FOLLOWING the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to temporary halt the feeding swills or “lamaw” to hogs as a preventive measure against the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus, a councilor said some hog raisers are asking for a subsidy on the hog feeds sold in the market.
Councilor Ralph Abella said some hog raisers, particularly the backyard raisers, is pushing for feeds subsidy.
Abella, a hog raiser himself and the city council committee chair for agriculture and food, said hog feeds are costly as compared to swills.
As he understands the sentiments of the backyard raisers, he said he supports this call for subsidy.
Despite being expensive he understood feeds are safer than swills.
“Sa pagkakaron, ayaw sa ninyo pakan-a inyo mga baboy og lamaw. Likay-likay lang usa kita kay wala ta kabalo kung nahaluan na ba kini sa virus (Let us avoid feeding our pigs with swills. We do not know whether it is already contaminated with the virus),” the councilor said.
DA-Davao, in a previous report, confirmed that swills were tagged as one of the probable cause of the ASF to infect and kill more than 1,000 hogs in Don Marcelino in Davao Occidental.
Swills were also been cited as the reason why some hogs in Barangays Lamanan and Dominga in Calinan District, Davao City had died due to ASF.
However, DA in a recent press conference clarified that these are not yet final as investigation is still ongoing.
Abella, meanwhile, said hog raisers association had already initiated its campaign against swill-feeding.
He added that big time or commercial hog breeders are also supporting their call.
Hog raisers in the city were invited to a Livestock Forum and Public Consultation on February 15 where the “Oder-Free Backyard Livestock Raising Ordinance”, which Abella, himself, proposed was discussed.
He said the ordinance aims to create measures to regulate foul and unpleasant odors emanating from animal houses and farms. (RGL)