The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal industry today (22 January 2024) confirmed new cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in three towns of Occidental Mindoro, prompting local government units to conduct thorough surveillance, immediately depopulate infected hogs, and implement preventive culling around affected areas. BAI also detected Monday recurrence of a positive case in Naujan, keeping the Oriental Mindoro town under tight monitoring and movement of hogs within town limits. BAI confirmed the ASF cases in Occidental Mindoro on January 12, a few days after a couple of barangays in Sta. Cruz and San Jose reported unusual number of pig deaths.

DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa said blood samples sent earlier this month to BAI confirmed seven ASF cases in San Jose and five in Sta. Cruz, and two cases in the municipality of Rizal as of January 17. ASF cases in the island were first detected in Oriental Mindoro late last year. Pig production in the Oriental Mindoro towns of Naujan and Calapan are now being strictly monitored due to previous ASF cases while the town of Baco is being monitored for the virus. Under DA regulations, a town is placed under red zone even if only one barangay tests positive, restricting hog movement within the area.

Tighter mobility restrictions are imposed if two or more barangays test positive for the virus. The DA is now awaiting requests from LGUs to activate additional surveillance groups and from affected farmers for the indemnification of slaughtered hogs. The DA pays P5,000 for each slaughtered swine due to AFS, with the limit at 20 heads of pigs. Mindoro province supplies hogs to Metro Manila and to parts of Region VI. ###