Group urges gov't to increase financial aid for ASF-hit hog raisers

The government should increase financial assistance to all hog raisers affected by the African swine fever (ASF), as a group said the minimal assistance is forcing farmers to move their hogs, possibly spreading the disease further.

According to Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. vice president for Luzon Nicanor Briones, the government is now just giving financial aid to backyard farmers or those with 20 hogs or less.

"Dapat bayaran natin kahit man lang at least P5,000 per head. Ang ginagawa ng ating gobyerno, ng DA sa kanila, ang aming sinasabi ay ang binabayaran lang nila ng P5,000 'yung backyard raisers," he said in a radio interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Briones said that all the rest of the hog farmers with over 20 hogs, located in areas with confirmed cases of the ASF, are forced to kill their hogs without assistance from the government even if their hogs are not affected by the disease.

"Madaling sabi, ang ginagawa ng mga farm owner, bankrupt ka eh. Biro mo wala ka namang tama, 1-kilometer, papatyin din baboy mo," he said.

Such a practice, Briones said, is forcing farmers to move their hogs to other areas, which could be a possible reason for spreading the ASF.

"Ang tendency ng raisers, dahil bankruptcy eh, kabuhayan mo ito eh, ang talagang mangyayari magpapalusot. Itatakbo ang baboy," he said.

"Ibenta mo na ang iyong baboy, itatakas. Ang nangyayari tuloy, kumakalat nang kumakalat nang kumakalat," he added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) first confirmed the presence of the ASF in the Philippines in September 2019. It blamed the outbreak mainly on imports from China and the practice of swill feeding. —LBG, GMA News