By Komfie Manalo
A group of hog raisers expressed concern the price of pork would increase with the government's plan to procure African Swine Fever (ASF) at P400 to P500 per dose, which costs nearly 20 times more than what they usually inject their livestock.
Warren Tan, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers (NatFed), proposes that the 10,000 doses of ASF the Department of Agriculture plans to purchase be given to hog raisers for free.
"The existing vaccine that is being used right now ranges from P20 to P100, so that's the range our end-users can afford," Tan said.
NatFed vice president Alfred Ng added, "If vaccines are available and effective, then they should be given to the backyard for free."
The DA has started implementing the controlled vaccination of hogs nationwide and insisted the agencies do not expect the new vaccines to affect the price of pork in the market.
"P400 to P500 is just a small portion. That's only five percent more or less of production," the DA said.
Meanwhile, some hog raisers in Batangas asserted that not all pigs in their area are infected.
“These are isolated cases," said Rosario Batangas Hog Raisers Association president Patrick Ong. "The pigs in most of the barangays, predominantly of the barangays, are clear and clean."
In addition, the government is already implementing border controls amid the ASF threat.
In Quezon City, suspected backyard raisers are encouraged to surrender their pigs as provided by an existing ordinance. But they would no longer be penalized with a P2,000 to P5,000 fine.
QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said that healthy pigs to be surrenderwouldill be bought reasonably and sold to Kadiwa Center.
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