Hontiveros eyes incentives for commercial farms observing ASF control protocols

Senator Risa Hontiveros is calling on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to incentivize and compensate farms observing biosafety protocols to stop the further spread of African swine fever (ASF).

Hontiveros made the call after Agriculture Secretary William Dar confirmed to her that they will propose an expansion of insurance coverage under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation to include commercial farmers and coverage for five million pigs.

The senator likewise suggested free insurance coverage for farms in ASF-free areas for the next two years, as well as for potential green zone areas to help ensure compliance to infection control regulations.

“Win-win solution ito. The insurance subsidy will not only be a relief measure for hog raisers but also be an instrument of recovery. Mapipigilan din ang pagkalat ng ASF na pinakamalaking obstacle sa supply problem na nagpapataas ng presyo ng karneng baboy," Hontiveros said in a statement.

"This will also serve as a common ground that can start to bring goodwill back between the DA and the private sector,” she added.

Currently, commercial hog raisers are not covered by the PCIC insurance program and are not receiving government support to commensurate their losses.

Because of limited resources, commercial farms find it difficult to follow safety protocols and install infection control systems to prevent the spread of ASF.

The ASF outbreak in some parts of the country has caused the shortage of pork supply in the market which, in turn, resulted in price increases.

“Sa ibang mga bansa na may ASF, gaya ng Vietnam, mas kaya ng malalaking producers ang pag-monitor at pagsunod sa biosafety protocols. Dito sa Pilipinas, karamihan ay maliliit na backyard farmers, pero hindi sapat ang tulong na binibigay ng gobyerno," Hontiveros said.

"Kaya dapat ilibre na ang insurance at isama sa mabibigyan ng P10,000 insurance payout ang mga commercial farms na nasa loob ng green zones ng DA,” she added.

Hontiveros is hoping that the government will take immediate action on this issue, such as allocating additional funds to PCIC and including insurance payout to cover losses of farms that will repopulate within green zones in the 2022 budget of the DA.

“ASF ang major contributor kung bakit mataas ang presyo ng karneng baboy. Kaya dapat maagapan ang lalong pagkalat nito," she said.

"Hindi ito kakayanin lang ng maliliit na hog raisers, kailangan ng kagyat at malawakang tulong mula sa gobyerno na makakarating hindi lang sa iilan, kundi sa lahat,” she added. —KBK, GMA News