BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The gamefowl industry in Negros Occidental has reported huge losses brought about by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said they only recorded around three percent or 500 to 600 “ready-to-fight” gamefowls exported by local breeders in February this year.
Decena noted the province could export at least 15,000 to 20,000 gamefowls annually.
Also, the province earns around P300,000 to P500,000 a month from breeders who apply for permits from the Provincial Veterinary Office.
So far this year, Decena said, they have only earned around P12,000.
The gamefowl industry was hit hard by limited movements and restrictions brought by the community quarantine.
In response to the appeal allowing cockfighting in areas under modified general community quarantine, Decena hopes that breeders will be able to bounce back soon and would also help the province’s local economy.
Earlier, Ako Bisaya party-list’s Rep. Sonny Lagon wrote to President Rodrigo Duterte urging him to allow the reopening of cockfighting events to help create jobs and rebuild the economy in this time of pandemic.
Lagon noted it is already safe to resume cockfighting in general quarantine areas and stakeholders are ready to implement the necessary measures to ensure that patrons are safe and protected while inside cockfighting venues.
He also pointed out the supposedly declining rate of COVID-19 infection in the country.
He then lamented that the gamefowl industry has suffered huge losses amounting to billions of pesos, including a sales drop of 50 percent to the P30-billion feeds industry and a loss of around P15 billion to the veterinary products sector.
He further said that no social amelioration program was specifically extended to the gamefowl industry that contributes hugely to the national economy./PN
