Manila, Moscow forge swine deal

The Philippines and Russia have entered into a regionalization agreement for the latter’s pork exports to the archipelago.

Through Memorandum Order No. 80, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recognized the regionalization of African swine fever (ASF) and lifted the temporary import ban on swine products and by-products from Russia.

With the order in place, the agency will no longer impose a country-wide import ban on Russian pork imports.

Instead, the Philippines may import swine and swine products from ASF-free areas within the transcontinental country.

The DA approved Russia’s bilateral recognition of regionalization for ASF after its assessment showed that the latter “maintains sufficient veterinary oversight and has established necessary control and mitigating measures against ASF.”

Such control measures ensure “that there is low risk of importing swine products, and by-products, including meat from identified proposed zones for recognition,” the DA said in the memo dated Dec. 23.

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All import transactions are subject to the bilaterally agreed import terms and conditions on regionalization, the DA’s administrative circular on the ASF regionalization from accredited nations and its existing rules and regulations.

Last September, the DA entered into a bird flu regionalization agreement with Russia for poultry exports.

Earlier, the agency had made similar arrangements with Brazil, Czechia, Poland and France as well as its first ASF regionalization agreement with Canada.