The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas reminded residents to refrain from buying pork products online to stop the spread of the dreaded African swine fever.
Remelyn Recoter, DA-Region 6 director, said: “As we celebrate the holiday season, there are attempts to bring in processed pork products from Luzon.”
She said, “we are not sure where the sources are coming from,” adding that pasalubongs are good but bring in cash not pork, ham, tocino, and longganisa from Luzon and Mindanao areas affected by the deadly virus.
She stressed that WV remains ASF-free.
“We are very much thankful to the vigilance of the provincial government of Negros Occidental through its Provincial ASF Task Force,” she said.
She stressed that appropriate charges have been filed against several individuals for violating the provincial ordinance on ASF.
Recoter urged the populace to help, cooperate, and support the region’s P20 billion swine industry, as 80 percent of the producers are backyard raisers.*