FILE PHOTO: The Department of Agriculture (DA) begins the controlled trial of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines at Lobo town in Batangas province on Friday, August 30, 2024. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) started Friday, August 30, the controlled trial of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines in Lobo, Batangas.
The DA considered this vaccination program as a “step forward” to combat the highly contagious viral disease of pigs, which has already affected the livelihoods of hog raisers in the country.
“DA’s new strategy includes using controlled and monitored vaccinations to help pigs reach 25 weeks and attain 100 kg, providing a new approach to tackling the disease,” it said in a statement.
READ: DA: ASF vax rollout a go; local pork safe
Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Swine and Poultry Constante Palabrica, who is also a doctor of veterinary medicine, underscored the importance of the vaccination program for the hog population.
“ASF has severely affected both large integrators and backyard farms. While larger farms can invest in biosecurity measures, 60% of our hog population in backyard farms struggle with insufficient funding for effective protection,” Palabrica said in the same statement.
“We must embrace innovative solutions like this vaccine to improve outcomes for our hog industry,” he added.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., meanwhile, said the vaccination program for hogs manifests the government’s support to the industry.
“This effort highlights DA’s commitment to safeguard the swine industry and enhance national food security amid the ASF crisis. We’re dedicated to support hog farmers and ensure the sustainability of our agriculture sector,” he said.
READ: Zero ASF in QC, joint checkpoints with BAI continue – Belmonte
The DA said it allotted P300 million for the procurement of 600,000 ASF vaccines. On Monday, 10,000 ASF vaccines from Vietnam arrived in the country. It is, however, unclear as of writing if the doses that arrived earlier this week are part of the planned total ASF vaccine procurement of the DA.
On August 12, Batangas province was placed under a state of calamity due to the spread of the swine fever. As of August 9, at least 40 barangays in Batanagas’ Lipa City, and towns of Calatagan, Lian, Lobo, Rosario, San Juan, Talisay, and Tuy reported ASF cases.
Lobo town reported that 16 of its 26 barangays logged a sum of 8,818 hog deaths as of July 31 due to ASF, which resulted in livelihood losses of P103,338.000.
The DA has set up livestock checkpoints across Luzon to contain the spread of the ASF to ensure that no dead pigs or animals will be transferred from one place to another.