Davao City assists hog farmers affected by ASF

The Davao City Veterinarian’s Office, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture XI, is conducting a livestock repopulation program of farm hogs in Davao City through the distribution of piglets to Dabawenyo hog farmers. This is in light of a series of hog culling the Veterinarian’s Office had to conduct to prevent the resurgence of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the city.

City Veterinarian’s Office Head Dr. Cerelyn Pinili told the City Information Office on Thursday that a total of 346 swine heads and 1,384 sacks of feeds have been distributed to hog farmers and a hog raiser cooperative in Davao City from June 28 to July 1, 2022.

In Barangay Dominga Calinan, 74 hog farmers received 128 piglets and 592 sacks of feeds; a total of 98 piglets and 392 sacks of feeds were given to 49 pig farmers in Barangay Magsaysay, Marilog; twenty-four hog farmers in Barangay Colosas, Paquibato received 50 hogs and 200 sacks of feeds; while a hog raiser cooperative in Buhangin was given 50 piglets and 200 sacks of feeds.

In an interview during the Madayaw Davao program aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio Wednesday, Pinili said that all beneficiaries are hog farmers, whose livelihood suffered from the ASF. Each farmer received 2 piglets and 8 sacks of feeds. She added that the farmers can sell or keep the hogs for breeding after the City Veterinarian’s Office made sure they are ASF-negative within 40 days of raising them.

“Kadtong mga baboy, buhian to nila, and after 40 days, kuhaan namo to og mga blood sample. Then, kung negative siya, so ipadayun na nila ang pagbuhi, and then ginahatag na to sa ila sa Department of Agriculture so maka-start na pud sila’g pamuhi og baboy sa area. (They will raise the hogs and after 40 days, we will take blood samples. Then, if the results are negative, they can keep raising the pigs since they are already given by the Department of Agriculture so they can once again resume hog raising in the area),” Pinili said.

Pinili added that a similar effort had been conducted in Calinan, which was the epicenter of the ASF infections in the city last year. “Aduna man ta’y nahatag nga mga 300 pud sa Calinan last year. Naa sila’y choice, kay gi-monitor man pud to nato, naa sila’y choice na pag-abot sa market age, which is 80-100 kilograms, pwede nila ibenta or pwede pud nila i-retain and himuon nila as breeders, paanakon nila (We have distributed 300 heads in Calinan last year. They have a choice whether to sell those that reached 80-100 kilograms or they make them breeders).”

The livestock repopulation program aims to lend assistance to the city’s livestock farmers affected by the ASF while also gearing towards the overarching goal of food security. CIO