SINGAPORE: Singapore has suspended the import of pork and pork products from parts of China with outbreaks of African swine fever, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on Friday (Jan 4).
These areas include Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Sichuan, Zhejiang and Shanghai.
AdvertisementOnly processed pork products from approved establishments in the affected areas that have been heat-treated to inactivate the virus are allowed to be imported, AVA said.
China has confirmed about 100 cases of African swine fever across 23 provinces since August last year, but experts believe it is worse than reported, Reuters said. The disease is deadly for pigs but does not harm people.
[h=3]READ: China warns pork industry against cover-up of African swine fever[/h]"However, the introduction of the virus to this region could have an impact on trade for countries in Asia," said AVA.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"To mitigate the risk of incursion of ASF (African swine fever), AVA requires countries exporting raw pork to Singapore to be free from it."
Singapore imports 4 per cent of its total pork supply from China, and there is "minimal impact" to the supply of pork here, AVA said.
It added that it will continue to monitor developments and take further action if necessary.
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