Recovery not replacement

Temporary solutions don’t fix the problem, they simply delay the inevitable at a much higher cost and longer time. But because politics and public opinion strongly influence governance and policy, the Department of Agriculture has no choice but to find ways and means to replenish and sustain the supply of pork in Metro Manila at almost any cost to government but not to consumers. In the meantime it is once again up to the private sector to spearhead the recovery program for the hog industry simply because the Department of Agriculture is often tied up or restricted by laws, rules and regulations regarding funding, procurement and dispersal programs that could be the game changer at this crucial time.

Before COVID-19 pandemic, I would normally be traveling with a team of BMeg animal feeds and health experts to 25 provinces a year during which we would host what we call B-Meg Fiestahan. They are actually serious lectures and talks as well as BMeg product presentations spiced up with lots of food, games and prizes, just like typical fiestas. It cost a lot of money for the companies involved but it was a very effective program for educating and empowering farmers and would-be hog raisers who otherwise have very limited access to products and information, much less know how. But due to COVID-19, all that traveling was put on hold and we have since relied on Facebook Live seminars such as “Itanong mo kay Doc” Alagang B-Meg seminars usually on the first Tuesday of the month or Webinars such as “Usapang Kabuhayan” with B-Meg and San Miguel Animal Health Co, even talks on raising fighting cocks and the like.

I recently learned from a BMeg Facebook program that hog raisers previously hit by African swine fever or ASF can, after 3 to 6 months, get back into the business by adapting the step by step recovery procedure suggested by industry experts for restarting hog farms and copying practices of commercial farms for BIO Security and operations.

During the last episode of “Itanong Mo Kay Doc/ Alagang B-Meg” online, my co-host and head of the SMAHC unit Dr. Eugene Mende invited a fellow veterinarian and my former classmate during my Pre-Vet-med days, as resource person, Dr. Danny Silbor who spoke on how backyard hog raisers who got shut down by ASF could actually restart their piggeries. The good news is it is now possible, there is an available guideline put together by private sector experts and policy makers of the DA and it can be done (all things being normal) within a six-month period. The challenge is backyard hog raising will no longer be as simple, cheap and easy like it used to be. It can no longer be a hobby, a minor business you can go easy on. You may be small in size but the operating standards will be stringent and you have to be a tough gatekeeper.

Briefly, there is a minimum “cool down” of infected facilities to be followed by at least 2 to 3 months of swab tests of walls, floors, water tests to determine if the virus is still present. During the whole time continuous disinfection procedures must be done. The facility must then be fenced several meters away from the cages or housing to prevent people and animals from trespassing or coming into contact with the area. After the fence, a secondary barrier must secure the cages or housing to prevent flies, birds, mosquitos and other pests from coming near the cages or pigs. Owners and workers now have to spray or disinfect themselves and change clothes and use rubber boots. The farm or backyard pens must have a dedicated food storage and water source that is away from the pigs, safe from potential carriers of ASF and the feed and materials should go through a disinfection path or process. At the very least sacks of feeds should be sprayed with a disinfectant because handling with human hands is known to cause the spread of ASF. Delivery vehicles MUST be sprayed or disinfected using backpack sprayers or power sprayers. When all this is in place, a pair or trio of sentinel or sacrificial test pigs/piglets will be introduced to the facility being tested and cared for on sight until they can reach “market” or disposable size. After that the local vets can test and give the certificate of ASF free.

Aside from shinning a light of hope for hog raisers, another vet Dr. Rommel Manlapig, the poultry specialist of San Miguel Foods Inc., recently shared an easy to follow guide on how ex-hog raisers on time out can momentarily shift to raising poultry – egg layers. The program was the latest Usapang Kabuhayan Webinar from B-Meg and the study makes it affordable for people to get into the business and as someone familiar with poultry raising, I certainly found the presentation very real and even got me more excited to ramp up my own project. All this has been made easy through social media and digital technology.

The beauty of the Facebook live programs and Webinars is that people get to send in their questions directly and they are answered immediately. Interestingly, those who couldn’t join us during our Fiestahans can join in even from remote areas as long as they have a mobile connection, making the programs similar to distance learning for farmers. It has become so popular that the Alagang B-Meg You Tube channel that got started in 2018 now has 100,000 subscribers representing a mix of hog raisers, poultry, aquatic and game fowl farm owners. Please spread the word and join us.

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