ILOILO – The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has downgraded 10 towns in the province of Iloilo from the red to the pink zone category due to improvements in controlling the African Swine Fever (ASF).
The towns now classified under the pink zone are Banate, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Concepcion, Dingle, Mina, New Lucena, Oton, Santa Barbara, and San Miguel.
In the red zone, strict prohibitions are enforced against the movement of live pigs, pork and pork products (including fresh/frozen pork and uncooked processed pork products, with the exception of cooked and canned processed pork products), as well as swine genetic materials, to prevent the spread of ASF. These restrictions remain in place until officially lifted.
The pink zone, or buffer zone, encompasses municipalities or cities where ASF has not been detected but are immediately adjacent to confirmed infected areas. This classification aims to prevent the overflow of ASF cases from the red zones through enhanced biosecurity measures and surveillance efforts.
In addition to the mentioned towns, five other municipalities are also slated for downgrading to the pink zone, namely Lambunao, Leganes, Janiuay, San Dionisio, and Zarraga.
According to Dr. Darel Tabuada, head of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), the successful downgrading of the 10 towns to the pink zone was due to no recorded cases of ASF in the last 40 days, the implementation of ASF ordinances, and the presence of trained biosecurity officers conducting regular surveillance and monitoring.
Previously, 27 towns were designated under red zones, including the recently downgraded towns.
The PVO and concerned local government units continue to monitor the remaining towns in the red zone with the goal of downgrading them to the pink zone.
This downgrade is crucial to allow areas to implement the sentinel program initiated by the Iloilo provincial government and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
A list of beneficiaries from the 10 newly classified pink zone towns who are ready to participate in the provincial government’s sentinel program has already been submitted. Upon validation of the beneficiary list, funds will be allocated to local government units for the purchase of sentinel pigs, with each beneficiary eligible to receive two sentinel pigs.
The sentinel program is expected to commence in May 2024.
Dr. Tabuada clarified that the provincial government’s sentinel program differs from that of the DA. Under DA’s program, beneficiaries are eligible to receive three pigs and a two-month supply of feeds, whereas the provincial program provides only two pigs without feed supply.
The health of sentinel pigs will be monitored through blood sample testing over two months to detect ASF infection. Positive results will lead to depopulation of the affected pigs, while negative results will allow hog raisers in the area to resume operations, provided they adhere to biosecurity measures.
According to PVO data, ASF has impacted 161 barangays in the province, affecting 2,213 farmers. A stark reduction in the swine population has been noted, from 277,421 heads of hogs before the ASF outbreak in September 2022 to 75,998 heads as of March 12, 2024, indicating a decrease of 201,551 heads or a sufficiency level of 33 percent.
Here’s a detailed inventory of swine across various towns in the province as of March 12, 2024: Oton (1,350), Santa Barbara (954), New Lucena (185), Leganes (26), San Miguel (680), Alimodian (3,156), Mina (252), Banate (188), Dumangas (69), Barotac Nuevo (13), Barotac Viejo (244), Badiangan (471), Zarraga (48), Janiuay (3,498), Dingle (1,152), Dueñas (1,092), San Dionisio (273), Batad (169), Concepcion (204), San Enrique (391), Estancia (170), Pototan (313), Maasin (1,242), Ajuy (30), Balasan (2,200), Lambunao (4,245), Carles (200), San Joaquin (3,178), Tigbauan (2,352), Leon(7,697), Cabatuan (1,968), Anilao (321), Pavia (843), San Rafael (384), Lemery (5,115), Sara (4,600), Tubungan (1,600), Guimbal (5,952), Calinog (6,240), Passi City (5,324), Miag-ao (3,977), Igbaras (1,034), and Bingawan (2,699)./PN
