THE top official of Negros Occidental stressed the need for Negrenses to stay alert in order to protect the P6 billion worth of swine industry of the province.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson made the statement as a call among members of various local hog raisers associations during the turnover of marketing support project at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, September 4.

Lacson said there is a problem hounding the country’s swine industry. With that, biosecurity should be given importance.

“Though the government is not telling us what exactly the cause of deaths among swine in some areas in the country, but we know that we are facing a problem,” he said, adding that “I hope, it won’t happen here.”

The governor chairs the Provincial Task Force on African Swine Fever (ASF), which is conducting a strict monitoring of pork meat products especially those entering the province.

Earlier, it conducted inspection in some local supermarkets, storage facilities and ports.

Lacson, at the sidelines of the inspection, said there is a need to protect the swine industry, which is one of the bigger industries in Negros Occidental.

In fact, the province ranks first in terms of backyard swine production in the country according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Lacson appealed to Negrenses to patronize first products, especially pork meat, produced in Negros Occidental rather than the imported ones.

“Let us support our very own swine industry,” he urged Negrenses, adding that cooperation among all stakeholders is important to protect the province’s swine industry.

Records of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) showed that the province current annual swine production for both backyard and commercial is 510,000 heads.

In 2018, the province’s total consumption is 37,000 metric tons (MT).

With the annual production of 54,000 MT, Negros Occidental has a surplus of about 16,000 MT.