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DA recommends to Duterte declaration of state of emergency due to ASF
By TED CORDERO,GMA NewsThe Department of Agriculture (DA) has submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte its recommendation to declare a national state of emergency to address the threat of African swine fever (ASF), which caused the decimation of pig population, tight pork supply, and high market prices.
This was confirmed by Agriculture Secretary William Dar through a text message on Thursday.
In a memorandum signed by Dar and submitted to the President through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the DA drafted a proclamation “declaring a State of National Emergency to prevent the further spread of African Swine Fever by implementing biosecurity measures to jumpstart the rehabilitation of the swine industry and appropriating funds thereof.”
In the memo, the Agriculture chief said the ASF is “currently decimating the local hog industry.”
“The disease has already spread to 12 regions, 40 provinces, 466 cities and municipalities, and 2,425 barangays to date. Over three million heads of pig have been lost due to the disease, causing contraction in pork supply and an unprecedented increase in the price of basic agricultural commodities,” Dar said.
The draft proclamation is in response to the Senate committee on agriculture’s call to recommend
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Once a state of emergency is declared, the DA can tap the government’s quick response fund (QRF), a standby fund for relief and recovery programs in times of disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies.
Dar said the declaration of national emergency would mandate and capacitate government agencies, including the local government units to work together to prevent and control the spread of ASF.
Duterte earlier issued an executive order imposing a price cap on pork products as requested by the DA due to soaring pork prices caused by the ASF problem and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the executive order, the price cap for kasim and pigue was set at P270 per kilo, P300 for liempo, and P160 for dressed chicken per kilo. The price cap will last for 60 days.
The DA is proposing to increase the minimum access volume on pork imports to 400,000 metric tons from the current 54,000 metric tons to augment domestic supply due to the constraints brought by the African swine fever (ASF).
It is also proposing to lower tariffs from 30% to 5% for this year.—AOL, GMA News