- GILBERT BAYORAN
Unless the Agriculture department’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) declares it, there is no ASF (African Swine Fever) in Bago City, and Negros Occidental remains free of this dreaded hog disease, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said Sunday, May 28.
This was the reaction of Ferrer on reports that the two hogs that tested positive for ASF virus in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, came from Bago.
Ferrer said there should be testing of blood samples of hogs from Bago City before any pronouncement from BAI, if indeed, ASF is detected in the area.
The Provincial Veterinary Office initially blamed hog cholera and other diseases for the deaths of more than 6,379 hogs in 14 local government units of Negros Occidental, as of May 26.
As to the declaration of a state of calamity, Ferrer said “we need to know the correct data, to guide our decision,” and stressed that, as of May 28, there is negative test result for ASF in the province.
Although there is no official confirmation from Capitol, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said they are treating the hog diseases as “ASF”.
Damage to the province’s swine industry due to hog diseases is pegged at P75.5 million, according to PVO reports.
Ferrer said that the current spate of hog deaths is affecting the food security in Negros Occidental.
He added that the provincial government will discuss with the hog raisers any assistance that will be given to them.
PVO records showed that Negros Occidental logged an average of 400 hog deaths a day./GB
