BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
The Provincial Veterinary Office through its African Swine Fever (ASF) Livestock Transport Registration Team has successfully registered187 livestock transport carriers in the last two weeks.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the livestock transport registration requires registrant to present their LTO official receipt and certificate of registration, Department of Agriculture Livestock Transport Carrier Accreditation, Livestock Handler’s License, and Mayor’s Permit or Business Permit to be qualified for issuance of truck stickers.
Decena said these documents are also necessary for the carriers to be considered as registered and aside from that, they will be listed in the registration book maintained by the ASF Transport Registration Team.
He said the registration intends to harmonize the hog transport regulations as part of its strengthening effort to keep the Province of Negros Occidental a green zone, or an ASF-free area.
Decena stressed that the PVO register all livestock carriers transacting in the province are issued truck stickers valid for a year and as such only PVO registered carriers are allowed to exclusively transact livestock trading andto transport livestock within and outside the province.
Under Section 2 of the Executive Order No. 21-11, Series of 2011, otherwise known as “An order establishing regulations on the entry to and exit from Negros Occidental of Livestock Transport Vehicles” issued by the Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, only transport vehicles accredited with the Provincial Government of through the Provincial Veterinary Office shall be allowed entry into the Province.
The Province of Negros further reserves the right to refuse entry to the province of transport vehicles originating from ASF stricken areas declared by the Department of Agriculture.
Decena said implementing guidelines have also been adopted by PVO with regards to the implementation of Sections 3 and 4(A) of the Executive Order, particularly in outbound transport of live hogs and livestock, as well as their transport from Regions 6 & 7 that pass through the province.
The Livestock Transport Registration Team is in continuous operation to register all transport carriers from local, inbound and outbound markets transacting within the Province of Negros Occidental.
This is to ensure that with the continuing outbreaks of ASF in the neighboring provinces and regions resulting in supply shortage and price increase of pork, PVO remains steadfast to keep the status quo of ASF-free in the province and continue as a major source of live hogs to Luzon and other nearby provinces.*
