The Philippine Department of Agriculture is launching a P30 million (€440,000) vaccination program to stop the outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome and other emerging swine diseases in the Central Luzon region.
It will also provide feed subsidies to complement an ongoing stock dispersal program to help the sector recover from a growth slump in the first semester.
In a statement, Bureau of Animal Industry Director Dave Catbagan said the subsidy program for the hog industry will be carried out in Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), which will involve assisting backyard raisers acquire healthy piglets and their required animal feeds.
The feed subsidy program aims to grow hogs by at least an additional 10 kilograms to 15 kilograms to increase output from the national average of only 77 kilograms.
As part of measures to assist the hog growers, BAI and the National Meat Inspection Service will finalise plans to complement the meat inspection laboratories set up in General Santos City and Polomolok in South Cotabato.