• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
New cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) were detected in San Carlos City, with hog mortalities already affected 20 of 32 local government units in Negros Occidental, as of July 11.
San Carlos City is the first LGU in the 1st district of Negros Occidental to log hog deaths following detection of a positive case ASF case in Brgy. Rizal, with pig mortalities also monitored in Brgy. Bulwangan, all in San Carlos City, according to Mayor Renato Gustilo.
While there are hog deaths, it is not yet massive, Gustilo said, as pigs in barangays Rizal and Bulwangan, San Carlos City, were not allowed to leave within 500 meters of their respective ground zero.
He, however, encouraged the affected hog raisers to slaughter their healthy pigs, and sell them within their respective areas, as they cordoned off the two areas to ensure that ASF will not spread to other areas of San Carlos City.
ASF cases were earlier detected in five barangays of Kabankalan City and Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, as well as the cities of Bacolod, Silay and Pulupandan.
As of the July 11 report of the Provincial Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team, Negros Occidental has logged 16,641 hog deaths, representing 9.19 percent of its pig population of 181,048.
Hog industry losses are placed at P189.6 million, affecting 3,670 pig raisers in 151 barangays of 20 LGUs in Negros Occidental.*
