AFRICAN SWINE FEVER MAHIMONG MAKUHA SA PASAW NGA PAGKAON SA BINUHING BABOY

Subling nagpahimangno ang Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) nga likayan ang swill feeding kon pagpakaon og mga pasaw sa mga binuhing hayup ilabi na sa mga baboy aron malikayan ang posibleng pagtapot sa sakit nga African Swine Fever (ASF). Sumala ni Dr. Belen Aruelo, Provincial Veterinarian sa Agusan del Norte, nag-unang hinungdan sa pagkaylap sa sakit nga ASF mao ang pagbahug og mga pagkaon nga dili angay ipakaon sama sa mga salin-salin sa kusina, ug kadtong mga gi-dispose sa foreign vessels ug aircrafts. “Dili gayud maayo nga ipakaon nato nang mga left-overs nato, mga pasaw kay mao man ni ang rason diha gyud makuha ang sakit labi na kining ASF,” sulti ni Dr. Aruelo. Padayong gimonitor sa Task Force on African Swine Fever and other Emerging and Re-emerging Transboundary Animal Diseases Prevention and Control sa probinsya sa Agusan del Norte sa pagpanguna sa PVO ang pagbaligya sa mga produktong processed meat ilabina kadtong mga local processors tungod kay dunay dakong posibilidad ang ilegal nga pagpayuhot sa mga produkto gikan sa laing rehiyon nga kontaminado sa sakit. “Mostly ang gamonitor gyud ang mga munisipyo sa ilang area, mo-coordinate sila sa amo once naay suspect nila but so far, ang atong mga processors nagundang sa sila karon tungod kay walay supply sa baboy,” sigon ni Dr. Aruelo. Gidasig sa buhatan ang publiko nga itaho gilayon sa PVO o kaha sa ilang tagsa ka munisipyo ang unsa mang mamatikdan nga kalihokan nga dili kasarangan sama sa ilegal nga pag-ihaw og mga baboy nga dili sa Locally Registered Meat Establishments (LMRE) o sa mga rehistradong slaughterhouse gihimo. (Agusan Up, LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)

By Angel Lyn F. Gaviola

MINDANAO NEWS

12 MINDANAO FISHING VILLAGES GET DRYERS, POST-HARVEST EQPT.

Fishermen in 12 Mindanao fishing communities will soon be marketing Spanish Sardines and vacuumpacked Dried Fish as the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) provides them with steam-powered fish dryers, retort machines and vacuum-packing equipment. The project of providing poor fishing families with post-harvest equipment to add value to their catch is part of the Mindanao Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Program initiated by MinDA. The Mayors of Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay and Nasipit, Agusan del Norte have already signed the Memorandum of Agreement with MinDA in simple ceremonies this week. The Grant Fund coming from the meager resources of MinDA will be used to acquire a locally fabricated Mini-Boiler, Steam-Powered Fish Dryer and Retort Machine for Spanish Sardines-making of a women’s group in Barangay Ata-Atahon in Nasipit. The same amount of Grant Fund given to Olutanga will be used in acquiring a bio-mass powered Mini-Boiler, a Steam-Powered Fish Dryer and a vacuum packing equipment to produce sanitary and high quality dried fish from the island town of Zamboanga Sibugay. The identification of the post-harvest facilities needed by the towns was made during the series of trips I made as early

as last year when MinDA designed the MinFAD. The MinFAD aims to establish post-harvest facilities in at least 22 Fishing Grounds of Mindanao, including Basilan, Sulu and Tawitawi to improve the productivity of poor fishing communities. Many of these rich fishing grounds lack the basic post-harvest facilities such as Ice-Makers, BlastFreezers and Cold Storage, including Dryers for dried fish making and Retort Machines for bottled Spanish Sardines-making. The post-harvest facilities and equipment which the first 12 fishing villages will receive were fabricated locally by a multi-awarded inventor from Butuan City, Engr. Rudy Cane. Cane designed the bio-mass powered MiniBoiler to produce steam for the Dryers which could be used even during rainy days and nighttime thus improving the productivity of the fishermen. The Mini-Boiler also powers a mini-Retort Machine capable of steaming 500 bottles every 3 hours for Spanish Sardines-making. The VacuumPacking Machine which will come in the package to be sourced from the commercial market. All of these interventions will only cost P424,000 per location instead of millions if the facilities and equipment were to be acquired commercially. Other towns which will soon receive the same equipment are Jabonga, Agusan del Norte which produces the Pijanga Dried Fish, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur which produces dried Mudfish and Catfish and Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur which also produces Dried Fish. The remaining 7 fishing villages which will receive the Grant Fund from MinDA will be identified soon. The Nasipit, Agusan del Norte and Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay MinFAD Post-harvest facilities are expected to be operational by February this year, in time for the lifting of the Fishing Ban in most fishing grounds in Mindanao.