PREVENTION. Members of the Rural Improvement Club in Tobias Fornier, Antique, on Sept. 8, 2023 undergo training on meat processing in anticipation of the high demand for Noche Buena products. Antique Provincial Veterinarian III Dr. Paul Songcayawon, in an interview on Friday (Oct. 13) said pork-based products from areas affected by the African swine fever are not allowed to enter the province. (Photo courtesy of Antique ProVet)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A strict 24-hour border control is observed in Antique to prevent the spread of the African swine fever (ASF), confined in four municipalities in the province, especially with the fast-approaching holiday season.
Dr. Paul Songcayawon, Provincial Veterinarian III, said provincial border controls in Libertad and Pandan towns for Aklan and Hamtic and Anini-y towns bordering Iloilo are ready to confiscate pork-based products bound to Antique.
Municipalities adjacent to four towns with cases of ASF also established their respective control points to prevent the entry of infected pork products and live swine.
“Although there are ASF cases already reported in the towns of Hamtic, San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, and Belison, we need to protect the other 14 towns,” Songcayawon said in an interview on Friday.
Meantime, the Office of the Antique Provincial Veterinarian (ProVet) has conducted meat processing training for senior high school students, livestock raisers, and Rural Improvement Club members in Antique.
They trained to make hams and other Noche Buena or Christmas Eve products in anticipation of the high demand during the holiday season.
“Since pork-based products from other places, especially affected by ASF, are not allowed to enter the province, ProVet is conducting training on food processing so that there will still be Noche Buena products available during the holiday,” he said.
From June to September, they have already trained 105 participants.
He said some companies reformulated their manufactured ham and other processed products, substituting pork ingredients with chicken to enter Antique.
As of Aug.15, the four ASF-affected towns have reported PHP60 million in losses due to the 6,892 swine deaths, according to ProVet. (PNA)
