ASF resurges in Cagayan province

By Leander C. Domingo

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The Dept. of Agriculture urged hog raisers in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) to be vigilant and cautious as the African swine fever (ASF) disease has made a resurgence in this province.
    DA Region 2 executive director Narciso Edillo said ASF particularly resurged in the town of Sanchez Mira in Cagayan province due to contaminated meat products from other places fed to pigs by backyard raisers who still practice swill feeding.
    "There are four sows culled earlier, one in Barangay Bangan and one in San Andres in Sanchez Mira town," Edillo said.
    He said the Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed spread of ASF was because of frozen products that were transported, cooked, and eaten in the locality before it was fed to the hogs.
    He said a perimeter of one-kilometer radius has been set up at ground zero which has been tagged as a red zone as of July 28.
    "This time, there will be no more indemnification coming from the government. Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. is already in charge of this. I urge all backyard raisers to insure their hogs to PCIC," Edillo said.
    "After recording no cases in May and June, this July, ASF has resurged again."
    Edillo is also appealing to hog raisers in the province not to practice swill feeding, use concrete hog pens with septic tanks, and always clean the premises to avoid contamination.
    Edillo said a joint provincial-municipal local government unit and DA personnel have already taken proactive measures to combat the spread of the disease in Sanchez Mira town.
    Dr. Manuel Galang, DA Region 2-ASF focal person, said intensive cleaning is being carried out for two weeks to eliminate the ASF virus in the infected area.
    Meanwhile, DA Region 2 livestock program coordinator Dr. Bryan Sibayan explained that there are now farmers and cooperatives associations (FCAs) that are participating in swine clustering, and will be raising hogs in ASF-free areas.
    Sibayan said these FCAs have already submitted their letter of intent, their respective local government unit (LGU) endorsement, certification of ASF release or ASF-free clearance from LGU, and notarized deed of undertaking with swine integrator.
    He said sentineling will be continued as current development necessitates, explaining that as a science-based approach, the sentinel protocol ascertains if the ASF virus or disease is still present in an area.
    "If piglets of backyard raisers have survived 40 days, the area will be declared ASF-free. This will be done while there is no available vaccine yet against ASF," Sibayan said.