• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
No new cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been reported in Negros Occidental for nearly two weeks, allowing the province to resume the shipment of hogs to Iloilo after meeting the latter’s disease control requirements.
Provincial Veterinarian Placeda Lemana said on Wednesday, Sept. 2 that the province began shipping hogs to Iloilo on Sept. 1 after completing 40 days without an active ASF case and obtaining negative test results.
Lemana described the development as good news for local hog raisers, noting that the resumption of shipments means producers in areas cleared for movement can again access markets outside the province.
However, access to the Cebu market remains closed to Negros Island hogs after Cebu extended its ban on the entry of live hogs and pork products for another 45 days due to ASF concerns.
Lemana said Hinoba-an has no reported ASF cases and has been recognized for its active ASF surveillance, allowing hog raisers there to ship out animals they produce subject to existing requirements.
Meanwhile, pork prices in Negros Occidental were being monitored at around P300 per kilogram (kg.), with some markets recording prices as low as P220 per kg.
Live hog prices ranged from P120 to P170 per kg., with the highest monitored price recorded in Hinoba-an and the lowest in Calatrava and Kabankalan City.
Over in Negros Oriental, authorities continue to intensify containment measures as ASF cases persist.
The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) culled 539 pigs in July and August, including animals that tested positive and those that were housed with infected pigs, according to PVO officer-in-charge Vernon Lumbania.
Based on the PVO’s Aug. 28 weekly report, active ASF cases were recorded in Valencia with one case, Pamplona with 40, Siaton with 24, and Bayawan City with 42.
The culled pigs came from Valencia, 43; Zamboanguita, 6; Pamplona, 2; Bayawan City, 240; Tanjay City, 145; Amlan, 58; and Siaton, 45. | GPB with PNA reports
