MIRI (Sept 1): The authorities are keeping a close tab on commercial pig farms in the state for fear of African Swine Fever (ASF) after three divisions are said to be infected and placed under control.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said the state Veterinary Services Department (DVS) was monitoring the development and would act accordingly in protecting the industry.
“DVS has conducted surveillance and monitoring of all pig farms in Sarawak,” he said in response to public queries on actions taken by the authorities following the declaration of Kapit, Miri and Limbang divisions as ASF-controlled areas in the state following the spread of the virus in Sabah and North Kalimantan (Indonesia).
State DVS director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud in a statement on Aug 30 said in the declaration enforced under Section 35 (1) of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999, the public is not allowed to move out live pigs, pork, or pork products from the controlled areas.
The public is also not allowed to bring in, shop online or use postal services for pork or its products without a permit. Buying, selling or having wild boar meat is also prohibited.
Dr Abd Rahman, meanwhile assured the people that there would no meat shortage in the market as supply from other divisions to the affected areas is permitted if they have movement permits issued by the department.
There are over 100 commercial pig farms with over 450,000 pigs in Sarawak. It exports over 1,500 pigs weekly to Singapore.
A ban on the import of pork and pork products from ASF-infected countries has already been imposed by the state government.
On the extent of ASF affecting farms in Limbang Division, Dr Abd Rahman said only one backyard farm at Buduk Bui in Ba Kelalan had been detected to be ASF-infected.
Meanwhile, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau is saddened by the hardship brought about by ASF as pork consumption is synonymous with the lifestyle of Baram folk.
“We the rural folk depend very much on pork, especially wild boar meat from the jungle. The villagers are shocked how this could happen,” he said.
He, however, advised the local people to temporarily avoid wild boar meat and look for other alternative meat sources such as fish or meat from domestically reared pigs.
Villagers in Long Moh, Long Terawan, Long Win and others have reported coming across wild boar carcasses, and Dennis has urged the local people not to sell such meat to unsuspecting people for short-term gain.