MisOr, Bataan move to wipe out ASF

The Department of Agriculture has been conducting Bantay ASF sa Barangay programs in various provinces

After weeklong culling operations, the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in two Misamis Oriental towns was eradicated, the Provincial Veterinary Office announced on Wednesday.

Dr. Benjamin Resma said the ASF task force composed of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and provincial and municipal governments accounted for over 900 hogs culled within the 500-meter radius of the grounds zero in Barangay Jampason in Initao and Barangay Pagawan in Manticao.

“We have contained the outbreak from other areas in the affected towns while blood samples yielded negative results,” he said in a radio interview.

Over 900 hogs were culled within the 500-meter radius of ASF-affected areas in Barangay Jampason in Initao and Barangay Pagawan in Manticao.

An outbreak was last reported in Barangay Dikilaan in Manticao but only 19 hogs were culled on Tuesday.

Each affected farmer, about 265 of them, were paid P2,000 by the provincial government and P5,000 by the DA.

Resma said quarantine checkpoints were still being implemented in the borders of Cagayan de Oro City, where ASF cases have been reported in seven villages: San Simon, Agusan, Manbuaya, Baikingon, Macasandig, Puerto and Tablon.

At least 1,000 pigs have been confiscated from backyard raisers.

In Bataan, the provincial government is closely monitoring the resurgence of ASF and implementing containment measures.

A meeting at the 1Bataan Command Center in Orani, participated in by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, veterinary and agriculture offices and social welfare and development offices, came up with schemes on how to ease ASF impact, particularly on backyard piggery owners.

“Our efforts and interactions with different agencies continue to provide programs and projects that will help to ease the burden on Bataeños, especially during this time of pandemic,” Governor Abet Garcia said.

ASF was blamed on the skyrocketing pork prices in the province, reaching as much as P380 per kilo.

DA has been conducting Bantay ASF sa Barangay programs in various provinces.