DA relaxes conditions for insured ASF-affected hog raisers

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (DA-PCIC) has relaxed conditions for paying hog raisers for their losses under its insurance program for hogs.
This is in support of the Duterte government’s initiative to revitalize hog production amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic.
During its regular meeting on Wednesday (February 24), the PCIC Board of Directors approved the DA proposal to pay losses resulting from government-ordered culling or slaughter of insured hogs.
Likewise, the Board agrees to raise the payable amount up to 100 percent of the insurance cover or the total sum insured.
The move is expected to help encourage the raising of over 10 million heads of swine among commercial and backyard raisers.
The stocks to be insured will be a mix of fatteners and breeders, including grandparent stock, among the commercial raisers; and fatteners and breeders, among the backyard raisers.
“Backyard hog raisers currently receive free insurance, provided they are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), the country’s database of bona fide subsistence farmers and fisherfolk. But they will be covered by the relaxed provision on indemnity payment and culling or emergency slaughter,” the DA further said.
“Moreover, the Board directed the PCIC to increase the number of backyard hog raisers to be provided insurance coverage,” it added.
The agriculture department guarantees that these enhanced insurance policy features for the swine industry “will remain in place until such time that the industry shall have stabilized or a vaccine or other veterinary solutions will have been developed for ASF.”
Consistent with the DA policy, the PCIC will require commercial and backyard raisers to adhere to prescribed biosafety protocols, such as cleaning, disinfecting, and training in biosafety measures.
This protocol is contained in the DA Administrative Order No. 6, issued on February 6, 2021, entitled “Guidelines on the Implementation of the Recovery, Rehabilitation and Repopulation Assistance Program for ASF-affected and Non-ASF Affected Areas.”