Lawmaker Pushes for P1-B Subsidy for African Swine Fever Vaccine

A LAWMAKER on Monday urged the House of Representatives to approve the proposed funding for the government’s planned subsidy for African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines, saying wider access to the shots could help stabilize the country’s hog supply and protect backyard raisers. In a statement, Abra Rep. Joseph Sto. Niño “JB” B. Bernos said that the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposed P1-billion allocation for ASF vaccination of backyard pig farms would help small-scale farmers protect their animals and livelihoods. “The fund will be a huge help for farmers to protect their hogs and the livelihoods that depend on them,” Mr. Bernos said in Filipino. The call came after the Bureau of Animal Industry approved the commercial sale of AVAC ASF LIVE, the first ASF vaccine available for fatteners, or pigs raised for pork production. The DA is also testing PROVAC, an ASF vaccine developed in South Korea. Mr. Bernos said expanding vaccination coverage would be crucial in containing ASF, which has sharply reduced the country’s hog population since it was first detected in 2019. The lawmaker also backed the DA’s newly launched Animal Vaccine Development Program, expressing hope that Filipino researchers could eventually develop vaccines tailored to diseases affecting local livestock. — Pexcel John Bacon