About P18.1 million in weekly shipments of pigs and pork products from Negros Occidental have been affected by the ban imposed by Cebu province, Dr. Placeda Lemana, OIC provincial veterinarian, said Thursday, March 16.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has banned the entry of pigs and pork products from Negros Island as a precaution against African Swine Fever (ASF).
However, Negros Occidental remains ASF-free, Lemana said.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has written Garcia to request the lifting of the ban to enable Negros’ pork products to pass through Cebu on their way to other islands.
He has not received an answer from Garcia yet, Lemana said.
Negros Occidental hog raisers are finding ways to deliver their products to some parts of Mindanao, Samar and Leyte, she said.
However, alternative routes are much further and will cause an increase in transport costs, she added.
Negros Occidental had been delivering 1,116 pigs and other pork products to Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Luzon and Mindanao a week, Lemana said.*