A 24-hour border checkpoint is being implemented in the Pandan municipality by the Antique Provincial Veterinarian (ProVet) as a precaution against the introduction of African swine fever (ASF).
In a Monday interview, the head of ProVet's public health division, Dr. Marco Rafael Ardamil, stated that the border checkpoint has been operational since April 14 with assistance from the local government unit's Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
He claimed that after the ASF instance was reported in Barangay Arcangel in Balete, Aklan, on April 13, border control in the northern part of Antique was intensified.
Considering that Capiz and Iloilo also reported ASF instances, Antique is now the only province on Panay Island that is ASF-free.
According to Ardamil, Antique's hog business is still safe for humans to eat; therefore, Iloilo and Aklan sourced their supplies from this region.
Meanwhile, the cost of a live-weight hog has now risen to PHP 175 per kilogram, the highest price since the province of Iloilo reported its first case of ASF in October 2022.
Before the ASF instances last year, the price per kilogram was between PHP120 and PHP130, but it rapidly rose due to demand.
