A LAWMAKER on Thursday expressed optimism that the roll out of the imported vaccines against African swine fever will stop the large-scale deaths of pigs, mostly from culling, and revive the moribund hog industry.
The industry continues to suffer from a pork supply shortfall and consequent market price spikes despite numerous policy measures by the DA and the Bureau of Animal Industry to repopulate the domestic swine population amid recurring ASF outbreaks, said Villafuerte. Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicated that the seasonally adjusted value of livestock output fell 1.8 percent in the first quarter of the year, with hogs being the top contributor to the contraction in production value.
Villafuerte said the Philippines is the world’s 10th-largest consumer, 8th-biggest producer, and 7th-largest importer of pork.