LINGAYEN—To further protect the local swine industry from threats of the African Swine Fever (ASF), the provincial government is set to buy a Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCRT) machine that can immediately detect if a pig is positive or negative of ASF.

This was contained in a resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on October 7, sponsored by Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario, that authorized the provincial government to purchase the machine.

Rosario said the nearest PCRT machine available to Pangasinan is the one used by the Department of Agriculture laboratory in Region 3.

Rosario said that blood samples of hogs from Pangasinan suspected to have been afflicted with ASF had to be sent to the DA laboratory in Region 3 for examination and results took days to be known.

He said, due to the numerous requests from many LGUs for validation, the DA laboratory in Region 3 already declined to receive more requests from other regions.

He said that at whatever cost, Pangasinan ought to buy the PCRT machine so the province can determine at the soonest and shortest possible time whether a pig is negative or positive of ASF.

It  will enable the hog raiser and the provincial government to immediately decide on course of action to be taken once results are out, he added.

Rosario said an early validation of negative infection by the PCRT will benefit the hog raiser because he can dispatch his hogs confidently to be sold or to be slaughtered while a late  determination can result in premature selling of hogs at a loss.

He argued further that that the hog industry in Pangasinan is a multi-million peso industry and the provincial government cannot afford to be helpless if another ASF breaks out in the country.

He said even if Pangasinan will soon be declared as ASF-free, the PCRT machine will still be needed by other provinces. (Leonardo Micua)   

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