• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The hog death toll in Negros Occidental continues to increase, reaching 11,056, representing 9.77 percent of the swine population in the 16 affected local government units of the province, as of June 7.
Damage to the swine industry has been pegged at P125,341.250, with 2,088 affected hog raisers in 125 barangays of 16 LGUs, according to reports of the Provincial Veterinary Office.
Of the seven Negros Occidental districts, including highly urbanized Bacolod City, only the first district of the province, composed of Don Salvador Benedicto, San Carlos City, Toboso, Calatrava, and Escalante, has not been affected by the hog diseases.
In Negros Occidental, the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) virus has been detected in cities of Bacolod and Victorias, and in the municipality of Pulupandan.
The Hog deaths were logged in Ilog and Kabankalan City, Binalbagan and Hinigaran, La Carlota City, Bago City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Murcia, Talisa City, EB Magalona and Silay City, Cadiz City and Manapla.
Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. reported yesterday that hog deaths in Cadiz City have risen to more than 100, prompting the city government to further tighten precautionary measures against swine diseases.
Escalante said that they have put up animal checkpoints in three areas across the Cadiz City to limit the movement of hogs.
As of last week, Escalante said hog cholera remains to be the cause of hog deaths in his city.
He also clarified that the City Veterinary Office distributed vaccines for hogs, not because of the spate of swine deaths, but as part of its routine program.
Escalante admitted that hog illnesses have adversely affected the prices of pork and pork products in the local market, to P180 per kilogram live weight, from P120.*
