Western Visayas (WV) is among the four regions in the country that remain free from the dreaded African swine fever, Remelyn Recoter, Department of Agriculture Region 6 director, said.
The other regions are MIMAROPA, Central Visayas, and the Zamboanga Peninsula, she said.
“Based on what happened in other regions, ASF sometimes occurred within the barangay, or let us say the ground zero is among the affected barangays,” Recoter said, who led the launching of the “Bantay ASF sa Barangay” program in Aklan late last week.
Barangay councils and deputized volunteer barangay bio-security officers and private veterinarians will carry out the implementation of the program, with the provincial veterinarians as the project lead, she said.
The local stakeholders in the region consider the implementation of the “Bantay ASF sa Barangay” advantageous in protecting the more than P20 billion hog industry of WV, she said.
The program, a collaborative undertaking of the national and local government, targets to create an effective ASF monitoring, surveillance, and reporting system to intensify the practice of biosecurity measures in all hog farms, Recoter said.
“We are encouraging the public to immediately report any suspicious swine mortality in their areas for us to easily contain and prevent the further spread of the virus,” she added.
The program is part of their initiative in reviving the hog industry and reducing the pork prices due to the effects of ASF in several major swine-producing regions in the country, she said.
“DA is prioritizing hog production and repopulation in green zone areas. We requested for the realignment of our 2020 savings, and had apportioned funds from the 2021 budget of the Livestock Program for the repopulation and establishment of multiplier farms, and animal restocking in the region,” she added.
ASF-free regions with surplus production, including WV, are mandated to ship hogs to Metro Manila, she said.
“As per record of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Region 6 had shipped 70,000 hogs in 2020 and had so far sent out 50,000 hogs to Luzon this 2021. We are contributing 16 percent of the shipment of live hogs to Metro Manila this year,” Recoter said.
She added that the region has the lowest farm-gate price for live hogs nationwide that averages at P132 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Recoter said that DA is pushing for food diversification to ensure food security as the ASF threat continues.
“DA may go for pork importation as the last recourse amid this problem of ASF,” she said.
With the recent confirmed ASF cases in Masbate, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan De Oro, governors in the region have already amended their executive orders on the banning of pork and pork products from the affected areas, Recoter said.*
The other regions are MIMAROPA, Central Visayas, and the Zamboanga Peninsula, she said.
“Based on what happened in other regions, ASF sometimes occurred within the barangay, or let us say the ground zero is among the affected barangays,” Recoter said, who led the launching of the “Bantay ASF sa Barangay” program in Aklan late last week.
Barangay councils and deputized volunteer barangay bio-security officers and private veterinarians will carry out the implementation of the program, with the provincial veterinarians as the project lead, she said.
The local stakeholders in the region consider the implementation of the “Bantay ASF sa Barangay” advantageous in protecting the more than P20 billion hog industry of WV, she said.
The program, a collaborative undertaking of the national and local government, targets to create an effective ASF monitoring, surveillance, and reporting system to intensify the practice of biosecurity measures in all hog farms, Recoter said.
“We are encouraging the public to immediately report any suspicious swine mortality in their areas for us to easily contain and prevent the further spread of the virus,” she added.
The program is part of their initiative in reviving the hog industry and reducing the pork prices due to the effects of ASF in several major swine-producing regions in the country, she said.
“DA is prioritizing hog production and repopulation in green zone areas. We requested for the realignment of our 2020 savings, and had apportioned funds from the 2021 budget of the Livestock Program for the repopulation and establishment of multiplier farms, and animal restocking in the region,” she added.
ASF-free regions with surplus production, including WV, are mandated to ship hogs to Metro Manila, she said.
“As per record of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Region 6 had shipped 70,000 hogs in 2020 and had so far sent out 50,000 hogs to Luzon this 2021. We are contributing 16 percent of the shipment of live hogs to Metro Manila this year,” Recoter said.
She added that the region has the lowest farm-gate price for live hogs nationwide that averages at P132 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Recoter said that DA is pushing for food diversification to ensure food security as the ASF threat continues.
“DA may go for pork importation as the last recourse amid this problem of ASF,” she said.
With the recent confirmed ASF cases in Masbate, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan De Oro, governors in the region have already amended their executive orders on the banning of pork and pork products from the affected areas, Recoter said.*