Various agricultural groups urged on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Department of Agriculture (DA) to expedite the vaccination process against African Swine Fever (ASF) amid the continuous threat to the swine-raising industry.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. earlier gave a go-signal for the importation of 10,000 doses of ASF vaccines, the vaccination started last week in Batangas, one of the hardest-hit provinces of the fatal virus.
The groups, consisting of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP), National Federation of Hog Farmers (NFHF), and Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PPFP), lauded Laurel for the immediate action through the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
AGAP Partylist Representative Nick Briones said the immediate vaccination brought a sigh of relief to the industry, which he said, has been hurting from the effects of the ASF.
“Our groups extoll Sec. Laurel for the immediate rollout of the vaccination process. Hog raisers have already lost several millions of their hard-earned money due to ASF. However, we also wanted a speedy process regarding the inoculation process of pigs,” said Briones.
NFHF chairman and president Chester Tan is confident that the ASF vaccine can resolve the ongoing infestation of the virus while PPFP president Rolando Tambago is seeking for a speedy and unhampered vaccination program not just in Batangas but in other provinces where hog raising is a bread and butter.
“Backyard hog raisers are now in a dire situation, that is why we are asking for the DA-BAI to also prioritize them. They are the ones that have small capital to continue their businesses,” said Tambago.
The groups also urged the government to deputize vaccinators in the local government units, in collaboration with agriculture cooperatives and private veterinarians in the inoculation of pigs.
“Accredited laboratories of DA-BAI should also be allowed to do blood testing on swine as a preventive measure against ASF. Through this, the whole hog-raising industry will be assured that their hogs and swine will be protected from the virus,” said Briones.
The groups also expressed hope that the DA and Food and Drug Administration will allow the commercial use of the ASF vaccine so that more pigs will be inoculated and protected from ASF, benefitting meat producers and consumers.
Apart from areas in Lobo, the DA-BAI will roll out its validation procedures to include all qualified farms in ring areas of Lobo, other towns in Batangas, and eventually red zones in the Calabarzon Region.
The DA reiterated that pigs that will be vaccinated must be healthy, negative for ASF, at least four weeks or older, of the same age group within a farm, and with a minimum of 50 pigs per farm or cluster.
To date, 458 villages in 15 regions are now under ASF red zones, with the highest number of affected barangays reported in North Cotabato at 87, Occidental Mindoro at 69, Batangas, and Quezon at 47.