DA hikes indemnity for hogs culled due to ASF

MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Agriculture, through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (DA-PCIC), is increasing the indemnity for hogs culled due to the African swine fever (ASF).

“We are doubling the indemnification payout for every pig that contracts ASF from P5,000 to P10,000. With the increased indemnity, hog raisers are encouraged to report affected pigs, thus controlling the ASF from spreading,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said  Tuesday in a statement.

“The PCIC swine industry insurance program strongly complements the DA’s twin program of Bantay ASF sa Barangay to effectively control, contain and manage the ASF, and the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion or hog repopulation program to revive the country’s swine industry,” he added.

According to Atty. Jovy Bernabe, DA-PCIC president, the swine insurance program is a  more relaxed version of the agency’s standard livestock insurance program, offering free premium payments for backyard raisers and discounted premium for commercial hog raisers, and increased indemnity payments for culled hogs.

“For backyard swine raisers, the subsidy will be 100 percent (%) of the premium cost, provided they are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, while for commercial swine raisers, the premium subsidy will be discounted,” he said.

Bernabe added that they would have a 1.75 percent premium for fatteners and a 3.5 percent premium for breeders to backyard growers, which will be waived. Commercial farmers pay the same premium rates, which are discounted from the regular rates of 2.25 percent and 4%.

He added that the insurance covers fatteners at a rate of P10,000 per head, breeders at a rate of P14,500 per head, and parent stocks at a rate of P34,000 per head.

“The hog farms must be registered with the LGU, which in turn, must have organized the Bantay ASF sa Barangay. Also, their operations must be compliant with the Biosecurity Level 1 standards or a level of farm biosecurity in compliance with minimum standards set by the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners (PSCP),” he said.

“The provincial and municipal governments that have jurisdiction over the farms of the beneficiaries must have adopted harmonized ordinance relevant to the prevention of ASF. Likewise, the municipal government must implement and regularly update the Municipal ASF Control and Prevention Plan, aligned with the initiatives of the DA Regional Field Office,” he added.

“We, therefore, encourage backyard and commercial hog raisers to secure insurance packages and take advantage of the free and discounted insurance premium, respectively, offered by DA-PCIC to regain your livelihood and businesses, and more importantly revive our ASF-stricken swine sector,” Secretary Dar concluded.

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