KUCHING, May 6: The African Swine Fever (ASF) situation in Sarawak has been declared under control as no new infections have been reported.
Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said this shows the effectiveness of control measures introduced by the ministry and implemented by the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS).
As of April 28, he said 17 samples were tested, and five of them, namely in Betong (4) and Sibu (1), were positive for ASF.
“Actions were taken to decontaminate and evacuate the premises involved immediately.
“Inspection on the pig farms and continuous monitoring recorded 12 negative and ASF-free samples involving premises at Jalan Engsengei, Melikin, Mile 25 Siburan in Serian, an abattoir in Sri Aman, Rantau Panjang, Jln Tien King, Futien and Sg Maaw in Sibu,” he said.
Dr Rundi conveyed appreciation to the pig farmers and DVSS for their cooperation in the culling process of infected pigs to prevent the virus from spreading throughout Sarawak.
Meanwhile, he also assured that the pork supply for Gawai Dayak is sufficient and that the meat is safe for consumption as they are supplied from ASF-free farms, which DVSS inspected.
“Sarawak exports 2,000 pigs every week to Singapore, and this is proof that the Singapore Veterinary Services and Singapore Food Authority acknowledges the ASF control measure practised in Sarawak,” he said in a statement today. — DayakDaily
