In a recent meeting with the Regional Development Council III, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. emphasized the need to bolster biosecurity measures and streamline livestock consolidation to address the threat of African swine fever (ASF).
President Marcos highlighted the significance of livestock consolidation in improving biosecurity, noting that backyard farming practices make it challenging to maintain adequate biosecurity standards. While acknowledging the reluctance of some hog raisers to transition to biosecure facilities, he underscored the importance of stringent biosecurity protocols for safeguarding vaccinated pigs against ASF.
Constante Palabrica, the designated Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock, affirmed ongoing efforts to educate farmers on biosecurity measures, stating that 80% of vaccinated pigs are effectively protected. The ASF immunization campaign has successfully inoculated 50,000 hogs, with the government securing 500,000 doses of ASF vaccine, a significant portion of which is allocated for Region 3.
Moving forward, stringent evaluation processes by the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Food and Drug Administration will ensure the efficacy and safety of the ASF vaccine before regulatory approval.