ILOILO City – To avoid African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 discourages the swill feeding of hogs, especially those of backyard hog raisers.
Swill feeding is the giving of food scraps (locally known as damog) to pigs, a practice that has caused foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks overseas, including the catastrophic epidemic in the United Kingdom in 2001.
These food scraps heighten the risk of hogs getting ASF, too, said Dr. Jonic Natividad, regulatory division chief of DA-6.
ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease that spreads rapidly in pigs. Since there is no known vaccine against it yet – sick pigs die in two to 10 days – ASF is detrimental to the hog industry.
Natividad said the ASF outbreaks in Rizal province and in a remote area in Davao Occidental were due to swill feeding.
He is not discounting the possibility that this might happen in Region 6 as well, especially if the public would be remiss of securing all entry points.
“What we are worried now – may ASF case na sa Masbate – nagapamintana na sa northern Iloilo,” said Natividad.
One of the concerns, he added, was the practice of some fishermen in northern Iloilo to buy pork in Masbate and bring them home.
“They might leave their food wastes in an island or islet, then somebody from there will pick these up and feed them to their hogs,” Natividad said.
He added that from Masbate, someone might transport food scraps through ports in northern Iloilo.
The help of barangay officials, especially from coastal areas in northern Iloilo, is very vital in the prevention of ASF entry, Natividad stressed.
“Kay sila mismo nakabalo sang nagadungka,” he added.
The regulatory division chief also noted that last week, the DA-6 was able to convene all town mayors of the Northern Iloilo Alliance for Development (NIAD) headed by Concepcion’s Mayor Dr. Raul Banias.
They sought assistance from the local chief executives, especially those of Carles, Estancia and Concepcion.
Natividad noted that Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. may also issue another executive order to help address the concern on transported hogs.
As one of the precautionary measures, he said those who will transport hogs to the mainland must secure first an official certification from barangay captains to prove that these hogs did not come from ASF-hit areas.
The DA-6 also tapped the help of various agencies such as the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bantay Dagat, among others in guarding the province’s entry points.
Natividad also acknowledged the participation of the private sector such as association of private farms and agents and feed-mill owners in the effort against ASF. For one, they donated power sprayers for disinfection.
Natividad also encouraged the public to immediately report cases of sick hogs./PN