BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga, in partnership with the media practitioners from the different provinces of the region converged their efforts to intensify information drive against the African Swine Fever (ASF) cases and discussed security measures to help hog raisers and farmers.

Emmylou Presilda, chief of Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS) of DA-Caraga emphasized during the virtual briefing on Swine Mortality Insurance held on Friday, the vital role of the media in propagating relevant information and updates to the public through their respective platforms. “We recognized the active support of the media to DA's advocacy campaign and in the implementation of our programs and projects for our target beneficiaries,” she said.

Jekem Sanchez, livestock program focal person of DA-Caraga urged the media partners to constantly disseminate relevant information and updates on the prevention of the ASF in the municipalities down to the barangays. The Agriculture Offices in the provinces along with the Bantay ASF Task Force of the region are regularly monitoring those areas with ASF cases. Needed assistance to the affected swine raisers, insured farmers were also provided.

As he encouraged hog raisers and farmers to apply for the insurance program of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Ernesto Chaves of PCIC revealed that the insurance program specifically aims to provide insurance coverage to the backyard and commercial hog raisers who continue with hog farming and help mitigate risk to their investments.

“In support of the DA’s effort, the PCIC, an attached agency of DA  has designed the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program. It contains relaxed features of the agency's regular livestock insurance program, including the discounted premiums to commercial hog raiser, increased indemnity payment for hog losses and inclusion of culling or destruction of swine due to ASF as ordered by the government as compensable peril. These features were adopted in recognition of the urgency of the situation the hog industry is currently in,” bared Chaves.

He cited that the PCIC has allotted P600,000,000 from its current budget for this program. The amount shall be used either as insurance premium subsidy or indemnity payment for the assured Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) listed hog raisers. The DA will provide additional funds if needed.

“These policies shall apply only to the current situation with regard to ASF infection and shall remain effective until such time that hog industry and the market will have stabilized or solutions or treatment to the disease shall have been developed,” Chaves added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bernadette Montenegro, action officer of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Caraga, also underscored the need for immediate depopulation of pigs infected by the ASF to control the spread or even completely eradicate the ASF in the region. She also called on the hog raisers and traders to cooperate and not to sell live or dead pigs or pork products infected with the said viral disease. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)