(Last of three parts)Outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) peaked in September and began to wane by November, according to Agriculture Secretary William Dar. This means our protocols are working and our hog raisers are becoming more cooperative than before,” he said. Indemnity fees for affected hog raisers were also raised by the national government, with loan programs to cater to those who wish to rebuild their livelihood. Dar appealed to hog raisers, especially those involved in the backyard industry, to serve as the government’s foot soldiers in combating ASF. For one, he said, he noticed that it was easy to bring in pork products especially in hand-carried luggage at the airports.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 24, 2019 20:24 UTC