BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental has been receiving reports from hog farmers and sellers that buyers outside the province are pulling out due to hog cholera and African swine fever (ASF).
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz confirmed this, adding that some ferry vessels are now refusing to carry hogs from Negros and shipping them to other areas, such as Luzon.
Diaz said he has yet to receive the data on how many sellers are affected.
“We will continue to do our part in segregating healthy and unhealthy hogs,” Diaz said.
The provincial administrator will try to convince buyers, pointing out that some of them are even refusing to pay a reasonable price for the hogs.
Among the solutions they are eyeing is to provide veterinary certificates confirming the hogs were tested for both ASF and hog cholera as proof to buyers.
The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) as of Monday, logged 7,202 hog deaths, with losses totaling more than P88.2 million.
Yesterday, the Bureau of Animal Industry reported that an ASF-positive hog was detected from Barangay Mabini, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental./PN
