THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental is promoting the production of Negros black pigs as a new area of investment positioned to generate business, employment and livelihood for Negrenses especially those in rural areas.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said that aside from providing an alternative source of livelihood, these animals have been known to contain high-quality protein.
Decena said black pig raising is budget-friendly especially to small-scale farmers who cannot afford to buy commercial feeds.
It only requires low-cost production inputs in terms of housing and feeding.
“Negros black pigs are considered as native animals providing valuable contributions in the cultural, social and economic aspects of farming communities in the rural areas of the province,” he also said.
The black pigs are best known for its color attribute. Some have white, red and black spots.
Also, these animals are very easy to raise. They have an ability to grow and reproduce five to eight piglets even under adverse conditions.
Black pigs are also found to be more resistant to parasites and common diseases as compared to the standard or imported breeds.
For Negros black pigs, Decena said these are commonly grown in free-range and being fed by locally available resources.
These resources found in many areas in the province include gabi, kamote and kamote tops, kangkong, banana trunks and leaves, copra, rice bran, cassava as well as madre de agua.
Herbal plants are also used as substitutes to ease some animal diseases and illnesses like ipil-ipil seeds and niyog-niyogan for deworming, madre cacao or kakawate for skin parasites, sambong for respiratory problems, and star apple and guava leave as concoction for scouring.
PVO records showed that black pig population in Negros Occidental as of last year is pegged at 20,000 heads.
In terms of demand, the province, including Bacolod City, has a daily requirement of 145 heads.
Monthly ship-out, meanwhile, is 350 heads in Iloilo and 150 heads in Cebu.
This means that the province has a requirement of up to 3,085 heads every month.
“Black pigs, when roasted, are less fatty and meatier than the standard or imported breeds,” he added. (EPN)