BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson will hold consultations with the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) after a recent agreement between the provincial governments of Negros Oriental and Cebu on hog trade.
Cebu’s Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Negros Oriental’s Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria agreed to lift restrictions on hog trade and implement identical biosecurity measures against African Swine Fever (ASF) in their respective provinces. The two provinces experienced an oversupply of live hogs due to a limited market.
To recall, Garcia issued an executive order banning the entry of hogs from Negros Island after authorities detected a case of ASF in a hog shipment allegedly from Negros.
Lacson said Garcia has already responded regarding Cebu’s temporary ban on pork products from Negros Occidental, but a final agreement has not been reached yet.
Lacson believes that if Negros Oriental and Cebu open up, the province will also open up.
Furthermore, Lacson said the province has been adhering to the biosecurity protocols of the Bureau of Animal Industry to decrease daily swine mortalities.
According to the PVO, the province has already experienced a 10.19 percent loss in its total hog population, with damages reaching over P174 million./PN
