THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental has generated almost P10.5 million from various animal quarantine and regulatory services fees collected last year.
The figure is P1.36 million, or almost 13 percent, higher than only P9.13 million from veterinary inspection, payment for health certificates, licenses, farm registration fees, and farm income collected in 2016.
PVO records showed a total of 762 farms were registered in the province last year. Of which, 103 were assorted commercial farms and 659 backyard gamefowl farms.
In 2016, merely 32 commercial and backyard farms were registered.
PVO issued 51,859 permits and 659 last year, records further showed, adding that about 1.4 million kilograms of meat and processed meat were shipped in and out.
In terms of animal shipment, at least four million heads were transported to and from the province in 2017.
For both animal and meat shipments, PVO noted a significant decrease of almost 49 percent, or about 1.5 million kilograms, compared to 2016.
This is mainly because the inspection function was turned over to Bureau of Animal Industry-National Veterinary Services Division starting November 2017.
Collection of fees for the shipment of animals, particularly
livestock and poultry, is mandated by Provincial Tax Ordinance No. 11-001, or an ordinance amending certain provisions of the 2007 Provincial Revenue Code of the Negros Occidental.
Under the ordinance, fees on other veterinary services are imposed, including inspection on large and small domestic animals, poultry, game fowls, issuance of permits for transport as well as inspection and issuance of certificate of registration to commercial livestock and poultry farms.
It also has a provision to collect registration and licensing of livestock and poultry handler or trader, and diagnostic laboratory services fees which vary, depending on the type of test.
PVO, moreover, reported that the top four commodities shipped in the province last year were balut at 4.5 million pieces; hatching eggs, 4.1 million pieces; table eggs, 3.9 million pieces; and day-old chicks, 1.4 million heads.
For shipped out animals, the province transported 4.1 million pieces of table eggs. It was followed by day-old-chicks, 1.8 million heads; dressed chicken, 581,328 heads; and hatching eggs, 337,159 pieces.
The shipment traffic is mostly between Negros Occidental, Panay Island and Cebu.