- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, Aug. 3, called on hog raisers not to be complacent of the threat of swine diseases, despite the downward trend on hog deaths in the province.
The governor said that the threat is still there.
Lacson attributed the reduction in hog mortalities to the strict compliance of protocols prescribed by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
“It just tells us that the protocol we followed is working, but I’m not saying it’s over,” he stressed.
Lacson pointed out that Negros Occidental is not yet on the recovery phase from the onslaught of swine diseases.
“We will still release piglets as samples in certain areas to find out if it’s already clean,” he added.
The Provincial Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team Tuesday recorded only four hog deaths, all in Cauayan town.
Ten of the 31 towns and component cities of Negros Occidental, composed of Don Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, Toboso, Escalante City, Sagay City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Sipalay City, Candoni, and Hinoba-an remain free of the African swine fever, as of this time./GB