Sri Lanka resumes pork sales as African swine fever subsides

Colombo, Nov 8 (IANS) Officials managing animal health in Sri Lanka are cautiously resuming pork sales after successfully containing the spread of African swine fever, a health official told Xinhua on Friday.

In late October, the government issued a gazette notice prohibiting the transport, slaughter, and sale of pigs infected with African swine fever to curb the outbreak.

G.A.D. Nandasiri, Deputy Provincial Director at the Department of Animal Production and Health for the Western Province, said that substantial amounts of pork, sourced from pigs slaughtered before the ban, need to be managed responsibly.

"African swine fever poses no risk to humans, and thoroughly cooked meat is safe to consume. As an initial measure, we are inspecting the existing pork stocks and allowing these to be sold. This process is underway across the country," he said.

Authorities are also inspecting abattoirs to ensure that pigs there are free of the disease. After disposal, these facilities must remain pig-free, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have identified and monitored breeding farms unaffected by African swine fever and will soon begin distributing piglets from these farms to others. I believe we can revitalise the industry in about two months," he said.

In October 2024, officials told media that thousands of pigs had contracted African swine fever, a disease previously not found in Sri Lanka.

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