Quarantine system upgrade needed for ASF — DA

ROSALES, Pangasinan – There is need to upgrade quarantine systems in several regions of the country as the threat of African swine fever (ASF) remains, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the other day.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar, who was in Urdaneta City and Rosales town both in Pangasinan, last Sunday told local reporters that Region 3 was the most devastated in terms of ASF infection.

“So we cordoned Bulacan and Pampanga (the affected areas) to prevent its spread,” Dar said.

He said processors encounter problems when they want to trade their processed products in the provinces where there are some areas that are too strict because of their experience involving just one processor.

As far as Pangasinan is concerned, Dar said the feedback he gets is there is no new outbreak.

He added that all outbreak areas must observe the 1-7-10 protocol which means that hogs within the one-kilometer range must be depopulated. The sentinel approach, according to him, wherein five hogs will be placed in one area and will be observed if these will not get sick anymore, should also be observed.

To help affected hog traders, a P30,000 loan assistance is available to each backyard hog raiser at zero interest payable in three years at the Land Bank of the Philippines, Dar said.

There are about 80,000 affected hogs nationwide, less than one percent based on the 13 million heads, he added.

“That’s just point six or point seven only based on the 13 million heads hog population nationwide,” he said.

He also echoed the assurance of hog raisers that there is enough supply of hogs in the country.