The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has requested that provinces bordering Vietnam stop the illegal importation of pigs and pork after receiving information that African swine fever (ASF) has broken out across the border.
In a letter dated on May 19 and sent to the Prey Veng provincial governor, Minister of Agriculture Veng Sakhon said that currently ASF is continuing to spread in Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.
The disease was first detected in Vietnam on February 19, 2019 and has continued to persist each year since then.
On May 4, 2021 another outbreak was detected and it could quickly spread to the border provinces there, according to the ministry.
“In order to contain the spread of this disease and prevent it from entering into Cambodia so as to prevent serious losses for pig raisers as well as guarantee the quality and safety of pigs, pig meat, meat production and protect the public’s health, the Ministry of Agriculture has requested that provincial administrations bordering Vietnam help stop the illegal importation of pigs,” Veng Sakhon said.
The agriculture ministry’s general directorate of animal health and production director-general Tan Phannara told The Post on May 20 that while Vietnam is having an ASF outbreak it will lower the cost of pigs from there and opportunists might try to illegally import and distribute those pigs in Cambodia.
“Specifically speaking, pigs have not been imported from Vietnam so far that we know about. But we were concerned about it, so we’ve warned about it in advance because we know that in Vietnam, there is a serious outbreak of the ASF,” he said.
He added that on May 16, Tbong Khmum provincial police intercepted a van illegally transporting pigs and rats from Vietnam to Cambodia through an unofficial crossing point. There were 89 pigs and specialists are testing them all for ASF. The police will burn them if they are found to be infected with it.
