Oplan Kabukiran

The Department of Agriculture Region - 7 (DA RFO 7), the Cebu City’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) and the Agriculture Office have join hands to implement Oplan Kabukiran, a task force created to address the needs of farmers affected by the extreme weather in the city’s uplands.

Operating 24/7, the task force which is based at the Taptap City Hall sa Barangay answers queries and provides needed services related to crops and livestock emergencies.

Heading Oplan Kabukiran for animal health concerns is Dr. Pilar Romero, while Joey Baclayon heads the task force for crop health concerns.

Joel Elumba, OIC- Regional Technical Director for Regulations said that the creation of Oplan Kabukiran Task Force will hopefully help the farmers in this adverse climate condition.

Mainly manning the task force are staff of the Cebu City’s agriculture and DVMF offices. DA-7 assists in the provision of vitamin supplements and antibiotics; and blood collection for laboratory examination when needed.

Vitamin supplementation such as vitamins A, D, and E (water-soluble and injectable vitamins) will be administered to animals in the affected areas. Electyrolytes, antibiotics and dewormers are now available.

Another major activity of Oplan Kabukiran is the retooling of farmers in the said areas, where they will learn on the proper care of livestock and crop management in extreme weather conditions.

 

Currently, the Cebu City Agriculture’s Office is now profiling the farmers in the mountain barangays to come up with a need and demand-based response.

Meanwhile, result of the blood examination just released by the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in Region 7 indicated that the animal from which blood was extracted earlier when it showed some signs of illness during cold weather in one of Cebu’s mountain barangays was infected with Pseudomonas spp, a kind of bacteria.

According to Veterinarian Ted Dabocol of the DA-7 diagnostic laboratory, the bacteria is classified as opportunistic, or a type that attacks and give symptoms like fever, chilling and general weakness when animals are subjected to stress such as prolong cold, soaking rain and warm weather. Said animal had recovered after given antibiotic.

Pseudomonas spp, as isolated from DA-7 and DVMF veterinarians is a soil and water borne microbe. Animals can build resistance against such bacteria through proper nutrition and shelter from the elements that cause them stress and lower resistance to diseases.

Oplan Kabukiran reiterates its appeal to farmers to report to the City Agriculture Office, the DVMF or DA – 7 if their animals show sign of illness, and not to butcher them for food for health reasons.

Oplan Kabukiran can be reached through telephone number 268-2695 loc. 4705 (RTD Joel Elumba), 232-4483 (Dr. Pilar Romero); and 255-5781 (City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon).