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Sunday, July 09, 2006
Livestock traders urged to secure permits
By Rachel M. Nessia
ALL livestock traders in Negros Oriental who are not yet licensed are urged to secure their license from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
The newly issued Administrative Order No. 8 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) strictly requires the licensing of all livestock traders, which is to be done every year, said Provincial Chief Quarantine Officer Dr. Alfonso Tundag.
Tundag said that as of now not all livestock traders in Negros Oriental are licensed.
Records from the PVO show that around 50 traders have been licensed in 2005.
"We expect them to renew their licenses this year," says Sarah Perocho, agricultural technologist and laboratory technician at PVO here.
According to Perocho, livestock traders are required to undergo training before a license is issued to them.
"The training will inform the traders about policies, regulations, laws and system of licensing of the Bureau of Animal Industry," she said.
The licensing fee ranges from P300 to P500.
A corresponding penalty has been set for traders who fail to secure a license, but Tundag said it is yet to be imposed because the administrative order was still in the infancy stage.
Tundag said that together with the PVO, a series of information campaign would be conducted in all three districts in the province starting January next year, in time for the issuance and renewal of license for livestock traders.
He said traders would need to secure their permits to avoid problems when they transport their livestock.
"We will not issue a veterinary shipping permit to traders who are not licensed," warned Tundag.
The veterinary shipping permit is not limited to livestock traders.
He said regular boat passengers who want to transport animals, animal products and by-products are also required to secure a veterinary shipping permit prior to boarding the vessel.
"These are possible carriers of infectious diseases...we only should transport healthy animals and by-products," stressed Tundag.
A signboard will be put up in the total seven passenger sub-ports in the province to inform passengers about the said requirement.
The passenger sub-ports in the province are in San Jose, Amlan, La Libertad and two each in Sibulan and Guihulngan.
The chief quarantine officer recently attended a two-day Re-Tooling Seminar conducted by the Regulatory Division of DA-7 in Taptap, Cebu during which officials from the Bureau of Animal Industry discussed the new administrative order.
Other topics discussed during the seminar were the Animal Welfare Act, Administrative Order No. 9 detailing the requirements to establish an auction market, procedure for domestic transport of animals, and the Avian Influenza or Bird Flu.
More than 60 participants attended the seminar, including city veterinarians and staff from the Provincial Veterinary Office.
(July 9, 2006 issue)
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