Phils: Depopulation of hogs until Wednesday—DA

By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:09:00 03/02/2009
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090302-191873/Depopulation-of-hogs-until-WednesdayDA

Filed Under: Consumer Issues, Agriculture, Diseases, Food, Animals
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE)The depopulation of hogs in Bulacan province is expected to be completed by Wednesday, an official of the Department of Agriculture said Monday.

A total of 442 piglets in a farm in Pandi were stunned and burned for two and a half hours on Sunday, said Davinio Catbagan, director Bureau of Animal Industry.

The culling was witnessed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and animal welfare groups such as the Philippine Animal Welfare Society and Animal Kingdom.

Anna Cabrera, program director of PAWS, said that the culling was done humanely but admitted that the transfer of the carcasses from the pigpens to the truck was mishandled.

“Some of the pigs loaded into trucks were handled by one leg, one ear. We talked with BAI Director Davinio Catbagan to ask the workers to refine the handling of pigs and we appreciate that he acted on it,” said Cabrera.

In a phone interview, Cabrera told INQUIRER.net that the hogs were crying out of hunger when they arrived.

“We asked the farm owner why they were crying. We learned that Tuesday last week pa sila hindi kumakain. Only water was given to the pigs. We appealed that they give food and pinakain naman sila kahapon before they were killed [We asked the farm owner why they were crying. We learned that they have not eaten anything since Tuesday last week. Only water was given to the pigs. We appealed that they give food and they were fed yesterday before they were killed],” said Cabrera.

“We understood the farm owners. They lost an estimated P52 million but according to good husbandry, food and water should still be given until the death of the animals,” said Cabrera.

Aside from feeds for the pigs, Cabrera said they were appealing for the repair of some captive bolts that have malfunctioned during the killing.

“Dahil nagmalfunction ‘yung ibang captive bolts, gumamit ng 22 caliber rifles ‘yung mga pulis. [Because of the captive bolt that malfunctioned, police used 22 caliber rifles to shoot the other pigs],” said Cabrera.