The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) on Tuesday met and briefed around 150 farmers on the use of the vaccine against the African swine fever (ASF).
The DA-BAI team led by undersecretary for Livestock, Deogracias Sevellano, and assistant secretary for Poultry and Swine, Constante Palabrica, presented the draft guidelines on the use of the vaccine and outlined the procedure and requirements for its implementation.
Batangas is ground zero in the latest resurgence of the ASF, a virus that has had devastating effects on the local swine industry since the first outbreak in 2019.
The DA has set up several livestock checkpoints to control the spread of the virus and will start a controlled trial of the ASF vaccine on growers as another layer of defense against the disease.
During the briefing, farmers interested in having their pigs inoculated registered their farms for the program.
Local government units were tasked to validate the various farms’ biosecurity measures to ensure they meet the standard before proceeding with vaccination.
As part of the process, blood samples were collected from the animals to test for ASF infection before administering the vaccine.
Only healthy pigs were vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus and minimize possible virus mutation.
Other key officials including DA spokesman and assistant secretary Arnel de Mesa and those from the Regional Field Office 4A, representatives from the Batangas Provincial Veterinary Office and representatives from Lobo Municipal Agriculture Office were also present to provide their support.
The initiative is part of the DA’s ongoing efforts to combat ASF and protect the livelihoods of farmers across the country.
