11 10/2016

Romania bans pork import from Moldova, Ukraine

Romania banned imports of pork meat and its products from Moldova and Ukraine, said in a TV program, Minister of Agriculture of Romania Achim Irimescu, with reference to Digi24.

The Romanian authorities took this step, after there were confirmed cases of African swine fever in Moldova and Ukraine. "We decided to prohibit the introduction in the country, including throughout small traffic, all animal products from the two countries. The virus can enter by means of two ways: transporting by citizens in their food products containing infected pork and wild boars. Unfortunately the keeping of wild boars is about 70 per cent of the risk," said Achim Irimescu.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture of Romania said that customs checks would be intensified and the veterinary inspectors would be present at all times at Halmeu, Siret and Sighet Marmaţiei border crossing points. "At the same time, we established and submitted a draft government decision both for prevention as well as for the case when the virus would enter on the territory of Romania," said Irimescu.  

We have to remind that a laboratory in Spain confirmed the presence of swine fever virus in samples brought from Moldova, according to the National Agency for Food Safety. According to a provision issued by the Moldovan authorities Cernoleuca and Mosana villages in Donduseni district were officially declared on alert, following the specialists to perform actions as to fight the virus within 45 days.

Two days ago, Russia banned the import of live animals and pork products derived from Moldova after which similar bans were issued by Belarus and the Transnistrian region.