By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A local hog raisers group in Negros Occidental favors the decision of the provincial government to impose a 15-day isolation protocol for pigs suspected of being infected by African swine fever (ASF) before culling.
Ric Lauron, president of the Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental (AHRANO), said lots of hog raisers call for help from local government units in the province (LGUs) as hog mortalities continue to rise.
The protocol of hog culling within the 500-meter radius of a confirmed ASF case was implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Lauron said some raisers were unable to pay debts, using the money to buy feeds for their hogs.
With their hog stocks disappearing, some have resorted to selling off their properties just so they can pay their outstanding debts, the AHRANO president said.
Although the provincial government has already made a move to provide financial assistance, local hog raisers are asking the national government to also provide aid as they are losing their livelihood.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is currently eyeing giving out P2,000 to P5,000 in cash assistance for affected hog raisers in the province.
Meanwhile, Lacson earlier said if there are no infections during the 15-day isolation period, they can confirm the suspected ASF case as isolated.
“If there is, then we will continue to proceed with the BAI protocol of [isolating within] seven and 10 kilometers,” he said.
Blood testing will be conducted and hogs will be placed under surveillance with restricted movements.
He added the provincial government is already treating or has already passed protocols to address the worst case scenario.
“There will be no in and out in the area where there is ASF. Once the area is declared a red zone, you’re limited within your area. That’s why we have to be very careful,” Lacson said.
The governor is also encouraging depopulation of hogs in the province, saying that raisers should no longer wait for the ideal hog weight but rather dispose of their hogs early while they are still healthy.
Based on a report issued by BAI’s Veterinary Laboratory Division in Quezon City, the ASF-positive hog was from Pulupandan town’s Barangay Mabini.
Hog industry losses now at P102.5-M
Negros Occidental’s hog industry losses have already reached P102.5 million, the latest data released by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) as of Thursday, June 1, showed.
PVO’s data revealed that 8,849 hog deaths, or 8.15 percent of the province’s hog population, affected 1,697 hog farmers in second to fifth districts.
San Enrique town continues to top the list of affected LGUs with 2,471 hog deaths, a staggering 91.79 percent of its total hog population.
It was followed by Valladolid town with 1,758 hog deaths; Bago City (1,251); Pontevedra town (863); E.B. Magalona town (832), and Pulupandan town (677)./DGB, WDJ