THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental has assured enough supply of livestock and poultry products during the 14-day enhanced community quarantine in the province that will start today, March 30.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said Sunday, March 29, they already submitted to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson the situational analysis on meat supply for the duration of quarantine period.
Decena said pork and chicken supplies are stable, as well as carabeef (carabao meat) as alternative for beef, which is deficit.
"The province is also surplus in supply of chevon (goat meat) while we are deficit in eggs by almost 40 percent in commercial production," he said, adding that "but free range chicken eggs by backyard raisers could support."
On March 26, Lacson signed the Executive Order (EO) providing for the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine as measure against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Though closure of borders, ports and airports is still enforced and mass transport that will apply to all buses, jeepneys, taxis, vans for hire, tricycles, e-tricycles and pedicabs is suspended, the governor assured that movement of cargos delivering food and other essential products should not be hampered.
"In general, we have enough supply of meat products during the two-week enhanced community quarantine," Decena said.
"Even in live sales during auction market, we have plenty of animals for sale," he said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas earlier issued food pass and food lane vehicle pass cards to suppliers and farm producers in the region, including Negros Occidental.
DA-Western Visayas, in its Facebook page, said the move is aimed at ensuring the unhampered movement of all cargoes, agriculture and fishery inputs, food products, and agribusiness personnel in the region during the community quarantine period.
"We have maintained our African Swine Fever (ASF) quarantine checkpoints in seaports and in Kabankalan City because food lane is still open for animals and meat," the provincial veterinarian added.