By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental remains free of African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas (DA-6) said.

DA-6 Regulatory Chief, Dr. Jonic Natividad said hog blood samples submitted regularly by the local government units (LGUs) in the province have tested negative for ASF.

Natividad also praised the San Carlos City government for creating an ordinance that would strengthen their anti-ASF protocols, since the city is a gateway between Negros Occidental and Cebu province.

Earlier, San Carlos City veterinary services division chief, Dr. Jeff Reonal said the ordinance was crucial as it would be the basis for the response of the city government against ASF.

The DA-6 awaits the results of the blood samples sent by the LGU.

Last week, 500 pig blood samples tested negative as the city requested to be declared ASF-free for six months.

Meanwhile, provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II hopes that the province will remain free of the hog illness so it can continue shipping out its pork products to other areas of the country.

Overall, ASF cases in Western Visayas have already slowed down considerably.

Natividad said it was all because of border control, monitoring and the early reporting of the suspected ASF cases from LGUs.

Negros Occidental remains as one of the suppliers of pork products for the National Capital Region and Eastern Visayas.

Hog growers now get better pricing for live pigs from buyers in Metro Manila after resuming shipments two weeks earlier.

Some hog raisers were forced to divert their shipments to Luzon, as Cebu province imposed a ban on pork byproducts last week.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson appealed to Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to let pork shipments from Negros, bound for Eastern Visayas, pass through Cebu province.

However, Garcia later rescinded the entry ban on Tuesday, March 21.

The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office said hog growers will lose P18 million per week if Cebu continues its border closure for pork-related products./DGB, WDJ