The Negros Occidental hog industry losses caused by the rising pig deaths from various diseases have breached the P150 million mark, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, June 19.
The pig deaths were 13,572 or 9.48 percent of Negros Occidental’s hog population with losses totaling P152,774, 975 on Monday, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported.
This has affected 2,653 hog raisers from 140 barangays in 17 of 31 towns and cities in Negros Occidental, the PVO added.
Kabankalan City was waiting for test results of pig blood samples sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry amid suspicion by one hog raiser that her pigs died from ASF.
Kabanakalan Mayor Benjie Miranda said there was no official confirmation yet that Kabankalan’s pigs had been hit with ASF.
A Barangay Linao, Kabankalan, hog raiser said she voluntarily surrendered her pigs for culling amid suspicion that they were hit with ASF.
Miranda said Kabankalan City has had about 2,000 pig deaths from various illnesses in barangays Binicuil, Daan Banua and Hilamonan.
The PVO, on the other hand, said Kabankaan City has had 347 hog deaths representing 1.93 percent of its hog population.
On Portugal’s offer to help the Philippines eradicate ASF, Lacson said he hopes they have an anti-ASF vaccine to halt its spread.
The Vietnamese ASF vaccine was not successful, he said.*
