By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Despite recording hog mortalities in Negros Occidental, local hog raisers are still selling out live pigs to Luzon and other parts of the Visayas.

Provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said the province has shipped out 4,322 pigs to Luzon and 1,454 to Visayas from June 1 to 16.

Seventeen out of the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental have already been affected by hog mortalities.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the province is still able to sell pigs to other areas in the country, as daily swine mortalities decline, based on data from the Provincial Veterinary Office.

There were 140 to 150 swine deaths recorded in the past few days, far from the average 400 cases in previous weeks.

Despite the decline, swine deaths have caused damage worth P157 million in 142 barangays across the province.

EBM to impose penalties vs. ‘botcha’ sellers

Meanwhile, the E.B. Magalona municipal government has issued an ordinance which prohibited the sale of “botcha” or double dead meat in the town’s markets.

This comes amid the strict implementation of biosecurity protocols to control the spread of hog cholera, African swine fever (ASF) and other hog illnesses.

The new ordinance was implemented by the local government unit to protect the residents from potential health risks associated with consuming double dead meat.

Under Municipal Ordinance No. 8, penalties will be imposed against individuals for transporting and distributing botcha without the required stamp from the Municipal Agriculture Office or a certificate from the National Meat Inspection Service.

For the first offense, violators will be fined P1,000 and imprisonment for one month, while a fine of P1,500 and a two-month jail time will be imposed for the second offense.

For the third offense, a P2,500 penalty will be fined, and offenders may be imprisoned for three months./DGB, WDJ