A pig that died due to African swine fever. (File photo courtesy of Bago City Veterinary Office)
MANILA, Philippines — The African swine fever (ASF) virus continuously spreads in the livestock of farms in Oriental Mindoro.
Fifty to sixty percent of farm animals in the province are reportedly already infected.
Mindoro Free Range Association President John Bryan Ong on Tuesday said the ASP epidemic in Oriental Mindoro is escalating.
“We have 15 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Ma’am. Nasa 50 to 60% na po ang infected area ng Oriental [Mindoro],” he said in an interview on Radyo 630.
(We have 15 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Ma’am. About 50 to 60% of Oriental Mindoro is already infected.)
Ong noted the municipality of Roxas, where the ASF virus was first detected in October, has been the most affected area.
“Ang una po nating tinamaan dito ay yung Roxas. Sumunod na po yung Mansalay. At ngayon po ay continuous,” he reported.
(Roxas was the first to be infected. Mansalay followed. And now, it is continuous.)
“Gumagapang po ang sakit na ASF sa ating mga alagang hayop dito sa Oriental,” he said.
(The disease of ASF continuously crawls on, affecting our livestock here in Oriental.)
Calamity fund has been allocated to mitigate the effects of ASF, but Ong said money alone is not enough.
He said they urgently need rapid testing for their pigs.
“Kasi po ang nangyayari ngayon, ito’y [blood samples] dumadaan sa testing at mag-iintay po ng 15 days bago malaman ang result,” he explained.
(Since what is happening now is that blood samples undergo testing, and we will wait for 15 days to know the result.)
“Sana po–ang hinihiling po namin, rapid test po ang mangyari,” he pleaded.
(I hope–what we are asking for is rapid testing to happen.)
Ong said aside from blood samples from Oriental Mindoro, Bureau of Animal Industry has a long list of blood samples to be tested, prolonging the release of results.
According to him, hog raisers slaughter and sell pigs in public markets without knowing if the livestock are infected.
This situation aggravates the ASF infestation.
“So far, Ma’am, hindi po talaga ma-control ang ASF, dahil nga po sa panig ng mga raiser, ito’y iba,” Ong pointed out.
(So far, Ma’am, ASF cannot be really controlled since, for the raisers, this is different.)
“Kinakatay na nila ng sarili nila (mga alaga) dahil hindi nila alam kung infected ba ang baboy nila at binebenta ito sa public market,” he said.
(They slaughter the animals they own because they do not know if the pigs are infected, and they sell pork in public markets.)
Ong said many hog raisers are suffering because pigs from towns affected by the plague cannot be transported to the ‘green zone,’ or places that are free from the virus.
“Maraming-marami na po ang nagsarang farms dito sa Oriental Mindoro, hindi lang backyard [farms]. Mayroon din pong malalaking farms,” he said.
(Many farms here in Oriental Mindoro have closed, including backyard farms. There are also big farms.)
Ong calls on the Department of Agriculture to accelerate blood testing among pigs.
Mindoro Free Range Association members are engaged in all ‘free range’ types of animal production in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.
Free range includes raising chickens, ducks, goats, and other animals that can be traded in the market.