(PNA file photo)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The provincial government of Bataan is strengthening the meat inspection system to curb the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the province.
Dr. Albert Venturina, Bataan provincial veterinarian, said on Thursday that he ordered the mandatory testing of all pigs to be butchered at the slaughterhouses to ensure that the pork meat being sold in the markets is safe from ASF.
“May instruction po ako na lahat ng kinakatay sa baboy sa slaughterhouse sa Bataan ay dumaan sa RT-PCR testing for ASF at dapat ay supported ng veterinary health certificate and inspection form para makasiguro tayo na malinis at ligtas ang bibilhin ng ating consuming public and at the same time, hindi rin makakalabas ang ASF-affected na baboy sa ating market (I have an instruction that all pigs to be butchered at the slaughterhouses in Bataan must undergo RT-PCR [reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction] testing for ASF and it must be supported by veterinary health certificate and inspection form to ensure that the pork meat that will be bought by the consuming public is clean and safe and at the same time, the ASF-affected pigs cannot be sneaked out into the markets),” Venturina said in a radio interview.
Venturina warned against backyard slaughtering as hogs need to be inspected first before being butchered for consumption.
“Hogs must be butchered only in slaughterhouses because they will need to undergo inspection and testing to know that it is healthy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Venturina said the provincial government is working out a financial assistance for backyard raisers whose hogs were culled due to ASF.
Following the declaration of the state of calamity, he said the provincial government can now use part of the calamity fund to provide financial aid to ASF-hit hog raisers which is PHP3,000 per head for a maximum of 20 pigs.
A total of 246 ASF-positive pigs from 17 backyard hog raisers in five towns in the province, namely Hermosa, Morong, Orion, Pilar and Samal, have been depopulated.
Of the total of 705 pigs affected, 333 were confirmed ASF-positive while some 372 pigs underwent ASF testing. The results are still being awaited. (PNA)
