ASF-affected hog raisers receive ‘sentinel’ piglets

October 23, 2021 Provincial

Bontoc, Mountain Province – Twenty swine raisers in this capital town whose livelihood were gravely affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF) received “sentinel” pigs and starter feed on October 19, 2021.
This is under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) of the Department of Agriculture’s National Livestock Program.
The provision of one “sentinel” pig and one sack of starter feed each to the twenty hog raisers from Barangays Bontoc Ili, Caluttit, Mainit, Maligcong, and Samoki was made possible with the technical assistance from the Bontoc Local Government Unit through the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAg) and the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVet) of the Provincial Government of Mountain Province.
Municipal Agriculturist Renato Falag-ey explained that sentinel protocol is a science-based approach that ascertains if a virus or disease is still present in an area.
The sentinelling is a prelude to President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration swine repopulation program to let backyard hog raisers go back in raising pigs, increase hog production, and subsequently stabilize the supply and prices of pork.
Falag-ey explained that the recipient – barangays are where death and diseases of pigs or hogs were reported. Likewise, environmental swabbing for ASF was conducted in the pigpens of the identified swine raisers by the personnel from the OMAg and OPVet.
The sentinel piglets provided to the recipients were tested for any diseases before they were turned over to them. The OMAg and OPVet shall conduct monitoring on the piglets’ condition.
After 40 days, personnel from the OMAg and OPVet shall administer environmental swabbing on pigpens for ASF and blood sampling to the sentinel piglets to determine if the areas are safe for hog repopulation.
With this, he reminded the backyard hog raisers not to feed the pigs with swill which is the main cause of the spread of the ASF, and to strictly comply with the biosecurity protocols.
The provision of sentinel piglets to the recipients came in a timely as the country celebrates the 49th National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the 28th Meat Safety Consciousness Week, third week of October of every year. The theme for this year’s joint celebration is “Kalusugan ng lahat ay mithiin, karneng ligtas dapat tangkilin”.
Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc LGU