June 15, 2023

 

Antique, Philippines, warns of dubious traders seeking to buy hogs at lower prices following ASF outbreak

 

 

The Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) of Antique, the Philippines, has warned local hog raisers against errant traders offering to buy their hogs at a lower price due to a suspected case of African swine fever (ASF) that was reported in the municipality of Hamtic.

 

ProVet Public Health Division chief Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil said in an interview on June 14 that they received reports of traders or middlemen offering to buy live weight for only ₱70 (US$1.25) per kilo or half the price of the ₱130-140 (US$2.33-2.50) current buying price.

 

"We received reports like in the town of Patnongon and other northern towns of the province that there are some people who are taking advantage and even threatening hog-raisers to… sell their live weight for as low as ₱70 per kilo," Ardamil said. He added that these individuals allegedly told hog raisers that they need to dispose their hogs as suspected ASF cases in Hamtic will spread to their areas.

 

Ardamil, however, said that hog mortality is reported only in the town of Hamtic with 348 affected heads from 11 barangays.

 

"We still cannot confirm that the hog mortality is due to the ASF since we have not yet sent a specimen for testing at the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) laboratory," Ardamil said.

 

Ardamil added that transfer or transport of swine, slaughtering and sale of pork remain in effect in Hamtic until June 19 as mandated under Executive Order 32 issued by Hamtic Mayor Julius Ronald Pacificador on June 2.

 

The quarantine aimed to provide ProVet and the Hamtic Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) ample time to investigate, diagnose and provide other necessary interventions or treatment to ailing animals.

 

ProVet chief Dr. Florencio Macuja in a press conference on June 5 said that the hogs might be suffering from congested lungs or pneumonia and not ASF as rains that were experienced in the province weeks before swine deaths were reported.

 

"There's a possibility also that the first hog mortality might be due to other reasons aside from ASF since we still have no laboratory confirmation," Macuja said.

 

- PNA