The Department of Agriculture (DA) 13 (Caraga) has intensified the indemnification in areas hit by African swine fever (ASF).
In a media statement on Friday, the DA-13 said it has provided the local government units in the area with updates on the continuing releases of funds for the affected hog raisers.
As of August this year, a total of PHP2.52 million worth of indemnification has been released in the towns of Cortes and San Miguel in Surigao del Sur, and in San Francisco and Loreto in Agusan del Sur.
A total of 203 hog raisers have benefited from the releases that covered 504 heads of infected hogs affected by ASF in the affected towns.
The DA-13 is also set to release at the end of September a total of PHP1.92 million in indemnifications for hog growers in the towns of San Francisco in Veruela, and Prosperided in Agusan del Sur.
It added that PHP1.99 million waiting for approval and availability of the budget is also allocated for affected raisers in Claver, Surigao del Norte; Butuan City; in the towns of Las Nieves and Buenavista in Agusan del Norte; and for Talacogon and San Francisco in Agusan del Sur.
It is also pushing for a unified approach in the fight against the ASF in partnership with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), the National Meat Inspection Service, and the Regional ASF Task Force.
DA-13 Regional Executive Director Abel James Monteagudo urged hog raisers to adjust to the new normal through biosecurity measures to prevent their hogs from ASF infection.
He added that a stringent biocontrol measure has been implemented by the agency to repopulate the hogs in ASF-affected areas.
“We can adjust to the new normal in swine production and we can cushion the impact by preparing in terms of reprogramming our livestock industry and by availing of insurance coverages from the PCIC,” Monteagudo said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
