For first time in a decade, no outbreaks of FMD in Luzon

ANGELES CITY — For the first time in a decade, no outbreak of food-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been reported anywhere in Luzon since last May, boosting hopes that the international ban on pork products from the island would eventually be lifted.

Dr. Victor Atienza, head of the Bureau of Animal Industry’s FMD task force, told The STAR that even in FMD "hot spots" in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and National Capital Region, no outbreak of FMD has been reported since May.

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-footed animals, although in the Philippines, it has affected only pigs.

The livestock disease was first detected in the Philippines in 1902, and in 1995, it reached an epidemic proportion in Luzon, prompting many countries to stop importations of pork and pork products from the island.

Atienza, however, said the Paris-based World Animal Health Organization may possibly declare Luzon FMD-free if there are no more FMD cases for two more years and pigs in Luzon continue to be vaccinated.

The Visayas and Mindanao, considered by the Paris-based group as FMD-free, also export pork and pork products.

The United Nations has estimated that there are about 10 million pigs in the Philippines, producing one million tons of pork annually.

Atienza attributed the success of the government’s efforts to curb FMD to the cooperation of the private sector.

Meanwhile, Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, said that despite the rise in fuel cost and the pending implementation of the Expanded Value-Added Tax (EVAT), the prices of pork in the market will likely remain stable.

"For one thing, agricultural products are not covered by EVAT," he said.

Lim said he does not expect pork prices to also be affected by the rise in fuel cost, as he noted the big difference between the farmgate price of pigs and the market price of pork.

"At present, the farmgate price of pigs is about P86 to P87 per kilo, and in the market, pork is being sold at about P145 per kilo," Lim said.

He, however, said pork prices are expected to rise by yearend, adding, though, that this is normal since the demand for pork increases as Christmas approaches.

But Lim said he is confident that there will be no shortage of pork in the market with the big number of backyard swine raisers who availed themselves of livelihood loans from Quedancor.