Negros Occidental has continued to be a top swine producer in Western Visayas since the 1990s.
This was announced by Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena on Wednesday, July 7, citing the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) livestock inventory report from 1994 until the present.
Negros Occidental produced 473,517 hogs in January this year, and another 467,955 heads in April, followed by Iloilo with 408,270 heads and 406,707 in the same periods, the PSA report said.
Although there had been a decrease of 40,633 heads in backyard population in April, there was an increase in commercial production by 35,071 heads, from 63,429 to 98,500 hogs, which made the province maintain its production ranking.
In the same report, PSA said Negros Occidental placed fourth in the country in terms of backyard and commercial swine production, with 467,955 heads, while Bukidnon led all the provinces with 671,363 hogs followed by Batangas with 596,036 and Cebu with 522,113.
The swine production in the province has been sustained by the various programs and projects initiated by the provincial government anchored on the Abanse Negrense Development Agenda on agricultural productivity and food security such as the operationalization of four swine artificial insemination and laboratory centers as well as distribution of 1,000 heads breeder piglets to hog raisers last year, Decena said.
For this year, the province is looking to distribute another 500 breeder piglets and 200 pure breed gilts under its Provincial Animal Genetic Improvement Program (PAGIP) aimed to boost further its swine productivity, he said.
In support of its productivity effort, the province through the PVO is strengthening the production base of backyard swine raisers through the expansion of hog raisers association membership, and extension of technical assistance to backyard raisers, Decena added.*