According to Times of Zambia, Mr Kazabu said in Ndola that the movement of pigs would only be allowed within Lusaka, were the African swine fever that caused the ban initially has successfully been contained.

Mr Kazabu said Government would not immediately allow for pigs from outside Lusaka to be transported into the province because African swine fever was still endemic in other parts of the country.

"We have restricted the ban on the movement of pigs to all areas other than Lusaka because the pork processors have successfully decontaminated their facilities and the province is free of African swine fever," he said.

Mr Kazabu said the ban on the transportation of pigs would only be lifted when the processors of pork products in other parts of Zambia successfully decontaminate their abattoirs.

In a related development, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) also confirmed that Government had allowed the movement of pigs to abattoirs and slaughter houses in Lusaka Province.

"In order to avoid further business losses to farmers resulting from the ban on pigs’ movement following the outbreak of the African swine fever in Lusaka, a decision to lift the ban was made during a stakeholders meeting that took place at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock."

According to the resolutions of the stakeholders meeting, the controlled movement of pigs within Lusaka District is expected to start this week whereas the lifting of the ban on pigs coming into and out of Lusaka was planned for February 2014, reads a statement from the ZNFU.