TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas has remained free from Food and Mouth Disease (FMD) last year.
Andrew Orais, livestock program coordinator in the region, said in an interview with Leyte Samar Daily Express that the region has been FMD-free for four consecutive years already.
“As far as the Animal Health Program is concerned, there was no major animal disease outbreak that happened last year. Those that occurred were only sporadic or isolated cases which were easily controlled,” Orais said.
According to him, this performance could be attributed to the strong tie-up or network of all the animal health coordinators in the region.
He said this is being made possible through the group called Regional Advisory Committee on Animal Health Disease, Prevention, Control and Emergency (RAC-AHDPCE).
He said this group is composed of all the provincial, municipal, and city veterinarians, livestock groups and all the sector’s stakeholders in the region.
They are responsible in the coordinative efforts being done for the benefit of the whole livestock industry. They also make the policies and other relative concerns.
“They perform a network of activities in order to preserve the region’s status as still an FMD-free region,” Orais said.
He said the prevailing record of the region for being free from FMD would increase productivity and decrease mortality, thus, increasing the income of local farmers and animal raisers.
“It would also allow us an opportunity to export our meat products to other regions,” Orais said.
Among the livestock that can be found in the region are swine and poultry, small ruminants (goat and sheep), and large ruminants (cattle and carabao).
Based on the record of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS),all of these commodities have registered and increase in their inventory and value of production at constant prices except cattle, Orais said.
