AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. sees no shortage in pork supply in the coming months despite the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in parts of the country.
On the sidelines of the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P200.2-billion proposed appropriations for 2025, Laurel said the ASF-related lockdowns were farm-based.
“Wala naman akong nakikitang perceived shortage. Kasi ang mangyayari ngayon, yung mga let’s say katulad sa mga munisipyong merong ASF, hindi naman total na ila-lockdown at walang lalabas,” Laurel told reporters.
“It’s farm-based ang lockdown ngayon. Hindi naman buong municipality o buong probinsya. Kaya magkakaroon pa rin ng movement,” he added.
Laurel said the DA would not implement the strict lockdown imposed when ASF spread in some provinces in 2019.
“We have learned from 2019 na yung dating in-implement ay masyadong strikto. We have come to understand ASF as a disease,” Laurel said.
Affected hog raisers will receive indemnification from the DA.
Culled small hogs and piglets will be paid P4,000 each, medium-sized hogs P8,000 each, and large ones P12,000. This is a substantial increase from the P5,000 given before.
Laurel said the supply of pork will not be affected because the DA is also implementing a hog repopulation program. Importation also continues.
He said ASF should also not affect the price of pork.
“No reason really to increase prices,” he stressed.
The DA chief also said there should be no impact on the processed meat industry.
When asked about AGAP Partylist’s push for a national state of calamity, Laurel replied, “No, no need. It’s localized. It is spreading a bit but not as fast.”
Earlier, the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines urged the government to place the whole country under state of calamity or emergency as cases of ASF continue to rise.
Nicanor Briones, chairperson of Pro-Pork and AGAP Party-list representative, said the move will enable the government to allocate calamity funds for vaccination against ASF.
“Makukuha ‘yan sa calamity fund or pwedeng gawin kaagad ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Ang bilis kumakalat eh. Kung hindi mapipigilan ang pagkaubos ng inahin at bulugan, malaki pa rin talaga ang magiging problema natin. Maraming mawawalang baboy kung mahuhuli ‘yong pagbabakuna,” Briones said.
The DA is preparing an emergency procurement for ASF vaccines following the outbreak in Batangas province. At least eight municipalities in Batangas have active cases of ASF. The municipalities of Lobo and Calatagan are now under state of calamity, the DA said.
Recent data from the DA showed the current hog population is down to 9.9 million from 12.7 million before cases of ASF were detected in 2019.
De Mesa attributed the spike in ASF cases to traders bringing infected hogs outside red zones. (ABS-CBN News)
