The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA RFO 2) had launched the repopulation program through INSPIRE in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan last week and today, October 25, 2021, respectively.
Distributed today are 500 piglets and 1,500 cavans of feeds to farmers in the Provincial Capitol, Alimannao Hills, Penablanca, Cagayan.
“We now commence hog repopulation and we must be serious about this as together we rise from the cruel ASF,” Engr. Monico Castro, Jr., Field Operations Chief said. Farmers from Solana, Alcala, Piat, Tuao, Baggao, and Amulung, aside from the piglets and 3 cavans of starter, grower and finisher feeds each also received vitamins, drugs and biologics.
Meanwhile, Dr. Noli Buen, Cagayan PVET Office and Dr. Wilfredo Iquin expressed their thanks to DA RFO 2 and encouraged the farmers to help one another in the efforts of hog repopulation.
Cagayan Valley, especially Isabela was hit hard by the African Swine Fever leaving the hog industry on its knees.
With Castro were Dr. Bryan Sibayan, Regional Livestock Program Focal Person, Mr. Demetrio D. Tang, Dr. Giovani Tumaliuan and Mr. Ferdinand Arquero.
Last week, distribution of hogs and animal feeds was also undertaken last October 20, 2021. Led by Regional Executive Director Narciso A. Edillo of DA RFO 02 in collaboration with the Provincial Veterinary (PVET) Office of Isabela, recipients from the municipalities of Isabela like Echague, Cordon, San Guillermo, San Isidro and Aurora received 257 heads of pigs and 567 bags of animal feeds.
“May this assistance will help you recover from your losses brought by ASF and being aggravated by the pandemic,” Edillo said.
“We are looking forward for your cooperation by practicing biosecurity measures in order to achieve the goal of our repopulation initiatives.”
The beneficiaries had passed the sentinelling protocols which was implemented prior to repopulation. Mr. Rolando Sambrano of San Ramon, Isabela expressed his appreciation to the government for implementing the repopulation program.
“Isa po akong namatayan ng alagang baboy at ngayon ay nakatanggap ng ayuda mula sa DA. Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa tulong na ito ng pamahalaan upang makapag-umpisa kami ulit sa aming pamumuhay,” he said. (DA Region 2/Ferdinand Cortez and Jules Florague)
