Reports of an outbreak of African Swine Fever in two provinces north of the Philippines capital Manila have caused a drop in the sales of pork meat and the country’s top delicacy roasted pig, sellers and shoppers said on Tuesday (September 17).
Roasted pork, locally known as “lechon”, sold in the heart of Manila, was slow to sell with only a handful being displayed in shops.
Lechon seller Minda Atim told Reuters that while it was the off-season for lechon sales, news of the African Swine Fever appearing in the Philippines further dampened the sales.
Some of the shopkeepers even displayed certificates from the pig suppliers about pigs being clear from any infections or diseases, but even that did not seem to help much.
Meanwhile, shoppers at meat markets said they were staying away from raw pork meat and opting for the relatively safer seafood and chicken instead. There was no significant change in the prices of pork in Manila.
African swine fever is highly contagious and nearly 100% fatal to swine herds.
It occurs among pigs and wild boars, transmitted by ticks and direct contact between animals. There is no vaccine for the disease, but it does not affect humans.
The first outbreak of African swine fever in East Asia was reported in China in early August 2018.
Since then, the deadly virus has spread to all Chinese provinces and regions, as well as to other Asian nations, including Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines. (REUTERS)
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