By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said 18 hog blood specimens yielded positive results for African swine fever (ASF).

Based on BAI’s latest laboratory tests, the ASF-positive specimens were taken from Kabankalan City’s Barangay 6 with 13 samples, Barangay Linao with two, and Barangay Binicuil with one.

Two samples from Hinigaran town’s Barangay Gargato and Camba-og also tested positive for the hog disease.

Data from the Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office showed that as of Monday, July 10, the number of hog mortalities in the province has already reached 16,361, or almost 10 percent of the 164,334 total hog population.

Damages brought by hog deaths are at P186,633,250.

Earlier, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said despite the recorded hog mortalities, the province was still able to ship out more than 10,000 healthy pigs to other neighboring provinces.

“We are still okay as far as pork supply is concerned. If you have noticed, all the parties still have lechon,” Lacson said.

He admitted that while the hog population was greatly affected, the spread of hog diseases, particularly hog cholera and ASF, has been controlled.

He also assured that the province has yet to experience shortages of pork and pork products due to hog diseases./DGB, WDJ