BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya (September 24)—At least 31 towns in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) are now affected by the African swine fever (ASF), based on the monitoring of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the region.
Dr. Zaldy Olivas, BAI-Region 2 chief, said hardest hit by the ASF virus was the province of Isabela’s 22 towns, including Cauayan City and Santiago City, or 61 percent of the total number of the province’s local government units.
According to BAI-Region 2, more than P30 million had been lost in the swine industry in the Cagayan Valley region up to the second week of this month.
Olivas said the towns severely affected in Isabela province were Quirino, Quezon, Mallig, Benito Soliven, Angadanan, San Manuel, Ramon, San Isidro, Alicia, Luna, San Guillermo, San Pablo, San Agustin, Cordon and Roxas.
In the province of Cagayan, the towns having ASF cases are Tuao, Amulung, Iguig and Solana, but only in some of these towns’ villages have reported cases of ASF infection, he said.
In Quirino province, Olivas said affected areas with one barangay for each town are Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay and Cabarroguis.
The provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and the island province of Batanes did not have any ASF cases.
Olivas explained that the recorded cases were recurrences after ASF infections in the said areas slowed down as a result of implemented lockdowns.
The BAI-Region 2 has called on stronger cooperation of the public to protect the hogs they are raising.