BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Some 577 hogs were inspected by members of the African Swine Fever Task Force at the Bacolod Real Estate Port in Bacolod City Saturday.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the hogs were inspected before they were shipped for delivery to several areas in Luzon.
Decena said the inspection is part of the anti-ASF program of the Negros Occidental provincial government to ensure the safety of the hog supply being distributed by the province to Luzon and other areas in the country.
The provincial government, through the PVO, also distributed 97 genetically-improved free-range chicken breeder stocks in Ilog town recently.
Decena said the 44 cockerels and 53 pullets were received by Dante Perez for the Municipal Agriculture Office.
He said the dispersal of quality genetics of FRC to various LGUs and farmer associations is also a part of Covid measures to help Negrense families by increasing their income through egg and meat production and ensure food security and poverty reduction.
Decena said engaging in free-range chicken production has become an alternative source of daily income among Negrenses since it does not require big financial investment and has become a suitable business venture at this time for emerging small-scale enterprises.
The FRC stocks dispersed are sourced from the nucleus farm at the Provincial Livestock Breeding Center and Dairy Farm in Brgy. La Granja, La Carlota City, and known to contain high quality protein and budget-friendly, especially to small-scale farmers, who cannot afford to buy commercial feeds. “Raising FRCs sourced from PLBCDF only requires low-cost production inputs in terms of housing and feeds,” Decena said.*
