Livestock, poultry losses due to El Niño reach P13M

CEBU, Philippines - El Niño’s damage to livestock and poultry products in Cebu province has increased by P1 million, said Provincial Veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy.

Vincoy, in a press briefing yesterday morning, told reporters that the damage to animals as reported to them by 15 local government units reached P13 million.

Last June, the damage was already P12 million, as noted by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).

The heaviest toll was in Alegria town at P7 million while in San Francisco and Pilar towns in Camotes Island, damage to crops reached P1 million and P10,800, respectively.

As of June, Ronda town lost P199,000 worth of livestock; Tabuelan, P288,450; Compostela, P81,000; Consolacion, P69,000; and Cordova, P41,650.

Bantayan Island, a major producer of chicken and eggs, was also affected by the phenomenon, Vincoy said.

Madridejos reported a total of P366,735 damage to livestock and poultry while Santa Fe lost P2.8 million.

Despite the damage caused by the El Niño,  there is no shortage in chicken and eggs in Bantayan unlike during super typhoon Yolanda which wiped out poultry farms in the island, causing a shortage in eggs which resulted to the province importing eggs from Mindanao.

But the PVO chief said the province has “fully recovered” from Yolanda.

Animals have died due to the drought, but Vincoy assured no double-dead meat were sold in wet markets.   She, however, said there might be some who managed to sneak double-dead meat in small markets.

Hence, the PVO chief advised the public to check first the quality of the meat, explaining that brownish, rough-textured and foul-smelling meat are among the signs that the product is not safe for consumption. — (FREEMAN)