Pigs in more barangays in Negros Occidental have tested positive for the highly contagious and deadly African Swine fever (ASF), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) test results released to the media on Wednesday, June 21, showed.
Pig specimens from barangays Lantad and Hawaiian in Silay City tested positive for ASF, June 16 BAI test results showed.
Pigs in barangay Patag and Guinhalaran in Silay City had also tested positive for ASF, Mayor Joedith Gallego confirmed earlier.
Three specimens from Barangay 5, Victorias City, and 14 from Barangay Anahaw, Hinigaran, also tested positive for ASF, June 9 BAI test results showed.
Hinigaran Mayor Nadie Arceo also said on Wednesday that two pigs in Barangay Camba-og in his town also tested positive for ASF.
There have been 541 pig deaths from various diseases in 12 barangays in Hinigaran as of June 19, he said.
Thirty-one one hog raisers in Camba-og have suffered from 317 pig deaths, he added.
Arceo said the Hinigaran municipal government is planning to give assistance of P500 per piglet and P1,000 for the larger pigs that died from diseases.
Pig deaths in Negros Occidental reached 13,863, or 9.69 percent of the province’s hog population on Wednesday, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported.
This has affected 2,727 hog raisers in 17 towns and cities who have suffered P155.9 million in losses, the PVO added.
The Negros Occidental Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team held an assessment meeting on the status and outcome of the implementation of biosecurity measures in the towns and cities, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
He said while swine deaths are declining, the team agreed to continue the already established protocols with more strength by setting up power sprayers for vehicle disinfection in six strategic checkpoints and conducting massive decontamination of slaughterhouses and auction markets.
The giving of alternative livelihood assistance like chickens and cattle to affected hog raisers along with stress debriefing sessions was also addressed during the meeting, he added.
The Department of Agriculture does not have available financial assistance for raisers whose pigs have died, Agriculture Regional Director Jose Albert Barrogo said.
What the DA has is a budget for pig repopulation and recovery only for ASF hit areas, which Negros Occidental can avail of later, he said.*