Authorities have depopulated some 1,480 pigs in the two barangays in the city following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).
In a press conference yesterday, Mayor Sara Duterte said 1,085 hogs in Barangay Lamanan and 398 hogs in
Barangay Dominga, both in Calinan Calinan District, were already culled based on the Sunday report of the City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO).
Duterte said the culling activity will continue until all hogs within the one-kilometer radius from the two barangays will be wiped out to stop the spread of the ASF virus in the city.
“This is to ensure that our city will be safe from ASF,” the mayor said.
In Lamanan alone, there are 1,415 more pigs that yet to be slaughtered.
Duterte said that a task force has been activated to monitor and help on tracing how the virus entered the city.
Despite the ASF virus already penetrated the city, the mayor reiterated her previous orders to temporarily ban the entry of live hogs and pork products from the areas in Luzon that have been previously affected by the ASF outbreak, and from Davao Occidental where the first case of ASF outbreak in Mindanao was reported and Davao del Sur.
Duterte admitted that the ASF outbreak will cause the increase the prices of food products and that many farmers will go out of business.
With this, she said the local government with the help of the Department of Agriculture will be providing assistance to the affected raisers.
The city government has already allocated P20 million for the two affected barangays, which are already declared under the state of calamity.
Farmers will get P1,500 for a piglet. For adult pigs, raisers will get P5,000 per head or P90 per kilo, whichever is higher. Further, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will also give P5,000 cash assistance for each culled hog.
The mayor is also reminding and encouraging the public to report possible cases of ASF-hit hogs in their areas.
“If you see that your pig is sick, call CVO. We will check, inspect, and conduct depopulation if (it’s) ASF positive and pay for your piglets and pigs,” Duterte said.
She advised hog growers not to engage in hog raising for the next three months.
The mayor said there will be an orientation with the raisers after the depopulation of the pigs.
Duterte also ordered tight monitoring of hot meat, or the so-called botcha, sold in the market.
