The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera and the provincial government of Benguet have started releasing the livelihood assistance to the hog raisers affected by the depopulation and culling operations as a result of the African swine fever (ASF) infestation that hit the province.
DA Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey said they already released starter chicks for poultry production to the affected raisers.
Each hog grower received 200 chicks and a sack of feeds to start with while they are reeling from the effects of the ASF infestation.
He said the distribution is one of the initial aids provided by the government to the affected raisers while the indemnification fund assistance from DA is being processed.
Odsey said dialogues were held with the hog raisers following the depopulation and culling, and where poultry-raising was identified as a stop-gap livelihood.
Upon testing positive for ASF, depopulation of the infected hogs has been done to avoid the spread of the disease.
With the “1-7-10 protocol,” hogs in areas within the one-kilometer radius from where the infected hogs were discovered are culled, regardless of their condition.
Pigs within the seven-kilometer radius cannot be brought outside the area and subjected to regular blood test and those within a 10-kilometer radius cannot be sold outside the area.
Dr. Miriam Tiongan, Provincial Veterinary Office chief, said the 37 affected hog raisers in Tuba, Itogon, and La Trinidad were given 7,000 chicks and 12 heads of sheep as government aid.
She said the provincial government also released one sack of rice each hog raiser.
Tiongan said 532 pigs were either killed or had died after being infected by the three pigs that tested positive for ASF.
She reiterated the call for residents to observe good animal-food raising practices and to buy only from places that are ASF-free. – PNA release
April 26, 2024
