ILOILO – The province listed a reduction of 173,010 heads or a 62 percent decrease in swine due to the African Swine Fever (ASF).
Prior to the first ASF case in the province in October 2022, the swine inventory in the province reached 277,421 heads, but as of May 5 this year, this dropped to 104,411 heads, Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) data showed.
Most of the 173,010 heads were sold by farmers at the height of the ASF, were slaughtered, had natural deaths, and died after being infected with ASF.
If each head costs P10,000, the province’s losses in ASF may have reached P1,730,100,000, PVO said.
PVO data further showed that in ASF-infected zones – 25 municipalities, as of May 5 – there were only 33,016 swine. There has been a 132,448 swine reduction or an 80 percent decrease from the September 2022 inventory of 165,464.
The 25 towns with ASF cases are Oton, San Miguel, Leganes, New Lucena, Alimodian, Santa Barbara, Mina, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Dumangas, Banate, Janiuay, Concepcion, Batad, Zarraga, San Dionisio, Dingle, Dueñas, Badiangan, Pototan, San Enrique, Estancia, Ajuy, Balasan, and Maasin.
In buffer zones or pink zones (Tigbauan, Leon, Cabatuan, Lambunao, Anilao, San Rafael, Lemery, Sara, and Pavia) with 66,301 swine in September 2022 inventory, there were only 39,661 heads or a 40 percent reduction as of May 5.
In the surveillance zone or yellow zone (Guimbal, Tubungan, Calinog, Passi City and Carles), from 24,822 heads in the September 2022 inventory, there were only 17,843 heads left or a 28 percent decrease.
For the protected zone or yellow-green zone (Miag-ao, Igbaras and Bingawan), from 17,133 in the September 2022 inventory, 8,555 heads were left or a 50 percent decrease.
On the other hand, there is growth in the inventory in San Joaquin town – the free zone or green zone. From 3,696 in September 2022, the inventory grew to 5,339 heads or a 44 percent increase as of May 5.
Because of the reduction, PVO head Dr. Darel Tabuada said since March this year, the province stopped shipping out pork to Luzon to ensure that the supply of pork in the province is sufficient.
Despite the decrease in the province’s swine inventory, Tabuada assured there is still pork in the market for Ilonggos.
But if the trend continues, there is a possibility of a shortage of pork in the province in the next four months./PN
