By Cleizl Pardilla
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that eight towns in Batangas are now affected by African Swine Fever (ASF). These towns include Lobo and Calatagan, which have been declared states of calamity, as well as Lian, Rosario, Talisay, Lipa, Tui, and San Juan.
Arnel de Mesa, DA spokesperson, reported, “Medyo mabilis ito, almost 40 barangays yung nagkaroon agad ng ASF sa walong bayan ng Batangas, may mga bagong kaso, ibig sabihin, talagang kumakalat sa ngayon. Lipa na-declare na yan before na libre na sa ASF, so we’re seeing resurgence, possibly yung mga biyahero, sabi nila yung pagbaha sa ibang lugar.”
To combat the outbreak, the DA plans to initiate a vaccination campaign for hogs in Batangas in the third week of August. The agency has 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. Stricter biosecurity measures are being enforced, including checkpoints to prevent ASF-infected animals from leaving affected areas.
“Batangas as of today ay mayroon lagpas 1 million population, practically 10% of the existing population sa buong bansa, very important and we need to protect the remaining hog. The DA is still on top of the situation,” de Mesa assured.
The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines has reported that pigs in nearby areas are being sold at lower prices due to concerns over infection.
The federation warns that if the outbreak is not contained swiftly, pork prices could significantly increase come the Christmas season.
ProPork Chairperson Nicanor Briones explained, “one month ago, nasa P220 per kilo ang farmgate price. Ang mga inahing dito, yung may mga bayan na may outbreak, binibili lang P2,000 ang isang ulo. So P10 kada kilo, ay 200 kilos ang isang inahin. So makikita mo yung kalugihan inaabot ng ating mga magbababoy.”
ProPork has called for a national state of emergency or calamity to address the spread of ASF and mitigate its impact on the pork industry and consumers.
“Mga 150 billion na nawawala sa ating alagang baboy ang halaga. Eh, ngayon may panibagong outbreak, bumabalik. Dahil pag ganitong tag-ulan, mukhang mabilis ang pagkalat ng ASF. So, para maproteksyunan ang lahat,” Briones emphasized. – iro