The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking an initial ₱1-billion allocation in the proposed 2027 national budget to provide African swine fever (ASF) vaccines to smallholder hog farms nationwide. DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the funding request aims to expand vaccine access and help protect small-scale hog raisers from the disease.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has approved the commercial sale of AVAC ASF LIVE, the first ASF vaccine available for fattening pigs, while more hog raisers have reportedly imported the vaccine from Vietnam. Meanwhile, the evaluation of South Korea’s PROVAC vaccine is nearing completion, although its rollout may not take place within the year, according to de Mesa.
