DA warns public vs misinformation on swine repopulation project

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday warned the public against misleading information circulating about its Swine Repopulation Project (SRP).

In a statement, the DA clarified to the public that the SRP is a three-year initiative designed to address challenges brought about by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

“The project aims to restore and sustain the country’s swine population by establishing structured breeder base systems from source farms to multiplier and production farms, while enforcing science-based and biosecure production protocols,” the DA said.

“These efforts are expected to stabilize pork prices and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable Philippine hog industry,” it added.

READ: DA unveils P1-B swine repopulation program

The DA explained that the SRP already complements existing DA programs, including the former Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) Program and the ongoing Swine Industry Recovery Project (SIRP).

The initiative also includes the procurement of gilts (young female pig) from local accredited swine breeder farms, which are distributed to multiplier farms for breeding and subsequent redistribution of piglets to identified beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the program also provides between 25 to 2,000 heads of gilts, per eligible multiplier farm.

The DA then told the public to only refer to official DA platforms for accurate and verified SRP information and guidelines. /cb