ASF scare in Benguet, Kalinga manageable-DA

February 16, 2020 Community Billboard

BAGUIO CITY – The African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak that hit some areas of Benguet and Kalinga is manageable, according to the Department of Agriculture–Cordillera (DA-CAR). Lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, research and regulatory officer of DA-CAR, assured the public that their agency is taking all health and safety protocols to combat the disease especially in affected areas.
Dawayan also confirmed two areas in Kalinga-Lower Lubo (Tanudan) and San Juan, Tabuk City were hit by the disease.
She rallied hog raisers to practice bio-security and warned hog raisers to refrain from buying pigs through online, citing one case in Benguet which allegedly the “source” of the disease.
Earlier, the agency confirmed an ASF outbreak in Barangay Beckel in La Trinidad, Barangay Camp 1, Tuba, all in Benguet.
Local authorities in coordination with DA-CAR have started depopulating activities to control the spread of the dreaded animal disease.
As this developed, Dawayan pointed out that DACAR is fast tracking the profiling of affected hog raisers to facilitate the release of financial assistance from the national government through the so-called Survival and Recovery Loan Assistance (SURE).
Under the SURE package, each affected hog raiser will be given P30k and P3k per culled pig but for a maximum of 20.
The loan package is payable in three years with zero interest but with service fee of three percent per transaction.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN