Government gets help from experts to curb ASF spread

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture has partnered with Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Co. (Unahco) and the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners (PCSP) to curb the further spread of the African swine fever (ASF) which has already killed more than 400,000 hogs.

Unahco is the animal nutrition and health care subsidiary of United Laboratories Inc., the leading pharmaceutical company in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia.

PCSP, on the other hand, is the recognized collegial body for swine practitioners of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association and is the only legitimate and registered talent pool of swine experts in the country.

The two parties will help the DA in implementing the Bantay ASF sa Barangay program and the hog industry repopulation program.

“We will vigorously pursue these challenging tasks in close cooperation and partnership with local government units who are at the forefront of establishing stringent biosecurity measures to effectively control ASF in Luzon, prevent it from spreading, and protect the ‘green zones’ in Visayas and Mindanao,” Dar said.

The deadly hog disease remains an issue in the Philippines with 406,899 pigs already killed since the outbreak started in August 2019. ASF is now present in 11 regions, 34 provinces, 392 municipalities and 2,061 barangays in the country.

Unahco, for its part, will engage in contract-buying of corn from clustered farms, thus providing farmers higher prices and a ready market. It will also help improve the DA’s database on hog and poultry sub-sectors.

“This is a welcome development as we aim to make a firm headway in addressing the ASF, which since mid-2019 has affected the livelihood of thousands of backyard hog raisers in Luzon,” Dar said.

The DA will likewise fund the mass-production of an ASF test kit, through the Central Luzon State University that will be distributed to LGUs, Unahco, PCSP and other stakeholders.