ASF ADVOCACY. Antique Provincial Veterinary Office orients hog raisers about the African swine fever (ASF) and the temporary ban of live pig and pork from Luzon and Mindanao on Friday (March 13, 2020). Hog raisers are also urged to report if they have swine that is sick so they will be properly assisted. (Photo courtesy of PIO Antique)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The provincial government of Antique, through the Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) Office, has requested agricultural technicians of municipalities to submit an inventory of the swine population in their localities.
ProVet Public Health Division head Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil said they will be submitting the statistics to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to know the impact of the African swine fever (ASF) in the province.
“In Antique, there is still no ASF case but that we need the figure as requested also by the BAI,” he said in an interview on Friday.
He added the municipal technicians are advised to report the farm with a suspected sick swine to show signs and symptoms of ASF such as high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting for the ProVet to validate.
“The municipal technicians are being requested to immediately report if there is a sick swine so that the MAO (municipal agricultural officers) and our provincial veterinarian could validate it,” he said.
He said if the ProVet could not address the problem, then BAI will be requested to assist.
Meanwhile, the ProVet called for a briefing with hog raisers in the province to orient them on how to detect early if their swine is manifesting signs and symptoms of ASF.
“We also taught them some preventive measures so that their hogs will not be affected by the ASF,” he said.
He said since the hogs in Antique are mostly raised in the backyard, hog-raisers are taught to strictly practice sanitation and hygiene.
“They should properly dispose of the feces of their swine,” he said.
He said hog raisers have been informed about Executive Order 22 issued by Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao last February 26 implementing a temporary ban on live pigs, pork, pork-related food products, by-products, and boar semen from Mindanao regions.
The governor has also previously banned the swine, pork, pork-related food products, and by-products from Luzon due to the ASF. (PNA)
