Call for national state of calamity over ASF junked

MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday dismissed a call by farmers’ group Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PPFP) to declare a national calamity due to African swine fever (ASF).

Tiu Laurel said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is currently implementing various interventions including enhanced border control, emergency inoculation and increased indemnification measures to control the outbreak.

AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, who chairs the PPFP, said the declaration of a nationwide state of calamity is necessary for the government to order mass vaccination of hogs.

Briones said the government could use the calamity fund to procure vaccines as backyard hog raisers cannot afford the price at P600 per dose.

He said the DA’s plan to procure 10,000 doses of ASF vaccine is not enough to cover all hogs in Batangas, where outbreaks are ongoing.

Tiu Laurel gave assurance that supply and retail prices of pork remain adequate and stable, respectively.

He said the DA has a multi-faceted approach to combat ASF, including setting up of livestock checkpoints to prevent transport of infected animals as well as immediate purchase of 10,000 doses of ASF vaccine for emergency vaccination of hogs in Batangas.

The DA has increased the indemnification for raisers who surrender their infected pigs, Tiu Laurel said.

The amount was increased from P5,000 to P12,000 per pig, to encourage hog raisers to report and cull their sick hogs instead of selling the animals.

The DA has allocated at least P150 million for the compensation of hog farmers.

DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa gave assurance that expired ASF vaccines would not be used for the controlled vaccination of hogs, particularly in Batangas, to prevent the spread of ASF.