African swine fever still threat to Nueva Vizcaya

By Liezle Basa Inigo

NUEVA VIZCAYA – Despite culling more than 2,000 hogs since March, the provincial government here said African swine fever (ASF) is still a threat to the income of local hog raisers and to the steady supply of pork in the Nueva Vizcaya and neighboring provinces as well.
    At a recent briefing of Provincial Veterinary Services Officer Dr. Christopher G. Serapi, he reported to Gov. Carlos M. Padilla that the first recorded cases of ASF was recorded last March 6 up to November 21 with a total of 2,091 ASF-infected hogs being culled by municipal agriculture offices and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
    Among the areas with reported ASF cases since October 6 were Diadi (Escoting, Bugnay, Butao, Langka, Balete, Poblacion) , Kasibu (Malabing, Paquet) , Quezon (Darubba, Aurora, Caliat, Nalubunnan, Buliwao) , Solano (San Luis, Dadap) ,Bayombong (Bonfal East) and Bagabag (Pogonsino).
    The provincial government also said it has already extended assistance to all ASF-affected hog growers in Diadi in the amount of P591,000.
    It also said it expects to release P4.069 million more for all validated ASF-affected hog raisers in the province.
    The DA, on the other hand, is also set to release P8.17 million as counterpart funding for the ASF-affected sectors.