Province’s swine industry in danger

SOUTHERN LEYTE – The promising swine industry in the province is in grave danger due to the emergence of the African Swine Flu (ASF) in barangay Maac, municipality of Sogod. This was confirmed by the Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Francisco Cabarrubias, last July 13, 2021.
After a meeting with various stakeholders, an executive order was issued by Governor Damian Mercado to address the ASF threat to the entire province. It can be recalled that last April 2021, SLT published the alarming presence of ASF in Silago. But according to Pinili Lao, a hog raiser and member of the provincial committee, the disease infestation in Silago was stopped. She also related the possible connection between the ASF incursion in Abuyog, Leyte and in Maac, Sogod through the Maculod forest.
The recently signed Executive Order 38 was issued to prevent the spread of the swine disease.
Pig farms and slaughterhouses are now weekly monitored. Other disease control measures are also implemented, such as: Implementing of strict border control and biosecurity measures have been set-up from the infected premise; regulating the entry of live hogs, pork, pork-related products and by-products in the province; establishing provincial checkpoints in Panan-awan, Maasin City; Buenavista in Bontoc; Kahupian in Sogod; and Katipunan/Hingatunggan in Silago; intensified ASF Information and Education Campaign in the barangay level; catching, raising, and slaughtering of wild pigs is strictly banned; and activation of Bantay Dagat for monitoring in the coastal or shoreline areas, and Bantay Lasang for hunting activities of wild pigs in the province.
In Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that Southern Leyte ranked third in terms of swine inventory with 27,992 heads, comprising 12.5 percent of the region’s swine population. Southern Leyte also posted an increase of 9.4% in April 2021 compared to April 2020.
Approximately, nine in every ten heads of swine in the region was raised in backyard farms as of 01 April 2021. For swine population raised in commercial farms, Southern Leyte made a hefty increment in swine inventory by 19.6 percent, from 2,244 heads on 01 April 2020 to 2,684 heads on 01 April 2021, as stated in PSA-8 report.
(Zhea Cabodbod/Dahlia Orit)(Photo source: thepigsite.com)