March 1, 2022

Philippines to construct biosecure farms in bid to revive swine sector

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture will provide PHP 5.5 million (~US$107,000; PHP 10 = US$0.20) each to local farmers' cooperatives and associations to build biosecure farms that will manage or contain the spread of deadly livestock diseases in the swine sector, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

The department published guidelines on constructing biosecure farms as part of the government's efforts to revive the domestic swine sector affected by African swine fever (ASF) in recent years.

According to the department, the biosecure farm should have a minimum 2,000 sqm space and includes a perimeter fence, climate-controlled animal house, waste management, basic farm equipment, office, shower area, feeds/biologics support and piglets.

The modular design for the facilities will be proposed by the Philippines' Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering and the Regional Agricultural Engineering Divisions of the department's regional field offices.

The country's Department of Agriculture will partner with the Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers for this project, and is part of its community-based swine production and repopulation efforts via farm clustering through the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (Inspire) programme.

In early February, the Philippines' Department of Agriculture announced a partnership with JG Agroventures and Pig Improvement Company to build a 5,000-sow level breeder nucleus farm in Sta. Rita village in Quezon, Nueva Ecija.

-      Philippine Daily Inquirer