The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday confirmed that the fatal African swine fever (ASF) has spread to two more areas in the country as the government struggles to control the illegal trade of hogs from infected areas.
The DA said one area in Nueva Ecija and another area in Cavite, which is the first case in the Southern Tagalog province, have been affected by ASF.
But the DA said the affected hog population in both areas are “very minimal.”
The DA said it still conducting an investigation on how ASF spread to Cavite but noted that the province is proximate to neighboring Rizal province, which is the country’s first ground zero for the fatal hog disease.
Nonetheless, the DA said, control and contain measures through the 1-7-10 protocol have been in placed for the two new ASF-affected areas.
However, the DA admitted that it is finding a hard time controlling the illegal trade by unscrupulous traders and raisers wherein ASF-infected hogs and hogs from ASF-infected zones are still being transported, slaughtered and sold in the market.
“This is one of my problems. I am appealing to the backyard hog raisers and hog traders, that you are properly advised that if you again do this illegal trade, you will be brought to court,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said.
The DA chief pointed out that it has a limited manpower to undertake all necessary measures to curtail the malpractice conducted by unscrupulous raisers and traders.
Cavite on lockdown
In a separate interview with reporters, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said two barangays in the province are affected by ASF. These barangays are Emmanuel Bergado and Salawag, where 21 hogs died due to ASF.
Remulla said they suspect that swill feeding was the cause of the spread of the ASF in the affected backyard farms.
“Our suspect is that all those farms who are affected practice swill feeding. Because the commercial farms that used feeds are not affected and they have strict biosecurity hazards,” he said.
Remulla said he has ordered a total lockdown on hog movement in Cavite and mandated a blood tests to all pigs in the province to ensure that other hogs are free from ASF.
“In the absence of [ASF in hogs] we will be loosening up the lockdown and will allow the export and transport of pork,” he said.
Remulla said the backyard hog raisers affected by the ASF, especially whose pigs would be culled, would receive P7,000 per pig as indemnification. Of the amount, P2,000 would come from the city government, the other P2,000 from the provincial government and the remaining P3,000 from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Remulla explained.
To date, there are now more than 20 barangays who are confirmed affected by ASF in the Philippines. The ASF is a fatal disease to hogs with a mortality of up to 100 percent, with no known vaccine yet, and no cure. However, the ASF poses no threat to human health.