At least 37 live hogs will be euthanized after authorities discovered that the livestock came from an area with confirmed cases of African Swine Fever (ASF). | Photo courtesy of the Provincial Veterinarian Office via Sugbo News
CEBU CITY, Philippines– While Cebu island closed its borders from swine and pork products coming from regions and areas with reported African Swine Fever (ASF) cases, a councilor here sees this as an opportunity for local breeders to supply commercial pigs for ‘competitive advantage.’
Cebu City Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr., in his privilege speech, during the council’s regular session on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, has called for the boosting of the city’s swine industry, amid the ASF situation in the country.
Alcover, chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, has requested the Cebu City Agriculture Department to expand its “Swine Dispersal Program” by giving commercial swine breeds rather than native swine.
“Kani na sitwasyon kay makaingon ta na krisis ug opportunidad ni sa atong dakbayan. Krisis kay apektado ang supply sa mga karneng baboy nga gikan sa mga lugar nga adunay ASF,” he said.
“Pero opportunidad (usab), kay kita naa sa green zone o unaffected area sa ASF. Kini nagpasabot na mamahimo ang atong local swine industry nga makasupply og baboy ngadto sa laing lugar,” he added.
Alcover, quoting a report from the Bureau of Animal Industry, said that as of October 21, 2022, there are nine regions comprising 17 provinces, 26 municipalities, and 63 barangays that are affected by the ASF.
Cebu island, as of now, remains ASF-free.
With this, Alcover believes that the city should not just give its local breeders and farmers native pigs but also commercial breeds to encourage local swine breeders to have a competitive advantage over other localities.
The council then approved the resolution Alcover proposed in his privilege speech.
The Cebu City government adopted Executive Order (EO) No. 42 issued by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia in October.
The city, earlier, also banned the entry of pork, pork products, and live hogs from Luzon and Mindanao and similar products from China and Korea
Garcia’s EO No. 42 temporarily banned live hogs, pork, and pork products from Iloilo City and the whole of Panay Island to protect the province’s multi-billion-peso hog industry after a suspected ASF case was reported in Iloilo. /rcg
ALSO READ:
Cebu City remains ASF-free, DVMF says
Alcover arrested for cyber libel, Mayor Rama vows to help ally
DA mulls swine multiplier and breeder farms in Cebu