LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some fifty eight hog risers from different parts of the province whose livestock were affected by the dreaded African Swine Flu (ASF) benefited from the P2.8 million from the agriculture department as financial assistance for them to recover from the effects of the infestation.
Gov. Melchor Diclas said the affected hog raisers came from the municipalities of La Trinidad, Tuba, Itogon and Kabayan that were affected by the ASF during the early part of the year.
He said the financial assistance from the agriculture department which represents the payment of the hogs culled out from their farms will be start capital for whatever business they want to pursue.
Under the agriculture department’s program, hog raisers whose livestock had been affected by the ASF will be compensated with P5,000 for every matured culled pig for a maximum of 20 pigs for each hog raiser impacted by the viral infection of hogs.
The governor disclosed the impact of the ASF infestations to the local hog industry has been significant because some 567 pigs from the different piggery farms of the affected hog raisers had been culled out to prevent the spread of the animal virus to other farms within the 1-kilometer radius from the infected commercial or backyard piggery farm.
He asked hog raisers in the different parts of the province, backyard or commercial, to immediately report to the nearest municipal agriculture office possible infection of their pigs for timely mitigating measures to be implemented to prevent the dreaded animal virus from spreading to other farms.
Diclas expressed his gratitude to the agriculture department for working out the immediate release of the financial assistance to the affected hog raisers for them to recover from the effects of the ASF infestation to their livelihood and start a new business or bring back their backyard or commercial hog raising activities.
He challenged the recipients of the financial assistance to wisely use the funds received from the agriculture department to revive their robust business activities and sustain the growth of their income amidst the wrath of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic.
Earlier, ASF infestation was reported in some commercial and backyard piggery farms in La Trinidad and Tuba before the same expanded to nearby Itogon and Kabayan over the past several months prompting concerned government agencies and local governments to take the appropriate actions to prevent the spread of the animal virus in their areas of jurisdiction.
Diclas remains optimistic animal virus will not spread to other municipalities because of the vigilance of the hog raisers and agriculture officers who have been tasked to closely monitor hog raisers in their places for possible infestation and implementation of mitigating measures.
By Hent
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