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44 WV LGUs downgraded to ASF ‘pink zones’

• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

Amid outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Batangas and its resurgence in a Negros Oriental municipality, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported the downgrade from red to pink zones of 44 local government units in Western Visayas, as of August 14.

The LGUs transitioning to the pink zone (buffer) from red (infected) include the cities of Victorias, Silay, San Carlos, Kabankalan, as well as the towns of Hinigaran, La Castellana, Pulupandan in Negros Occidental.

Ajuy, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Concepcion, Dingle, Dumangas, Iloilo City, Janiuay, Lambunao, Leganes, Mina, New Lucena, Oton, San Enrique, San Miguel, Santa Barbara and Zaraga, in Iloilo province;

Buenavista and Jordan in Guimaras; Cuartero, Dao, Dumarao, Maayon, and Mambusao towns in Capiz; San Jose and Sibalom in Antique; as well as Banga, Balete, Batan, Madalag, Makato, Malay, Malinao, Nabas, Numancia, and New Washington in Aklan province.

However, Negros Occidental is still banning the entry of hogs and pork related products, from Panay, Guimaras, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Luzon, and Mindanao provinces, due to ASF threats.

A pink zone designates areas where ASF has not been detected but are immediately adjacent to confirmed infected areas (red zone).

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.

Still classified as red zones in Negros Occidental are Bacolod City, Escalante City, and Valladolid.

The Provincial African swine fever (ASF) Task Force has further tightened its monitoring in seaports and coastlines of Negros Occidental, after intercepting the undocumented delivery of hogs in Escalante City and Calatrava town on August 12 and 13, respectively.

A total of 41 hogs being transported in a pumpboat were recently intercepted at the coastline of Escalante City. It was immediately sent back to its point of origin, which was claimed to have come from the Molocaboc Island in Sagay City.

Arsolene Cordova, livestock section head of Escalante City Agriculture Office, however, said that Molacaboc barangay officials denied it.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana also reported that 12 hogs without any documents were intercepted in Calatrava town.

One of the transported pigs died, Lemana said.

Lemana said that they are not taking chances, especially now that Negros Occidental is on the third phase of recovery efforts in hog repopulation.

Last year, Negros Occidental logged almost 18,000 hog mortalities in about 20 local government units, mainly due to hog cholera and ASF.*

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