THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday that it is seeking to allow the transport of healthy pigs within African Swine Fever (ASF) “red zones,” where the disease is known to be active, in order to keep the market supplied.
“The government will ease (movement restrictions), but we have to make sure only live and healthy pigs are transported, not the infected ones, to avoid the spread of ASF,” Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Asis G. Perez said in a statement.
The DA has met with industry representatives and local government officials to ensure the health of the hog being moved, he said.
“It’s important that we ensure infected animals stay in the red zone,” he added.
Mr. Perez said the easing of movement restrictions on non-infected pigs will ensure the market is adequately supplied and allow hog raisers to continue earning.
New ASF cases have clustered around Batangas, prompting the declaration of a state of calamity.
The DA has procured 10,000 doses of the AVAC ASF Live Vaccine from Vietnam for emergency inoculation of non-infected Batangas hogs. The inoculation is expected this week.
About P50 million has been earmarked for the indemnification of farmers whose hogs will need to be culled.
Additionally, Undersecretary for livestock Deogracias Victor B. Savellano said that the DA has raised the indemnification rate to P4,000 for piglets, P8,000 for medium-sized hogs, and P12,000 for sows and large hogs.
The maximum indemnification was previously P5,000 per animal.
“The higher indemnification is meant to encourage pig farmers to surrender their animals instead of selling them to traders who eventually transport the infected swine to other areas for slaughter,” Mr. Savellano said.
There are 32 barangays in seven Batangas cities or municipalities with active cases of ASF, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry. The seven are Lipa City, Calatagan, Lian, Lobo, Rosario, San Juan, and Talisay.
The DA last week placed checkpoints along Commonwealth and Mindanao Avenues in Quezon City; EDSA Balintawak; Marulas and Malanday, Valenzuela City; STAR Tollway in Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Calamba, Laguna; and Alfonso, Cavite to stop the movement of infected hogs.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Poultry and Swine Constance J. Palabrica said other vaccine manufacturers from the US, South Korea and Vietnam are also applying with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval.
The FDA has approved a controlled rollout of the ASF vaccine from Vietnam, concentrating on red zones and so-called pink zones, or those areas adjacent to zones with active infections. — Adrian H. Halili
