SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) -- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. brought up the government’s plan to provide further assistance to the hog industry of the province during a dialogue with farmers and fisherfolk of Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday, April 23.

In his message to hog growers, President Marcos said that the national government is in the process of procuring African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines from Vietnam and hopes to roll out immunization in June or July of this year.

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed cases of ASF in the municipalities of San Jose and Sta Cruz last January.

According to municipal agriculturist Romel Calingasan, this ASF vaccine will be a big help especially to hog growers of their municipality. 

"Dahil nagkaroon na tayo ng ASF, kapag hindi tayo naging maingat, posibleng magkaroon uli. Sakaling andyan na ang vaccine, baka hindi na kailangang i-depopulate ang ibang mga baboy at babakunahan na lang,” Calingasan said.

[Because we already had cases of ASF, if we are not careful, there is a risk the disease will surface again. With the vaccine, instead of depopulating other pigs, we may just vaccinate them.]

President Marcos also mentioned during the dialogue about a major Kadiwa Center the government plans to construct in Metro Manila. The Chief Executive is assuring the farmers, fisherfolks, and hog growers that through said Kadiwa Center, they will have direct access to consumers, do away with middlemen, and thus earn more.

Meanwhile, DA Secretary Francisco Laurel Jr said that hog growers can enroll in the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program. The program can provide credit or loans to help hog growers affected by ASF repopulate their swine. (VND/PIA MIMAROPA - Occidental Mindoro)