The Department of Agriculture on Friday kicked off the controlled trial of a Vietnam-developed African swine fever live vaccine in Lobo, Batangas—a municipality with one of the highest cases of ASF.
The rollout will involve inoculating healthy pigs to curb the spread of the disease that has hounded the multibillion-peso hog industry since 2019. Only healthy pigs will be injected with the live but weakened virus.
The introduction of the 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.
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 that has resulted in the death of millions of the country’s swine population.
“ASF has severely affected both large integrators and backyard farms. While larger farms can invest in biosecurity measures, 60 percent of our hog population in backyard farms struggle with insufficient funding for effective protection.”
DA assistant secretary for swine and poultry Constante Palabrica
The new DA strategy includes using controlled and monitored vaccinations to help pigs reach 25 weeks and weigh 100 kilos, providing a new approach to tackling the disease.
“We must embrace innovative solutions like this vaccine to improve outcomes for our hog industry,” Palabrica added.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said finding a suitable vaccine against ASF is essential to saving billions of investments, revitalizing backyard farms, and ensuring food security.
“This effort highlights the DA’s commitment to safeguard the swine industry and enhance national food security amid the ASF crisis. We’re dedicated to supporting hog farmers and ensuring the sustainability of our agriculture sector,” he said.
The DA set aside P300 million for the procurement of 600,000 ASF vaccines and prepared to find additional funds if the controlled tests prove successful in shielding growers from infection.
In addition to the vaccine, the DA is exploring other vaccines for breeders and growers to further support the industry. The ASF outbreak has caused widespread havoc in the industry, resulting in the loss of millions of pigs and threatening farmer livelihoods.
Currently, 32 provinces grapple with the ASF virus. The vaccination was attended by DA officials, including DA assistant secretary for swine and poultry Dr. Constante Palabrica, DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa, DA Regional Field Office IV-A executive director Fidel Libao, Food and Drug Administration director Maria Cecilia C. Matienzo and representatives from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Provincial Veterinary Office, and the local government of Lobo.
