Threats of ASF still around

The Department of Agriculture warned the public that the threat of the African Swine Fever is still there.

Agriculture Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan said that hog raisers in Negros Occidental should not let their guards down despite the decrease in ASF cases in the province.

"It is hard to stop ASF and it is a challenge for the Department of Agriculture to develop its own vaccines against the virus," Ampatauan who was the guest of the Regional Organic Agriculture Trade Fair and Exhibit s 2023 at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City.

He pointed out that right now, the DA is importing vaccines and implementing quarantine in affected pigs.

Ampatuan added that the ASF affected the supply of pigs and its by-products in the province.

"It may take years before the supply normalizes," he said.

There are now areas in the country that are implementing repopulation of their hog population, he said, adding that the focus now of the government is to help the hog farmers in areas that were not affected by ASF to balance the supply and demand.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported that it recorded hog mortalities in the towns of Hinobaan and La Castellana in the month of October.

However, Dr. Placeda Lemana clarified that they have not determined yet if the deaths are caused by ASF or hog cholera.

Lemana said that PVO personnel are surveying the province to determine who are the qualified hog farmers to undergo the sentinelling program of the provincial government.

"They are inspecting if their hog farms are free from virus," she said.

Lemana advised hog farmers to wait for the guidelines from the PVO before raising pigs again, especially the backyard hog raisers.*