DA eyes completion of procurement of 600,000 ASF vaccines by December

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel on Tuesday expressed hope that the government could complete the procurement of 600,000 doses of African swine fever (ASF) vaccine by December of this year. 

''As far as ASF is concerned, the first 10,000 doses will be finished... the  vaccination will be finished by the end of the month, the schedule for the award of the next 450,000 doses this October 10 of which we will take delivery of 150,000  doses by then,'' Laurel said during a Palace press briefing.

''We hope to complete the procurement of 600,000 doses by end of December this year,'' he added. 

It was in August when the government started the controlled trial of the Vietnam-made ASF vaccine as part of its efforts to combat the spread of the animal disease.

Authorities said that the ASF vaccination rollout would involve the inoculation of healthy pigs to curb the spread of the disease, which has been affecting the local hog sector since its detection in 2019.

The Department of Agriculture has allocated P350 million for the procurement of about 600,000 doses of ASF vaccine for the trial. The vaccination will be done on a voluntary basis and this will prioritize small hog raisers in areas with high cases of ASF.

Laurel earlier said that finding a suitable vaccine against ASF is essential to saving billions of investments, revitalizing backyard farms, and ensuring food security in the country. —VAL, GMA Integrated News