The detection of African swine fever (ASF) cases in Bacolod City is affecting the shipment of pigs from Negros Occidental to other parts of the country, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, May 30.
The effect of the Bacolod announcement has been negative, he said.
There are reports that some people are lobbying against the loading of pigs from Negros Occidental on vessels for shipment to other areas, he said.
There has been no official laboratory findings of the presence of ASF in Negros Occidental so far, Diaz said.
The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported 455 more pig deaths from illnesses in Negros Occidental on Tuesday bringing the total number of fatalities in the province to 7,229 or losses of P93,180,675.
The deaths represent 6.66 percent of Negros Occidental’s hog population.
San Enrique has the highest number of pig deaths at 2,253 or 83.69 percent of its hog population, followed by Valladolid with 1,439 deaths, and Bago City with 1,178, the PVO reported.
ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting pigs. It is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is also not a food safety issue, officials have assured.
The provincial government is doing everything it can to help the Negros Occidental hog farmers, because not all areas in the province have been hit by swine cholera and deaths, Diaz said.
The pig deaths have affected 1,568 hog raisers in Negros Occidental, the PVO reported.
Pig testing is being conducted so those that are healthy can be issued veterinary certificates, Diaz said.
The provincial government’s Incident Management Team is continuing to conduct surveillance, testing, containment and disposal of pigs that die from illnesses, Diaz said.
There are continuing to help hog farmers to segregate the healthy pigs from those that are not so healthy so they can still sell them, he said.
The provincial government is also working on getting hog raisers insured to protect them from animal deaths, Diaz added.
Meanwhile, the ban on the entry of pigs and pork products into Negros Occidental from ASF-hit areas continues, he said.
Pork chorizo from Cebu were confiscated by the Sipalay City ASF Task Force during a spot inspection at the Sipalay City Public Market, Diaz said.
The confiscated 310 packs Chorizo de Cebu valued at P10,800 were immediately disposed by burning, he said.*
