ILOILO City – Western Visayas is still free from the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) disease based on the latest National Movement and Zoning Plan for ASF issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
As the ASF cases continue to increase in Luzon, the region’s local and national government agencies with the private sector intensify its actions to bar the entry of ASF in Western Visayas.
Since Region 6 is 151 percent self-sufficient on swine based on the second quarter data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, local raisers with the intervention of different domestic traders and various local government units (LGUs) were able to market around 23,367 heads of hogs worth P255.2 million to Luzon beginning June this year until recently, according to the BAI-Veterinary Quarantine Service 6.
“Our farmers here have improved their income as they ship their surplus production to ASF red zone areas where the price of pork and pork products continue to escalate,” said Regional Executive Director Remelyn Recoter of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas.
Earlier this year, Recoter instructed the LGUs to impose stricter measures to avoid entry of smuggled pork and pork products from areas with confirmed outbreaks. They had also reactivated their Incident Command System to safeguard the entry points – both in airports and seaports, and to carry out proper disposal of confiscated or intercepted products.
“Eighty percent of our hog raisers are on backyard scale, and that is why we are campaigning to the farmers that they should avoid swill feeding and maintain proper farm sanitation,” she added.
On the other hand, DA Regulatory Division Chief Dr. Jonic Natividad urged hog raisers to be more aggressive in protecting the local industry by employing improved bio-security measures and becoming more vigilant of online sellers offering cheap meat products including ham, sausages, and tocino.
“Every local government unit in the region shall identify, support, and protect all pig farms from the backyard to commercial scale in their areas against ASF. Report any suspected animal mortality in your area,” he emphasized.(with DA-RAFIS 6/PN)
