Livestock traders urged to secure permits

All livestock traders in Negros Oriental who are not yet licensed are urged to secure their license from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).

The newly issued Administrative Order No. 8 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) strictly requires the licensing of all livestock traders, which is to be done every year, says Provincial Chief Quarantine Officer Dr. Alfonso Tundag

Tundag said that as of now not all livestock traders in Negros Oriental are licensed.

Records from the Provincial Veterinary Office show that around 50 traders have been licensed in 2005.

“We expect them to renew their licenses this year,” says Sarah Perocho, agricultural technologist and laboratory technician at PVO here.

According to Perocho, livestock traders are required to undergo a training before a license is issued to them. “The training will inform the traders about policies, regulations, laws and system of licensing of the Bureau of Animal Industry,” she said.

The licensing fee ranges from P300 to P500.

A corresponding penalty has been set for traders who fail to secure a license, but Tundag said it is still yet to be imposed as the administrative order is still in its infancy stage.

Tundag said that together with the Provincial Veterinary Office, a series of information campaign is seen to be conducted in all three districts in the province in January next year, in time for the issuance and renewal of license for livestock traders.

He said that traders need to secure their permits immediately or problems will ensue when time comes they transport their livestock. “We will not issue a veterinary shipping permit to traders who are not licensed,” warns Tundag.

A veterinary shipping permit is however not only limited to livestock traders.

Tundag said regular boat passengers who will transport animals, animal products and by-products are also required to secure a veterinary shipping permit prior to boarding the vessel.
“These are possible carriers of infectious diseases…we only should transport healthy animals and by-products,” stressed Tundag.

A signboard will be put up in the total seven passenger sub-ports in the province to inform passengers about the said requirement.

Passenger sub-ports in the province are in San Jose, Amlan, La Libertad and two each in Sibulan and Guihulngan.

The chief quarantine officer was recently in a two-day Re-Tooling Seminar conducted by the Regulatory Division of DA-7 in Taptap, Cebu during which officials from the Bureau of Animal Industry discussed the new administrative order.

Other topics discussed during the seminar include the Animal Welfare Act, Administrative Order No. 9 detailing the requirements to establish an auction market, procedure for domestic transport of animals and the Avian Influenza or Bird Flu.

More than 60 participants attended the seminar, including city veterinarians and staff from the Provincial Veterinary Office.