NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued two memorandums Friday morning, October 14, 2022, ordering a ban on the entry of pork and pork byproducts originating from Panay Island, Guimaras, Mindanao, Leyte and Luzon.
This comes after the report of a suspected case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the town of Oton in Iloilo.
Acting Provincial veterinarian Placeda Lamena said the case is still suspected since there is no confirmation yet from the Department of Agriculture.
In his executive order, the governor said that the ASF poses a great threat to Negros Occidental, being one of the major producers and gateway of live pigs being supplied to Luzon, Central and Eastern Visayas.
He ordered the Provincial ASF Task Force to conduct rigid and stringent screening and inspection of incoming shipments of live animals and pork products.
The task force is also ordered to conduct checkpoints to intercept and control the movement of live animals, pork and pork byproducts entering the province and confiscate any undocumented shipments.
All transport carriers, upon arrival at the province's seaports, must undergo mandatory and regular disinfection.
Hog raisers in Negros Occidental are also ordered to report any unusual mortalities among their stock to ensure a prompt and immediate response.
Negros Occidental is one of the top backyard hog producers in the country with an industry pegged at more than P6 billion.
For three years, Negros Occidental has prohibited the entry of live pigs and pork byproducts from Luzon, Mindanao and parts of the Visayas to protect the local hog industry.