ANTIQUE – The Antique Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) warned hog raisers against unscrupulous traders offering to buy their hogs at a lower price due to suspected cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) reported in the municipality of Hamtic.
ProVet Public Health Division chief Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil said on Wednesday they received reports of traders or middlemen offering to buy live weight for only P70 per kilo, half the P130–P140 current buying price.
“We received reports, like in the town of Patnongon and other northern towns of the province. Some people are taking advantage and even threatening hog-raisers to already sell their live weight for as low as P70 per kilo,” Ardamil said.
He added unscrupulous traders allegedly told hog raisers they needed to dispose of their hogs because the suspected ASF cases would soon spread to their areas.
Ardamil, however, said hog mortality is confined only in the town of Hamtic, with 348 affected heads from 11 barangays.
“Also, we still cannot confirm that the hog mortality is due to the ASF since we have not yet sent a specimen for testing at the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) laboratory,” Ardamil said.
The ban on transfering or transporting of swine, slaughtering and selling pork remain in effect in Hamtic until June 19 under Executive Order 32 issued by Mayor Julius Ronald Pacificador on June 2.
The quarantine aimed to provide ProVet and the Hamtic Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) ample time to investigate, diagnose, and provide other necessary interventions or treatments for ailing animals.
On June 5, ProVet chief Dr. Florencio Macuja said hogs might be suffering from congested lungs or pneumonia because of the rains the province experienced weeks before swine deaths were reported.
“There’s also a possibility that the first hog mortality might be due to other reasons aside from ASF since we still have no laboratory confirmation,” Macuja added. (PNA)/PN
