THE country’s hog raising industry has given its full support for the anti-African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccination program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, the Agriculture Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) requested for a systematic vaccine roll-out using as many vaccinators as possible in coordination with the local government units (LGUs).
AGAP also expected the participation of cooperatives, private veterinarians, suppliers of veterinary products, and other volunteers to immediately administer the 10,000 doses to backyard raisers.
AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor ‘Nikki’ Briones, said that since the detection of ASF in 2019, local pork production and supply have been badly affected, resulting in huge economic losses to hog raisers.
“The hog raisers are grateful that the Department of Agriculture has commenced its ASF vaccination program,” he added.
The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PPFP) also expressed its full support to the DA initiative.
“We are also humbly requesting the good agriculture secretary that the vaccination program be rolled out swiftly and without delay to provinces with known ASF outbreak,” said PPFP president Rolando Tambago.
At the current rate of 46 heads vaccinated per day, it will take several months to fully administer the initial doses of the ASF vaccine.
PPFP said that the DA, through the Bureau of Animal Industry, can deputize private veterinarians to administer the vaccines, while DA-BAI accredited laboratories may be authorized to conduct the testing for hogs prior to vaccination.
“Through this, we can be assured of its effectiveness in safeguarding the hog industry against ASF,” PPFP’s letter to the DA states.
The group said that it will support the commercial use of the ASF vaccine after the trial.
In response, the DA assured hog raisers who participated in the controlled vaccination that they would be properly compensated should their pigs die after being vaccinated.
DA and the BAI have started vaccinating hogs in Lobo, Batangas, the “ground zero” of ASF outbreaks.
The DA chief said that the slaughter of vaccinated pigs would only be allowed after a minimum of 30-day post-vaccination monitoring and test negative for ASF.
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