LIPA CITY, Batangas -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured the public it is implementing measures to prevent the entry or spread of African swine fever (ASF) and protect the hogs and swine sector in Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal- Quezon (Calabarzon) region from the disease.
DA Calabarzon Regional Executive Director Arnel de Mesa said on Monday the DA Regional Quick Response Team for ASF, in close coordination with local government units (LGUs) concerned, was created to control the spread and eliminate the ASF if it enters the region.
De Mesa said they have been conducting social media campaigns; distribution of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials; and random inspection of markets for banned canned goods and other meat products.
Representatives from the livestock industry and various government agencies converged at the Southern Tagalog Integrated Agricultural Research Center (STIARC) here last July 19 to come up with a unified action plan to respond to the threat of ASF to the region.
Vilma Dimaculangan, the DA Regional Coordinator for Livestock Program, facilitated the discussions on addressing some ASF key issues.
These include compensation for the affected farmers, possible burial sites for affected animals, and issuance of LGU resolutions to prevent entry/exit of concerned products, among other agricultural intervention programs. (PNA)