October 19, 2022

 

Three more biosecure swine sites break ground in Isabela, Philippines

 

Three more biosecure swine facilities broke ground in villages in Isabela province, the Philippines, to recoup from the past effects of the African swine fever (ASF), according to the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2).

 

Dr. Ferdinand Cortez of the DA-RFO2 Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section said the facilities will be constructed in Tallag village, Cabagan town; Casalatan village, Cauayan City; and Bayabo village in Delfin Albano town.

 

"These biosecure facilities will fast-track the construction of the infrastructure component of the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion programme called Inspire so we can begin swine repopulation in these areas," Cortez said.

 

Earlier, DA-RFO2 executive director Narciso Edillo said they also broke ground for new biosecure swine facilities in the towns of Claveria, Santo Niño and Lasam in Cagayan province; two in Echague town and two in Tumauini town, both in Isabela; one in Villaverde town in Nueva Vizcaya province; and one each in the towns of Aglipay and Saguday in Quirino province.

 

"These 10 biosecure facilities worth ₱5.5 million (US$93,368) each or a total of ₱55 million (US$933,680) have already commenced construction," Edillo said, adding that with the distribution of piglets for affected farmers regionwide for swine repopulation, the Cagayan Valley Region will be able to recover from the adverse effects of ASF and rebuild the swine industry in earnest.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Bryan Sibayan, head of the DA-RFO 2 Livestock Program, has assured that the distance of the facilities to households and communities has been strictly observed.

 

Dr. Sibayan explained that the biosecurity of pigs at the farm level involves a set of practical measures taken to prevent the entrance of infection into a pig farm and control the spread of infection within the farm.

 

"The goal of the biosecurity programme of the DA is to keep out pathogens that the herd has not been exposed to and to minimise the impact of endemic pathogens," Dr. Sibayan said.

 

He said biosecurity is made up of three separate, but often blended, sets of actions and overlapping components such as bioexclusion, biocontainment and biomanagement, and that the goals of the production unit or farm will determine how these are blended into a biosecurity plan.

 

Dr. Sibayan also noted that often, producers focus on bioexclusion and biomanagement while neglecting biocontainment.

 

"The purpose of biocontainment is not only to prevent the spread of disease agents to neighbors or even long-distance transfer but also to maintain the very important process of protecting the food supply for consumers," he added.

- The Manila Times