March 4, 2021

Philippines helps ASF affected pig farmers transit to aquaculture

The Philippines government has encouraged backyard pig farmers to switch to aquaculture following the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).

The Department of Agriculture's (DA) Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) helped 60 pig farmers in Quezon City to switch to aquaculture by converting deserted pigpens into fish tanks. Each fish tank will be provided with 10,000 hito (catfish) and 9,000 tilapia fingerlings.

"This is to address the displacement of livelihood and prevent the spread of ASF considering that it apparently first broke out in these communities," DA undersecretary for Agri-Industrialization and Fisheries, Cheryl Natividad-Caballero, told the Philippine News Agency on February 19.

"The urban aquaculture project for ASF affected pig producers aim to provide alternative livelihood and additional income and at the same time, help ensure continuous local food supply in highly urbanised cities like Quezon City during this pandemic," added Natividad-Caballero.

DA-BFAR said tanks will be equipped with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to filter out waste and provide dissolved oxygen to maintain the water's good quality essential to the health and growth of fish.

The urban aquaculture project was designed to stimulate agro-fisheries productivity in the cities by converting vacant lots or structures into areas such as vegetable gardens, aquaponics and fish tanks or backyard fishponds.

Additionally, the assistance package also comes with 60 units of filtration system and commercial feeds that would last a cycle of feeding for three to four months. For one cycle, the urban aquaculture project is estimated to produce 1.58 tonnes of hito and 1.29 tonnes of tilapia.

 - The Fish Site