Three local government units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental have been upgraded from the African swine fever (ASF) red zone to pink classification and can now send hogs outside the province.

Jaymar Vilos, information officer-designate of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), said the LGUs are Vallehermoso, Ayungon and Bais City.

They were upgraded to pink zone in December after having complied with all the requirements set by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Red zone areas are those with confirmed ASF cases, while pink zones are near infected or ASF-free areas in infected provinces.

“Since they are now in the pink zone classification, hog farmers from these LGUs can now send and sell their hogs outside the province,” Vilos said.

Additionally, these LGUs can start their repopulation of hogs under the DA sentinel program.

The program utilizes sentinel pigs provided by the LGU or the national government to help revive hog populations affected by the ASF, Vilos said.

Meanwhile, Valencia town is also working on compliance of requirements and other paperwork for its upgrading from red to pink.

The last reported ASF cases in Negros Oriental were from a community in Valencia sometime last year.

Bais City is also eyeing an upgrade from its current pink zone to a yellow zone (high-risk).

Vilos said other LGUs remain under the red zone classification for failure to comply with the upgrading requirements.

While no new ASF cases were reported in Negros Oriental, Vilos said this does not mean that the province is free from the disease.

“It is just that many farmers refuse to have blood samples collected from their pigs, fearing a negative impact on their businesses if an ASF case is detected,” he said. (PNA)