The program of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry to protect the country from the entry of illegal fresh and processed meat, especially pork, is now off to a good start after trained sniffing dogs yesterday scored a perfect 100% success rate in a test run at the NAIA International Terminal.
Dr. Ronnie Domingo, Acting BAI Director, reported that three K9 Meat Sniffers – a Giant Schnauzer and two German Shepherds – successfully detected four boxes of processed meat which were strategically placed near the cargo conveyor area of NAIA International Terminal.
Yesterday’s deployment of sniffing dogs was the second test run for the first batch of 15 K9s meat sniffers in a program aimed at protecting the local livestock and poultry industry from the entry of disease-tainted meat.
On April 30, the first test run of the K9s was conducted by the dogs only succeeded in sniffing out fresh meat and failed to tag those in cans and processed meat in wrappers.
The dogs underwent further training and were deployed again yesterday.
The first batch of 15 dogs will be leased by the DA-BAI in the amount of about P28-M every year while another 30 dogs which are now undergoing training will be procured by the Department.
The use of the K9s in detecting meat and poultry products brought in by passengers will be institutionalized by the DA and will be implemented in all ports of entry of the country.
It is specifically aimed at protecting the local hog raisers from the dreaded African Swine Fever which has destroyed more than half of China’s hog population.
The disease, while not harmful to human, is fatal to hogs and it has spread all over China and nearby countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and recently the Chinese territory of Hongkong.
The Bureau of Plant Inustry (BPI) will also be asked to submit a program on the deployment of K9 sniffers at the airports to check the illegal entry of agricultural products like fruits and planting materials.
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