The Provincial Veterinary Office is reminding Negrense hog raisers to protect their pigs and pigpens from floodwaters to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a concern highlighted by recent outbreaks in Batangas.
Negrense hog raisers must learn from what happened in Batangas and other parts of Luzon, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana said on Wednesday, August 7.
“Once there is flooding and the host is still around, the ASF can spread within the area”, she said.
There have been confirmed outbreaks of ASF in Batangas, affecting the towns of Lobo, Lian, Rosario, Calatagan, and Lipa City.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed that the recent ASF cases in Batangas were exacerbated by the heavy rains and floods caused by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.
Lemana also said that pork imports from Batangas, Luzon, Mindanao, Cebu, and Panay are still banned as these areas still have ASF red zones.
Local government units in Negros Occidental have also been complying with the biosecurity measures set by the DA to transition from red to pink zones, ensuring that ASF spread is in control, she said.
The cities of Kabankalan and San Carlos, and La Castellana town have already been cleared of ASF and are still waiting for their pink zone certifications, she said.*