DA, LGUs coordinate to address swine flu, high prices of fertilizers
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has coordinated with the local government units (LGUs) to contain the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) and to help farmers amid high prices of fertilizers.
DA Sec. William Dar also renewed the agency’s commitment to reducing ASF incidence in partnership with LGUs, swine raisers’ groups, and veterinary associations during the event.
Based on DA data as of Feb. 17, the swine flu cases have gone down to 20 barangays in four municipalities in three provinces — which is a huge reduction from 3,657 barangays in 678 cities and municipalities, in 51 provinces, since 2019.
It added that the Dar has also pushed for the implementation of an ordinance to institutionalize the Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABay ASF).
Aside from BABay ASF, the department has also conducted a hog repopulation program or the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE), which provides 14,571 sentinel pigs to 5,638 farmer-beneficiaries since last year.
Meanwhile, Dar said that DA had distributed 669,942 bags of fertilizers to 207,394 farmers in Regions 4A, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and Cordillera Administrative Region to aid farmers amid high prices of fertilizers.
“The assistance will be continued this year in the form of discount vouchers, with inbred rice farmers receiving P1,131 per hectare, and hybrid rice farmers getting vouchers worth P2,262 per hectare,” he said.
“Sana magtulong-tulong po tayo para ma-sustain po natin ang gains natin fighting ASF at ma-sustain ang ating record harvest sa rice (I hope we will help each other sustain our gains while fighting against ASF and to sustain our record harvest of rice),” he added.