(PNA file photo) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The province of Camiguin has imposed a temporary ban on pork meat and by-products from outside the island after the Department of Agriculture-Northern Mindanao (DA-10) confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF). The announcement of Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo released late Saturday likewise asked hog raisers not to engage in swill feeding or the feeding of food scraps and adopt appropriate biosecurity measures. "The public is likewise advised that the slaughter of pigs outside of the municipal slaughterhouses is a criminal offense punished under Republic Act 9296, otherwise known as the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, as amended by RA No. 10536," the announcement read. Under the said law, selling, transporting, and offering or receiving for sale or transportation in commerce of illegally slaughtered pork are criminal offenses. Illegally slaughtered pork will be subject to confiscation. In an advisory signed by DA-10 Executi
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Department of Agriculture-Northern Mindanao (Region 10) on Tuesday introduced technology and researched-based interventions for farmers to prevent the recurring increase of bulb onions here. In a statement, DA-10 Technical Director Carlota Madriaga said the interventions involve supporting the farmers' cooperatives, procuring seeds to farmers, conducting trials in research centers for bulb onion production, coordinating with regions through the Agriculture Marketing and Assistance Division (AMAD), consistently issuing import permits from the National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD), and advising the public to practice the urban container household gardening. Madriaga said the bulb onion price hike during the holidays in 2021 was "artificial" due to the low importation of the commodity. She said though provinces in Luzon have stocks of imported produce, supply was still insufficient given the demand during the Christmas season. Madriaga