Changes in ASF protocal worry Capitol official

CEBU Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy questioned the move of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to modify the zone protocol on the African swine fever (ASF), saying the new policy does not guarantee that the hogs transported are ASF-free.

In an interview Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, Vincoy said she received a copy of an administrative order from DA Secretary William Dar which provides different treatments for commercial and backyard hog farms within a one-kilometer radius from the infected zone.

Administrative Order (AO) 10 s. 2019 was signed by Dar on Sept. 25 yet, Vincoy said.

The AO strictly prohibits commercial hog raisers from bringing live pigs intended for fattening in a grow-out farm into areas within the one-kilometer zone.

Commercial farms within the one-kilometer zone, though, are allowed to move out live pigs intended for slaughter but only if weekly tests for ASF were done to “ensure freedom from the disease.”

Thirty pig blood samples will be collected from all ages in commercial farms. Movement will be held for seven days for retesting if the test renders negative results.

If the results are still negative on the second testing, movement will be allowed but only within the municipality and the National Capital Region if the farm is located in Regions 3 and 4A only.

Live hogs allowed to move from the one-kilometer zone can be slaughtered in accredited slaughterhouses for consumption.

But backyard farms within the one-kilometer zone must subject all their hogs to preemptive culling.

The disposal or burial of the culled swine should be “preferably” on-site, but if there are space constraints, the dead pigs must be transported in a closed vehicle.

“Luoy kaayo ang backyard kay patay tanan (I pity those backyard farmers because all their pigs must be culled),” Vincoy said.

Vincoy said regardless of the location of the farm the hogs were raised in, it would be difficult to determine which hogs should be culled if the area is within the one-kilometer zone.

She added that a carrier may not test positive in the initial screening or manifest symptoms if the infection is still at an early stage.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s directive to ban all live hogs, pork-related products and byproducts from Luzon in Cebu Province remains in effect.

The ban, which ends on Dec. 28 yet, is meant to protect Cebu’s P11 billion hog industry from the ASF.

In the Philippines, the provinces of Rizal, Bulacan and Quezon City have been affected by the ASF. Two barangays in Dasmariñas City, Cavite and one barangay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija are the latest to report cases of ASF, according to an ABS-CBN report. /