Thailand denied on Sunday that pigs exported to Vietnam earlier this month were infected with the African swine fever prior to departure.
Thailand’s comment came after Vietnam said on Friday it will suspend the import of live pigs from Thailand from June 30 after it discovered a batch of imported hogs had the swine disease.
The pigs had been tested for the disease before they were exported, said Sorawit Thanito, director-general of the Thai Department of Livestock Development, in a statement.
Thailand will slow exports of live pigs from the farm and the company that was responsible for the batch Vietnam had identified and investigate the incident, he added.
It will also immediately require stricter inspections for live pigs at animal quarantine checkpoints before being exported to Vietnam, Sorawit said.
“We will consider immediately suspending exports of live pigs to Vietnam if further problems arise,” he said.
(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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Vietnam to Suspend Live Pig Imports from Thailand Over African Swine Fever
