ILOILO – Five towns in this province have received financial aid from the provincial government to recover from the African Swine Fever (ASF).
The financial assistance, amounting to P3.98 million, was handed over at the provincial capitol on Monday by Provincial Administrator Raul Banias and Dr. Darel Tabuada, head of the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office (PVO).
The recipients were the towns of Barotac Viejo, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Dingle, and Banate, which have been reclassified from red to pink zones by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Pink zones are areas adjacent to confirmed ASF-infected locales but have not detected the disease themselves.
As part of the recovery efforts, each qualifying farmer will receive two piglets, which are to be purchased by their respective local government units (LGUs) using the allocated funds.
Tabuada emphasized the importance of sourcing these piglets locally to leverage their acquired immunity against ASF.
“We have strict criteria for this program, and our staff at the PVO have conducted thorough validation,” Tabuada said. “Eligible farms must meet Biosecurity Level 1 requirements to ensure we mitigate any further spread of the ASF.”
The aid is part of a broader strategy to help the province rebound from the severe impacts of ASF, which shifted Iloilo from a net exporter to an importer of swine.
“Our goal is to regain our footing in the swine industry, which has been heavily hit since the ASF outbreak in October 2022,” Banias said.
In addition to the immediate aid, the PVO has plans to expedite the release of funds for other municipalities that are eligible to participate in the sentinel program, contingent on the submission of necessary documentary requirements to the provincial government.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has allocated a total of P10 million for the sentinel program across 14 municipalities. Each farmer beneficiary in these areas is set to receive two piglets at a cost of P6,000 each.
The 14 municipalities have a combined total of 835 farmer beneficiaries under the program.
As of July 9, 2024, the provincial swine inventory stood at 106,420 heads, a significant decrease from the 277,421 heads recorded before the ASF outbreak in September 2022.
Authorities remain hopeful that through the sentinel program, the swine population in the province will gradually recover./PN
