Negros Occidental loses P80M to swine deaths

BACOLOD City – Hog raisers in Negros Occidental province have reported PHP79.95 million in swine mortalities due to hog cholera and other diseases, latest data of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) released on Monday showed.

No case of African swine fever (ASF) has been detected among the 31 cities and municipalities of the province, but this provincial capital, which is an independent highly-urbanized city, has already logged two cases on Friday.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government would only adhere to the declaration of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) regarding its ASF status.

“Again, there has been no declaration as far as the province is concerned that we are ASF infected. I think we have been very consistent from the beginning, that until such time the DA-BAI will proclaim us, as ASF infected, the province will not declare such,” he told reporters.

Negros Occidental has a zoning map for ASF, where areas are color-coded as pink for buffer zones and green for free zones.

“So far, that’s the status,” the governor said.

Lacson noted that the protocols followed by the province are now “geared towards addressing whatever is the virus present.”

“It doesn’t matter what kind of virus. We have taken steps to protect per local government unit (LGU) already,” he added.

Records of the PVO showed that as of 4 p.m. on May 27, some 6,774 swine deaths have already been reported in 14 LGUs, which is equivalent to 6.24 percent of the hog population in the province.

Affected were a total of 1,360 hog raisers situated in 117 barangays.

The fatalities were mostly reported in the province’s fourth district, with 5,894 mortalities, including in the towns of San Enrique — 2,413; Valladolid — 1,202; Pulupandan — 507; Pontevedra — 594; Bago City — 1,166; and La Carlota City – 282.

In the second district, particularly Manapla and Cadiz City, 121 swine deaths have been recorded; 682 in the third district, including 591 in E.B. Magalona; and 77 in the fifth district, including in Hinigaran and Binalbagan. (PNA)