat and bone meal; porcine meal; and porcine blood meal, among others, in addition to fish meal and soybean meal which are not produced in the Philippines in sufficient quantities.
, Asis Perez, convenor of Tugon Kabuhayan, said imported PAP is safe as it undergoes heating treatments at temperatures wherein no virus and microbes can survive, ensuring no risk of ASF contamination to local swine population.
