COMMERCIAL and backyard pig pens in the province of Bulacan severely affected by the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) in 2019 where more than 200,000 pigs have been culled due to the virus are now undergoing environmental swabbing.
The event is being undertaken by the provincial government of Bulacan, according to Governor Daniel Fernando during a meeting with farmers and fishermen
According to the governor, to restore the high production and supplies of domestic pigs to Metro Manila, they have started the environmental swabbing in commercial and backyard pig pens in the province in preparation for the mass production of pork meat before the end of the year.
He said the provincial government’s campaign, “Information Dissemination, Biosecurity and Safety Seminar/ Orientation” for 13 municipalities affected by the ASF has already started on Monday (July 12) and was followed by ongoing environmental or experimental swabbing in the pig pens.
Experimental swabbing according to Fernando is to take a sample in the said pig pens for laboratory tests to determine if an ASF virus contamination still exists in the pig pen.
If the sample tested “negative,” it will undergo disinfection and after a week the hog raiser will be allowed to raise only one piglet and if it survives in 3 weeks to 1 month it will be given a go signal or certification to undertake mass production.
According to Fernando, the provincial government will conduct biosafety activities in 13 municipalities under the “sentinel program” for the Bio-1 category or backyard farming and Bio-2 category for commercial farming where training and orientation will be held.
Implementation of protocols and restrictions in the aforementioned categories will also be implemented such as strict prohibition of other people entering the pen and any kind of animal, water to be used, disinfection of equipment, and prohibition on the use or feeding of hog wash or “kanin-baboy.”
Fernando clarified that the devastation of the ASF in 2019 and followed by the pandemic caused by Covid-19 in 2020 were the main reasons why the pork meat supply in Metro Manila has fallen and not the widespread misinformation that the hog industry in Bulacan seems to have been neglected.
“Ito po ay paglilinaw lang sa lumalabas na dis-impormasyon kung bakit ano raw ang nangyari sa pagbagsak ng hog industry sa Bulacan. Hanggang ngayon ay wala pang nadidiskubreng bakuna para sa ASF and then nasundan ng Covid-19 pandemic, maraming mga restrictions kung bakit hindi nakakapag-alaga ang mga magbababoy. In fact hanggang ngayon ay meron pa rin ASF sa Visayas at Mindanao,” said Fernando.
According to Dr. Voltaire Basinag, chief of the Bulacan Provincial Veterinary Office, in 2019 when the ASF struck, 120,268 pigs from 40 commercial hog farms and 87,743 pigs from 6,614 backyard farms were culled after being hit by the virus.
Basinag added that before ASF, the hog population in the province was at one million and now dropped to only 100,000.
Because of this, the provincial government looked at alternative ways to help so they will soon start building the Bulacan Provincial Government Multiplier and Breeding Center to be built on 1,150 hectares of land in the town of Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT).
He said that this center is for the mass production of various kinds of animals which will be distributed to animal farmer-beneficiaries who want to raise animals as a business such as cows, buffaloes, goats, chickens and ducks, and a dairy farm will also be placed in a 25-hectare part of the property.
According to Dr. Basinag, the provincial government has already distributed about 500 cattle, 400 buffaloes and 570 goats to farmers this year.
Fernando thanked the farmers who are also among the pandemic heroes and frontliners that have contributed significantly to this Covid-19 pandemic for their production of essential needs that were distributed such as rice, chicken, eggs and vegetables.
MAIN PHOTO: Governor Daniel Fernando led the distribution of farm animals to select Bulakenyo farmers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.