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On August 30, the Department of Agriculture (DA) kicked off the controlled trial of a Vietnam-developed African swine fever (ASF) live vaccine in Lobo, Batangas—a municipality with one of the highest cases of ASF.
The rollout of the vaccine will involve inoculating healthy pigs to curb the spread of the devastating disease that has been hounding the multibillion-peso hog industry since 2019.
Only healthy pigs will be injected with the live but weakened virus.
The introduction of this vaccine is a significant step forward in the fight against ASF, which has severely impacted both large and small-scale hog farmers across the country, resulting in the death of millions of hogs. Currently, 32 provinces are still grappling with the ASF virus.
DA Assistant Secretary for Swine and Poultry Constante Palabrica, a doctor of veterinary medicine, said developing hog immunity from ASF infection is critical to limiting the spread of the virus.
“ASF has severely affected both large integrators and backyard farms. While larger farms can invest in biosecurity measures, 60% of our hog population in backyard farms struggle with insufficient funding for effective protection,” Asec. Palabrica explained.
DA’s new strategy includes using controlled and monitored vaccinations to help pigs reach 25 weeks and attain 100 kg, providing a new approach to tackling the disease.
DA set aside P300 million for the procurement of 600,000 ASF vaccines and is ready to find additional funds if the controlled tests prove successful in shielding growers from infection.
August 30, 2024/ Department of Agriculture/ Philippines.
https://www.da.gov.ph
