CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Two adjoining towns in Lanao del Norte province have culled a total of 234 hogs from 44 swine raisers after the Department of Agriculture (DA) found them infected with the African swine fever (ASF).
In an interview Friday, ASF focal person Dr. Jules Maquiling, of the DA-10's (Northern Mindanao) veterinary division, said of the total number of hogs culled, 127 were from 34 farmers in Barangay Sta. Cruz in Maigo town, and another 107 from 10 farmers in Barangay Liangan East, Bacolod town.
"Bacolod opted to depopulate hogs in the area (Purok 6) as they showed similar (ASF) signs, history patterns, and death in the area. The site is also included in the one-kilometer radius of an index case in Maigo," he said.
Maquiling said the local governments promised to pay an indemnification of PHP2,000 per culled hog to the affected hog raisers, as well as another PHP2,000 from the provincial government.
He also urged municipal agriculture offices in the province to encourage and assist farmer-hog raisers in registering to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
PCIC is a government-owned and controlled corporation that provides insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations of their crops as well as their livestock and poultry.
The DA-10, in an earlier statement, said they had started gathering specimens from the two towns for ASF testing as early as November 3.
After the result came out, Collado said the agency made coordinated and ground activities to contain the disease.
"Biosecurity measures should be strengthened on the remaining 'green zone areas' of Maigo municipality," he said. (PNA)
