The Iloilo provincial government tiptoes on its sentinelling program, an initial step towards repopulation of the local hog industry devastated for over two years by the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) disease.
Gov. Arthur Defendor Jr. announced over the weekend the release of P4.28 million intended for 357 farmers in the 6 towns of Btac. Viejo, Dingle, Sta. Barbara, New Lucena, Banate and San Miguel “as trial run” in finding out the status of ASF in areas labeled as pink zones.
Even then the governor noted that many backyard hog raisers have risked repopulating, that resulted in a 84,323 increase of hog heads in August, from 72,320 in January this year.
Still, the total number is 30% off the self-sufficient level, with eleven towns remaining under the red zone, or ASF-infested category.
San Joaquin town in southern Iloilo has recorded the latest cases of ASF resulting in 52 hog deaths. The town borders with Antique, another ASF hard-hit province.
