The local pig industry in Hinoba-an, the southernmost municipality in Negros Occidental, is bracing for higher market rates and increased demand following a key biosecurity milestone.
The town recently earned a Recognition of Active Surveillance on African swine fever (RAS-ASF) from the Bureau of Animal Industry, an agency under the Department of Agriculture.
Mayor Daph Reliquias shared the announcement on social media on Saturday, showcasing the official certificate that praises the town’s dedication to monitoring, curbing, and managing the spread of ASF.
“We have officially received the RAS. This is what we have been waiting for so that more buyers and shippers will come to Hinoba-an,” he said. “This is also the time when live weight prices of pigs sold in Hinoba-an will increase.”
Reliquias noted that hog traders regularly travel to Hinoba-an from Cebu, Antique, Capiz, Aklan, Iloilo, and various neighboring districts across the Negros Island Region.
“We have made sure that buyers from outside Hinoba-an can come here to ensure a steady income for our hog producers, while we also assure them that the meat sold in our town is of quality, safe, and ASF-free,” he added.
In response to the development, the municipal government and the Municipal Agriculture Office jointly agreed to bump up the local live-weight price of hogs to ₱125 per kilogram, up from ₱110 per kilogram just days prior.
“If there is a buyer or shipper who buys at ₱130 to ₱150 and above, it would be better to allow our hog raisers to recover,” he added.
To guarantee equitable trading and precise measurements, the mayor further encouraged local livestock farmers to utilize the town’s “Kilohan nang Bayan” public weighing stations.
Hinoba-an retains a “yellow” or surveillance status. The municipality secured the declaration on July 15 after the Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory confirmed negative ASF results from diagnostic tests run on July 1 across nine local villages.
The extensive surveillance initiative encompassed 1,018 farms housing a total population of 15,764 pigs across the barangays of Poblacion I, Poblacion II, San Rafael, Alim, Bacuyangan, Bulwangan, Culipapa, Daug, and Pook.