Negros Occidental bans Panay, Guimaras hogs, pork products  

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Hogs and pork products from Panay island and Guimaras are now banned in Negros Occidental.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson ordered the ban on Thursday after African swine fever (ASF) was detected in Oton, Iloilo.

He ordered the provincial ASF task force to conduct rigid and stringent inspection of incoming shipments of hogs and pork products.

The hog industry in Negros Occidental, the top backyard swine producer in the country, is worth P6 billion.

Provincial veterinary officer Placeda Lemana said she alerted quarantine inspectors at various ports in the province to remain vigilant to prevent the entry of  hogs and pork products from other areas in Western Visayas.

Negros Occidental, which has remained ASF-free, had earlier banned the entry of hogs and pork products from Luzon, Mindanao and parts of the Visayas to protect its local hog industry.