The Davao City Veterinarian’s Office assured hog raisers in Barangay Dominga and Lamanan in Calinan district that the city government will give them assistance following the confirmed cases of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus there.
The city government also instituted mechanisms to prevent the spread of the disease that has caused death to at least 30 pigs.
Dr. Cerelyn Pinili, chief of the Davao City Veterinarian’s Office, said a lockdown of barangays Lamanan and Dominga has already been implemented — and this means no pig or pork products are allowed to enter and exit the said areas.
The assistance of police has already been sought to control the movement and illegal transport of pigs and pork products from the locked down areas.
Village officials were also briefed appropriately on the culling protocol that will be implemented in the quarantine zone.
Culling is the slaughter of all pigs found within the affected areas.
Blood samples taken from pigs in the said barangays tested positive of the ASF virus.
Movement of pigs and pork products are allowed outside the 10-kilometer radius of the locked down areas only it these are issued with safety clearance.
“There can still be movements of animals within the 10-kilometer radius of Barangay Lamanan and Dominga, however, it should have certificates that the animals are free from ASF,” Pinili said.
Pinili said the city government will buy out all pigs in the two barangays, including the sucklings, to help the hog raisers in their livelihood.
“We will buy the pigs at P5,000 per head including the sucklings plus an additional per kilo of the prevailing price,” she said. “We will weigh the pig and pay it (based on) the prevailing price of pork in the market,” she added.
The prevailing price of pork in the city’s markets is at P200 per kilo.
Aside from the assistance that the hog raisers will receive from the city government, the Department of Agriculture will also give P5,000 per pig, excluding the suckling. CIO
