Let Palace declare state of emergency over ASF, D.A. told

Image credits: Nonie Reyes

SENATORS on Tuesday urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to request President Duterte to declare a state of emergency due to African Swine Fever (ASF) to access additional funds to support the domestic hog industry against the fatal disease.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform passed a resolution urging the DA to recommend to the Office of the President (OP) the declaration of a state of emergency nationwide due to the consequences of ASF.

The declaration of a state of emergency would allow the realignment or release of additional public funds to address the problems caused by ASF, such as dwindling pig herd, the senators said.

“We are urging the DA to [ask the OP] to declare a state of emergency against African Swine Fever, so we can allocate more funds to solve the problem,” said Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, the committee’s chairman.

The senators also moved for the inclusion of an indemnification fund for both the backyard and commercial hog raisers that were affected by ASF upon the declaration of a state of emergency.

The senators made the resolution as they indicated dismay with the amount that DA is allocating for its programs to combat ASF and help the hog industry recover.

“The public emergency declaration will now address the miniscule funds allocated [by the DA for solving ASF problems]. The tariffs collected from the imports could also be added to the fund under the public emergency,” Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan said.

The DA supported the senators’ proposal and told them that the agency will follow the resolution of the committee.

During the hearing, the DA officials disclosed that it would need at least P34.333 billion to bankroll its three-year ASF recovery program that seeks to bring back and even exceed the country’s pre-ASF pork production level.

The DA said for 2021 it would need a total budget of P9.161 billion, P13.561 billion for 2022 and P11.611 billion for 2023.

The funds would be used to finance the four DA programs: calibrated repopulation and intensified production; establishment of swine breeder multiplier farms; provision of insurance premium; and biosecurity and surveillance programs.

For 2021, the DA said it only has P2.372 billion of available funds, thus, it will request an additional P6.789 billion to fully finance its interventions.

Based on its presentation, the DA said it aims to produce 440,563 breeders in the next three years, which is more than enough to compensate for the estimated 332,928 breeders lost as of January 1.

The DA added that by 2023 about 10.5 million finishers would be already produced, which would be equivalent to 738,805 metric tons (MT) of pork.

Also by 2023, about 90 percent or 2,100 of ASF-affected barangays will be released from quarantine through the use of the sentinel approach, according to the DA.

The DA has pegged the pork production shortfall this year at 388,790 MT as the country lost at least 3.08 million pigs as of January 1 based on latest PSA data.

The DA said its interventions would result in the additional pork output of 84,000 MT for 2021, 238,192 MT by 2022 and 474,012 MT by 2023.

Furthermore, the DA said the interventions would lead to further pork output for the years 2024 and 2025 with additional production volume of 809,172 MT and 1.144 MMT, respectively.

“Based on our projections it will take a minimum of three years to fully recover if all safeguards and investments and budgets are properly and timely implemented,” Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock William Medrano said.

“By the fifth year, we will have more than enough supply to satisfy the demand and reduce or stop the reliance from imports. This will only be made possible if the budgetary requirements will be made available,” Medrano added.

Based on the DA’s presentation, the three-year intervention would benefit at least 115,800 farmers resulting in a production value worth P157.5 billion.

The DA said its interventions would be complemented with the P27.5-billion loan facility by the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, that would be available to hog raisers.

Image credits: Nonie Reyes