Notices will be sent by the Negros Occidental Provincial Livestock Committee to the local government and private sector buyers of sheep as soon as the three-year mode of payment matures, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena yesterday said.

The provincial government sold 3,965 sheep to 119 buyers, of which 54 are local government units and 65 are from the private sector for P76,478,500.

The 54 LGUs owe P44,904,500 to the provincial government, while the 55 private sector buyers only paid P321,500 of the P27,829,000 they owe.

There are 833 sheep also at the Sagay breeding center and 443 at the Negros First Ranch in Brgy. Santa Rosa, Murcia.

They were released to 119 buyers in 2013, after the sheep were purchased from Australia two years ago.

If all payable accounts are settled, Decena said they will surpass the bank loan secured by the provincial government for the purchase of the sheep from Australia.

The 5,241 sheep and ram, including those retained at the Sagay breeding center and Negros First ranch, have a market value of P94,316,235.94, according to a report submitted by Decena to the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The provincial government secured a loan of P80 million from the Land Bank of the Philippines for the purchase of 5,241 sheep in Australia.

Decena said the Provincial Livestock Committee, chaired by Gov. Alfredo Marañon is expected to review policies, among others, in connection with the payment of sheep purchased by the government and private sectors.

He also noted the increasing order of sheep meat from Manila, which requires a ton of it every month.

Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier called on the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office to exert effort in collecting payable accounts from the government and private sectors.

Decena, however, said it is the job of the committee to collect the payments, with contracts of payment of buyers to expire in 2016.*GPB

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