Regional Updates

P154M released to Calabarzon hog raisers affected by ASF

INDEMNIFICATION for hog raisers affected by the onslaught of the African swine fever (ASF) in Calabarzon — composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon — has reached P153.96 million, according to the Agriculture department. In a statement on Monday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-A office said as of October 7, around 49,393 pigs owned by 6,644 growers had been culled and paid by the government as part of the livelihood intervention and support program. The regional office also distributed broiler chickens and mushroom production packages to affected farmers in the towns of Catanauan, Candelaria, and Sariaya in Quezon under its Recovery and Rehabilitation program for ASF-affected farmers. “The goal of this program is to provide an alternative source of livelihood for ASF-affected pig growers as they recover from severe damage and losses caused by ASF,” the DA said. As of late September, the DA said the death toll from the virus has reached 316,637 pigs since its detection in August 2019. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, ASF is a hemorrhagic viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. It poses no health risk to humans. A vaccine against the disease has yet to be developed. —