BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: To revive the local hog industry severely affected by African swine fever (ASF) disease, a P5.5-million bio-secured swine housing facility (BSSHF) will rise in the town of Villaverde in this province.
According to Reynaldo Andres of the Department of Agriculture-Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Station (DA-NVES), the project is in line with the DA’s Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (Inspire) program under the National Livestock Program (NLP).
Andres said this is jointly implemented by DA-Regional Field Office 2 headed by Regional Executive Director Narciso Edillo, the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya led by Gov. Carlos Padilla, the local government of Villaverde, and the Bayaning-Agri-Magsasaka Damayan Villaverde Association Inc. (BAMDVAI).
He said the BAMDVAI is the first recipient of this project in Nueva Vizcaya, which is going to be established in Barangay Ibung in Villaverde town.
Andres explained that the BSSHF will focus on hog repopulation and encourage raisers to go back to business while also continuing efforts to control the spread of the hog virus.
“This DA-Inspire project will speed up the repopulation efforts to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of pork and pork products throughout Nueva Vizcaya,” he said.
Andres noted the three components of the program which include calibrated repopulation and swine livelihood enterprise, the establishment of breeder multiplier farms, and intensive and modernized production.
DA Regional Livestock focal person Dr. Bryan Sibayan said the BSSHF will be able to accommodate around 300 heads of swine fattening that will undergo biosafety protocol to produce quality meat products.
“This is what the government can provide for the meantime. Whatever shortage of the DA, [this] can fill in the gap through [the] Bayanihan system of reciprocity,” Sibayan said.
He also noted that the modern facility will have a lagoon and a biogas digester which will produce methane gas for the BAMDVAI members.
Dr. Kate Bautista-Turo of NVES said this move will eventually fight the proliferation of the ASF through modern technologies in swine production and promised technical assistance from NVES anytime BAMDVAI needs it.
BAMDVAI president Corazon Balanban said the association through Imelda Mariñas of the Overseas Filipino Workers Association of Villaverde donated one hectare for the construction of the BSSHF in addition to their P150,000 counterpart, which will be used to buy additional hogs.
According to Edillo, the country has enough food supply and the potential 400,000 metric tons shortfall in pork supply this year will be easily addressed through importation.
“We now have fewer incidences of ASF outbreaks observed in the past months compared to the previous year,” he said, adding that more than 400,000 hogs across the country were already culled to control the spread of the disease.
He said there are 9.72 million heads of hogs as of January this year, which indicates a 24 percent decline from last year.