August 26, 2024

 

Four firms express interest in supplying ASF vaccines to the Philippines

At least four companies have shown interest in supplying the Philippines with vaccines to combat African swine fever (ASF), which has severely impacted the country's pork supply, said the Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

 

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Constante Palabrica announced that these companies, based in the US, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, have submitted their applications to provide ASF vaccines to the Philippines. The vaccines are currently being evaluated for safety and effectiveness.

 

"They conducted studies in their respective countries, and we have seen promising results in their due diligence. That's why we are considering their applications. We will go through the process of validating the results of their experiments," Palabrica stated.

 

While Palabrica did not specify when the evaluation results would be released, he noted that the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Food and Drug Administration are taking a cautious approach. Concerns remain about the vaccines' effectiveness and pricing.

 

Industry stakeholders have voiced concerns over the high cost of existing ASF vaccines, which range from PHP 400 (US$7.11) to PHP 600 (US$10.67) per dose, an expense many swine farmers find prohibitive.

 

Chester Warren Tan, chair of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc, said, "We hope the price will not be as high as announced last year. Hopefully, the vaccines will be affordable for all, as they will be used not just by commercial farms but also by medium-scale, small-scale, and backyard raisers."

 

The DA is considering providing subsidies to backyard raisers, depending on the availability of government funds. The agency has already committed billions of pesos to hog repopulation efforts.

 

Earlier this week, the DA met with approximately 150 farmers to discuss the draft guidelines for the controlled use of ASF vaccines, which will be implemented for the first time.

 

In the meantime, 10,000 doses of ASF vaccine have been purchased from Vietnam. Inoculations will begin in Lobo town, Batangas, the site of the latest ASF resurgence.

 

ASF has affected 11 regions, 22 provinces, and 66 municipalities across the Philippines, according to BAI data as of August 8, 2024.
 

-      Philippine Daily Inquirer