Border control temporary while waiting for vax arrival
The Department of Agriculture is setting up multiple livestock checkpoints across Luzon in a bid to curb the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Batangas.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the checkpoints are a temporary measure while the government awaits the arrival of ASF vaccines, which could take several weeks.
He also raised concerns over unscrupulous hog traders selling diseased pigs, which he said worsened the outbreak.
“We have the funds to procure the vaccines and the emergency funds to indemnify hog raisers adversely affected by the resurgence of the ASF virus,” Tiu Laurel said.
Agriculture assistant secretary for Swine and Poultry Constante Palabrica said the additional border controls aim to prevent the movement of diseased hogs, a major contributing factor to the rapid spread of ASF in Batangas.
“We have set up additional livestock quarantines and will keep them in place at least until December 31. Policemen, along with the Bureau of Animal Industry and other DA personnel, will staff the checkpoints,” Palabrica said.
Palabrica, a veterinary medicine expert, also noted that the border controls will help prevent the transport of other diseased animals, including birds.
The DA earlier announced that eight towns in Batangas are now affected by ASF, namely Lobo and Calatagan, which are under a state of calamity, as well as Lian, Rosario, Talisay, Lipa, Tui, and San Juan.
According to the Bureau of Animal Industry, ASF has spread across all 17 regions of the Philippines and affected 74 provinces.
As of August 8, at least 64 municipalities in 22 provinces have reported active ASF cases.
The ASF outbreak had a devastating effect on the national hog population, which significantly dropped from 12.7 million when the viral disease started in 2019 to an estimated 9.9 million by the end of 2023.
DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the agency allocated 10,000 vaccines for emergency procurement and is distributing test kits to identify potential ASF cases.
Additionally, industrial lime will be used in depopulation efforts to manage ASF-affected pig populations and prevent further spread of the virus.
The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines reported that pigs in areas near Batangas are being sold at lower prices due to concerns over infection.
The federation warned that if the outbreak is not contained swiftly, pork prices could significantly increase come the Christmas season.
“One month ago, the farmgate price was at P220 per kilo. But in areas where there is an outbreak, the going price is P2,000 per head – or about P10 per kilo for a 20-kilo sow,” ProPork chairperson Nicanor Briones said.
