The Cambodian government is banning imports of live pigs and pork from neighboring countries in an attempt to prevent the spread of disease and protect local farmer, officials said Thursday.
The ban was imposed to prevent the spread of a disease called Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome that occurred in Vietnam, said Kao Phal, director of the agriculture ministry's animal health department.
However, there has been no outbreak of the disease among pigs in Cambodia, he said.
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the ban in a statement on Monday, saying that the imports could also slow down the development of family pig farming, which plays an important role in poverty reduction in Cambodia.
He ordered government agencies and border guards to stop all imports of live pigs and pork.
Imports of pigs for research or for breeding by local farmers must have prior permits from Cambodia's Agriculture Ministry, Hun Sen said in the statement.
Source: Xinhua
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