The aquaculture industry led by Tugon Kabuhayan has asked the government to allow the importation from Italy of porcine processed animal proteins (PAP) to ensure supply of locally manufactured feeds.
This was after the Department of Agriculture (DA) implemented a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild pigs and related products originating from Italy due to a reported case of African swine fever (ASF).
Tugon Kabuhayan proposes direct importation of PAP to local manufacturers that solely produce fish feeds to allay fears that such materials from Italy will be mixed with feeds intended for hogs.
Norbert Chingcuanco, vice president of Feedmix Specialists Inc. II said aquafeed producers had long been using rendered animal protein such as meat and bone meal; porcine meal; and porcine blood meal, among others, in addition to fish meal and soybean meal which are not produced in the Philippines in sufficient quantities, Asis Perez, convenor of Tugon Kabuhayan, said imported PAP is safe as it undergoes heating treatments at temperatures wherein no virus and microbes can survive, ensuring no risk of ASF contamination to local swine population.
