The pig deaths in Negros Occidental hit 6,379 with 411 new cases reported on Friday, May 26.
This brings the total Negros Occidental hog industry losses to P75,503,775, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported.
The fatalities represent 5.88 percent of Negros Occidental’s 108,528 hog population.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said as of Friday the main cause of the pig deaths in the province was hog cholera, which he called “threatening”.
There is no official report yet that Negros Occidental has been hit by African Swine Fever, he said.
“As of now it’s still hog cholera, the province will never declare otherwise until such time that we are given confirmation from the laboratory,” Lacson said.
“The line of defense now will be between LGUs and within the LGUs its between barangays, that’s how extensive it will be,”
Lacson said.
“It is unfortunate that we are losing more heads on a daily basis, but then again we cannot also just let it happen, we will still try our best to control it,” he added.
“We are not taking it lightly. I just hope it will not devastate our hog industry”, he said.
The pig deaths have hit the second, third and fourth districts of Negros Occidental.
The PVO reported that the areas hit and number of pig fatalities are:
FIRST DISTRICT: Manapla – 54 and Cadiz City -6;
THIRD DISTRICT: Silay City -2, EB Magalona- 414, Talisay City – 24 and Murcia -65;
FOURTH DISTRICT: San Enrique – 2,124, Valladolid – 1,193, Pulupandan – 467, Pontevedra – 529, Bago City – 1,165 and La Carlota City – 268; and
FIFTH DISTRICT: Hinigaran -6 and Binalbagan -68.
Lacson said the provincial government is studying providing assistance for the affected hog raisers but it we will on a limited scale.*