The hog industry in M’lang, North Cotabato has lost P5.8 million due to the African swine fever (ASF), the municipal agriculture office said on Friday.

The local government said it has culled 1,618 hogs and has provided around P5,878,500 in financial assistance to affected hog owners.

Depending on the category of their hogs, the farmers recieved P500 for every piglet, P1,000 for every weanling, P4,000 for every grower or fattener, and P7,000 for every boar and sow.

According the town agriculturist, Arlyn Encarnacion, strict ASF monitoring measures were placed in the affected villages to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading to nearby villages.

A combined team of the village officials, peacekeeping action teams and animal health workers monitored the checkpoints in all entry and exit points of the municipality.

“All travelers, including residents, are being checked to ensure no pork products will enter and go outside the area, which we assumed are contaminated with the virus,” Encarnation said.

The six affected villages that were considered red spots in M’lang were New Lawaan, New Antique, Lika, Dalipe, Katipunan

and Inas.

Encarnacion said 341 backyard hog raisers were also affected in those areas.

“Culling is ongoing to contain the infections within the perimeter while stiff monitoring was observed within the 500-meter radius,” Encarnacion added.

Encarnacion stated that the P5.8 million budget, given to hog farmers as financial assistance, came from the local government’s calamity fund, following the recent declaration of a state of calamity in the town, brought about by the ASF infestation.

Further, she stated that the local govenrment unit still allowed the selling and consumption of locally produced pork products but required owners to comply with requirements.

“We did not fully stop the local hog industry to sell their hogs though we formulated guidelines that must be complied with,” Encarnacion continued.

According to her, all hogs subject to selling for public and private consumption at certain events must test negative for ASF through the Department of Agriculture-Region 12 laboratory in General Santos City.

“The laboratory test is offered free of charge,” Encarnacion concluded.