Meds for farm animals to ease El Niño effects

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture has shelled out P1 million for medicines that will help ease the effects of mild El Niño to Cebu City livestock supply.

The medicine includes Hemorrhagic Septicemia vaccines for livestock, such as cows, horses and pigs to keep them from bleeding and acquiring other diseases.

Others are vitamin supplements and medicine for deworming.

Hemorrhagic septicemia is an acute, highly fatal form of pasteurellosis that affects mainly cattle.

The disease is most devastating to smallholder farmers where husbandry and preventive practices are poor and free-range management is common.

City veterinarian Dr. Pilar Romero said they will be distributing vaccines to protect farm animals from the disease, especially that it is prevalent during dry season.

The Animal Health Division of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries is regularly monitoring the status of livestock in the upland barangays.

Romero said there is yet no report of ailing animals in the hilly barangays.

Romero advised those raising animals to build barns or shades to protect their animals from intense heat.

This was also the advice of DA-7’s agriculturist Marianito Doydora as an alternative method to prevent animals from experiencing heat stress and the like, which can greatly affect growth, reproduction rates and eating habits of animals.

Meanwhile, DVMF is setting a strategy to increase its revenue source and recoup its revenue losses.

DVMF has stopped their slaughter operations after portions of the city abattoir at the North Reclamation Area were destroyed by a powerful earthquake in October 2013.

The city has allocated P5 million for the repairs; however, the project is yet to start.

Romero said before the earthquake, over 200 hogs could be slaughtered everyday at the city’s slaughterhouse, aside from another 60 to 65 large animals like carabaos, cows and horses, and dozens of goats.

But now, it only slaughters less than 100 animals as the quake destroyed parts of the facility.

Romero said DVMF’s revenue decreased to P25.5 million last year from 2013’s P28.2 million.

To recoup revenue losses, she said, they are eyeing to increase the slaughter fees and close down 24 accredited private abattoirs.

She said the fees would be increased from the current rates of P147.50 for hogs, P195 for large animals, P52 for goats and P7 for chicken.

“Kita ang pinaka-ubos nga nag-collect og fees for slaughter considering mahal ang maintenance, tubig, power,” she said. – /JMD (FREEMAN)