The Department of Agriculture in Ilocos Region (DA-1) has allocated about PHP44.3 million as indemnification for the first and second batch of African swine fever (ASF)-affected hog raisers in the Ilocos Region.
Affected hog raisers will receive indemnification of PHP4,000 per head for piglets, PHP8,000 per head for growers and fatteners, and PHP12,000 per head for breeders.
Each hog grower can claim up to 20 heads.
DA-1 regulatory division chief and ASF focal person Dr. Alfredo Banaag , in a phone interview Thursday, said the amount was already approved by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) central office.
He said the first batch is composed of 63 hog raisers from 20 villages in La Union who will receive about PHP4 million.
The amount is for 597 culled pigs last year, he added.
Banaag said PHP40.3 million has been allocated for the second batch of hog raisers from La Union and Ilocos Sur, but clarified that they are still verifying and finalizing the list.
“Hopefully, until the middle of the year, we would be able to pay the hog raisers,” he said.
There are about 353 hog raisers affected in La Union, 111 in Ilocos Sur, and 19 in Ilocos Norte.
The 19 hog raisers in Rosario town, La Union, where the initial cases of ASF were recorded last year, received a total indemnification of PHP595,000 last September.
Most of the ASF cases in the region are already contained, except in Ilocos Norte, where tests on some pigs still resulted positive, Banaag said.
Banaag said they continue to encourage hog raisers to implement biosecurity protocols to prevent further spread of the virus.
“We also asked them to not patronize swine from red zones and other illegal products that are being brought into the region,” he said.
The concerned local government units (LGUs) have been strictly implementing quarantine, restriction of movement of pork and pork products, and culling if needed, he added. (Hilda Austria)
(Source: Philippine News Agency)