3,564 pigs culled in Davao Occidental

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) – A total of 3,564 pigs comprising at least 47.19-percent of the total swine population of Davao Occidental had been slaughtered as of February 6 to control the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) to neighboring areas in Davao Region, Department of Agriculture (DA) 11 director Ricardo Oñate Jr. said.

Oñate told a press conference on Friday that the province had a total population of 7,551 pigs, owned by 983 hog raisers.

He said DA-11 has yet to schedule culling in Barangay Cadaatan in Sta.

Maria town, and Barangays Tubalan and Kidalapong in Malita town in Davao Occidental, and Barangays Lamanan and Dominga in Calinan District, Davao City pending preparation of burial sites for the pigs.

The culling will be done within a one-kilometer radius of areas that reported an outbreak, he said.

He said stricter measures have been put in place in ASF-affected towns, including a temporary ban on the transport of live pigs and pork products from these areas.

He said the local government units have already

enforced the “1-7-10” protocol to manage, contain, and control the spread of the ASF, first reported in Don Marcelino on January 28.

The protocol requires that all pigs within the onekilometer radius of infected farms will be culled, limits animal movement within seven-kilometer radius, and obliges swine farms within a 10-kilometer radius to submit a mandatory report on the disease, he added.

Oñate said the ASF outbreak would impact on the swine industry but did not give figures on the economic losses it would bring.

He said industry stakeholders have expressed concern the ASF outbreak would result in oversupply of pork in the local market since meat products could not be transported outside the region. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)