Muling nakapagtala ng mga kaso ng African Swine Fever (ASF) ang apat na probinsya sa Cagayan Valley Region. Kabilang dito ang probinsya ng Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Quirino at Cagayan.

Mahigit 20 mga bayan na lamang sa mga ito ang ASF-free habang nanatiling walang kaso ng ASF sa probinsya ng Batanes.

Ayon sa regional director ng Department of Agriculture Region 2 na si Director Narciso Edillo, isa sa itinuturong dahilan ng paglaganap ng ASF sa rehiyon ay ang kakulangan sa paghihigpit sa inter-municipal ASF checkpoint kaya naman naipupuslit ang mga kontaminadong karne.

Sa ulat ni Edillo, nagsimula na ang mga disinfection sa mga farm upang masiguro sa hindi lumala ang paglaganap ng ASF sa lugar.

“Nagkaroon ng disinfection ng mga farm and backyards, lalo na yung mga backyards kasi dito sa Region II 95% ng backyards ina-apply natin yung mga biosecurity,” aniya.

Aabot sa 1,411 hog farmers ang apektado ng ASF sa rehiyon at nasa 5,500 na baboy na ang isinailalim sa culling.

Bilang tulong sa mga hog farmers nagbigay naman ang mga lokal na pamahalaan ng P3,000 kada isang baboy na naapektuhan ng ASF.

Mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ng DA at ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang pag labas-pasok ng mga kontaminadong karne ng baboy.

Tinukoy naman na under control ang kaso ng ASF sa apat na probinsya sa Region 2.

Samantala, isinailalim naman sa red zone (infected zone) ang Laoag City matapos ring makapagtala ng kaso ng ASF sa ilang barangay.

Aabot sa mahigit 5,000 baboy na ang natukoy ng DA na apektado ng ASF. Binigyan rin ng tulong pinansiyal ang mga hog raisers sa Laoag City para sa mga baboy na naapektuhan ng ASF.

Patuloy ang isinasagawang testing at pag-control sa mga kaso ng ASF sa dalawang rehiyon.

MANILA, Philippines – Local hog raisers are complaining about competing with imported pork in local markets that is considerably cheaper than their produce.

“Hindi po namin kaya ang presyo ng imported. As of now, if we follow the price of imported, all of us will lose money, not only here in Luzon but in Visayas and Mindanao,” said Chester Warren Tan, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.

Tan said they are spending huge amounts of money on buying imported feeds for their hogs.

Based on data presented by Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo during the hearing in Congress on Tuesday (August 10), the price of frozen pork ranges from P220 to P250 per kilogram in supermarkets.

“All 84 stores within the National Capital Region are participating in the Presyong Resonable dapat all frozen meat,” Castelo said.

But based on the data gathered by the Department of Agriculture (DA) from local wet markets, the price of pork ranges from P320 to P360 per kilogram.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said, once imported meat gets into the local market, the price of pork is expected to drop.

“As volume comes sa supply augmentation nga natin out of the MAV plus, itong period hanggang October nga po ay merong naka-calibrate na 140,000 metric tons. If many of these will arrive slowly it will also impact the prices of local pork,” Dar explained.

This alarms local hog raisers.

“As local producers umaasa po kami sa fresh sa wet market. Kung ang gusto po ng Department of Agriculture na mangyari is to push sa wet market yung frozen product, ano ang mangyayari sa local producers? Ibig sabihin huminto na lamang kami,” said Tan.

But the DA said there are existing programs designed to help local hog raisers.

One is the agency’s repopulation program for hog raisers affected by the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) and the DA’s P42 billion loan program.

As of August 10, only 29 barangays still have active cases of ASF in the country which is a big improvement, according to the DA.

Meanwhile, a total of 468 municipalities have been declared ASF-free. Nevertheless, Dar said the problem is still here.

“I did not claim that wala ng problema sa ASF. Meron pa rin tayo. Lingering nga. Itong ASF has contributed so much in reducing the supply and inventory,” he said.

Thus, the DA Secretary is asking Congress to provide them an additional P6.6 billion funding  to help the local hog industry recover from the impact of ASF.

“Kasama of course ang Kongreso kasi kayo ang nag-approve. P1.5 billion lang. So will that be enough for repopulation? No. We need additional P6.6 billion this year,” Dar said. MNP (with reports from Nel Maribojoc)

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported a total of 176 cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country in the past month.

The number is lower than the 1,773 cases recorded in August 2020 at the beginning of the outbreak and in April 2021 when the agency logged 520 cases.

As of June 4, there are nine provinces with a total of 19 barangays that still have cases of ASF virus.

These are:
Leyte – 9
Ilocos Norte – 2
Northern Samar – 2
Abra – 1
Apayao – 1
Mountain Province – 1
Cagayan – 1
Eastern Samar – 1
Davao Occidental – 1

“Mahigit 300 (local government unit) na po yung walang reported cases ng ASF for a period ranging from 90 to 180 days ang more,” said Dr. Reildrin Morales, OIC, BAI.

BAI said that areas cleared of ASF may now start repopulating their hogs provided that they coordinate with their local veterinary office or they can visit directly to BAI offices.

Currently, there are 10 farms in Luzon that conducts clinical trial for a potential vaccines against ASF.

“Kung magiging maganda po yung performance nung tina-trial nating bakuna ang isa po sa direksyon natin ay mag mass vaccination tayo lalo na doon sa high risk areas,” Morales said.

As per BAI report, half the number of affected hog raisers have already been compensated which reached a total of P1.55 billion.

BAI projects that it will take about two to three years before the Philippines can finally take control of ASF, especially with the help of local government units.

By declaring a state of calamity due to ASF, the LGUs may now utilize their respective calamity fund for their response efforts against ASF. MNP (with reports from Rey Pelayo)