BACOLOD CITY – Despite a restriction on the admission of live birds and poultry products from places with known cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, the province of Negros Occidental has a sufficient supply of eggs to protect its PHP8 billion poultry industry.
Dr. Placeda Lemana, interim provincial veterinarian, gave this assurance on Friday, three days after Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued a decree imposing a blanket poultry ban on December 6.
“There is a high possibility that table eggs from layers will be the carrier, which is why it is not allowed to enter the province,” Lemana explained, adding that hatching eggs are excluded from the prohibition because they are still alive and productive and so secure from viral infection.
According to data from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), layers in Negros Occidental supply an estimated 2.4 million eggs to other locations each month and distribute 198,000 eggs alone within the province.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Province sends 325,000 eggs per year, Capiz Province sends around 666,000, and Cebu Province sends 3.1 million.
Negros Occidental has a monthly supply of approximately 4.3 million eggs, including supplies from the province.
“We send out more than what comes from Panay, which implies our produce can compensate for Panay’s eggs,” Lemana explained.
Negros Occidental restricts the admission of live birds and poultry products from the neighboring Panay Island provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, and Aklan, as well as Guimaras Island, as well as Luzon and Mindanao, under the comprehensive poultry prohibition.
To enforce the restriction strictly, veterinary inspectors are responsible with intercepting and confiscating birds and their goods from restricted areas during inspections at seaports, airports, and other points of entry.
Certain products are exempt from the restriction and will be let in regardless of shipping origin, subject to compliance with requirements.
Processed and unprocessed raw poultry meat, day-old chicks, and hatching eggs, including broiler, layer, and breeder eggs, as well as embryonated eggs, are examples.
Source: PNA