The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to provide free or subsidized African Swine Flu (ASF) vaccines to backyard swine growers.
Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Savellano emphasized the efforts of the DA to create solutions to farmers’ concerns on ASF at the sidelines of the Livestock Philippines and Aquaculture Philippines 2024.
“We can have the vaccines free for farmers in dire need of assistance and have no means to procure the vaccine. The government has funding allocated for this and we hope to get support from concerned and related agencies to help bring the vaccination program to all hog-raising areas,” he said.
The vaccine, AVAC ASF Live, manufactured by AVAC Vietnam ASC, is completing a third and final trial.
Savellano, who heads the livestock sub-sector at the DA, said the hogs and pork industry is expected to rebound in 2024 from a 3 percent decline in output in the first quarter of 2024.
“We have programs in place that will help farmers recover. The DA continues to strengthen the subsector with support mechanisms while it is also looking for solutions to issues plaguing the industry,” he said.
He said the DA would require airports and seaports to actively monitor the mandatory use of footbaths in all the country’s gateway, to prevent the spread of ASF and other viruses.
He also disclosed that by 2025, the DA would invest in a new sexed semen technology that allows for the free selection of the desired gender of animal offspring.
Animal raisers can leverage the genetic technology to rapidly repopulate animal species.
The DA is also looking at possible application of the technology to cattle, particularly the dairy herd, to increase local fresh milk output.