The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office has declared that cases of African swine fever and hog cholera in the province is “already controlled.”
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana said Thursday, January 4, "we cannot declare yet that the province is ASF and hog cholera free because hog cholera is an endemic disease, while ASF goes with the environment.”
Lemana stressed that the ban on the entry of live pigs and processed pork products into Negros Occidental from affected areas remains to protect the province, adding so “we could go back soon to our status of being ASF-free."
Lemana also said that the cost of pork may go back to its old price in the third quarter or fourth quarter last year, before the hog cholera and ASF outbreak in the province.
At present, the price of pork is as high as P360 per kilo.
Lemana assured the public of enough supply of pork and dressed chicken in the province.
She said that the province is still number one in Western Visayas in terms of pork supplier and is next to Batangas in the country.
Meanwhile, Lemana said the sentineling of the swine industry will officially start this year, although some hog raisers have already started in the last quarter of 2023 and that there were no more pig deaths reported in that period.*