Vice guv: Where is P200-M worth of livestock?

VICE Governor Genaro Alvarez is pushing for an accounting of the P200 million worth of cattle and sheep acquired by the Provincial Government from Mindanao and Australia.

Alvarez said the Provincial Board’s committee on agriculture chaired by Board Member Miller Serondo should inquire from the Provincial Veterinary Office about the beneficiaries of the animal dispersal program of the Provincial Government.

"We want to know if it those cattle and sheep have already reproduced and how many are the total numbers of those animals now," Alvarez said.

He said the fund used for such project was loaned by the Provincial Government.

"There's no politics involved here," Alvarez said.

A total of 12,000 high-bred sheep (Dorper and Damara breeds) were purchased by the Provincial Government from Perth, Australia, in addition to the 6,000 Dorper sheep bought in Darwin, Australia last year.

Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. said because of such purchase made by the Provincial Government, Negros is now considered the lamb capital of the Philippines.

Various lamb dishes from Negros were featured and served during the 27th Negros Trade Fair at Rockwell Tent in Makati City last Tuesday.

As to the flock of sheep bought by the Provincial Government, 300 were rams or male sheep priced at P20,000 each, including shipping cost to the Philippines, and 5,700 were ewes or female sheep at P15,500 to P16,000 each.

Provincial veterinarian Renante Decena had said the Provincial Government has allocated P82 million for the purchase of the flock of sheep, as well as for the construction of structures to house them at the 159-hectare Negros First Ranch in Barangay Santa Rosa, Murcia.

Alvarez said they want to determine how many of those sheep and cattle are dead and how many are alive as of now.