SENTINEL PIGLETS. A total of 50 swine raisers who were hit by the African swine fever (ASF) in Bagac town, Bataan province received Thursday (Sept. 1, 2022) sentinel piglets from the Department of Agriculture. Each affected hog raiser received three piglets under the DA's Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE). (Photo courtesy of DA Region 3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Fifty swine raisers from Bagac town, Bataan province have received sentinel piglets as part of the African swine fever (ASF) recovery program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA Regional Field Office III under the Livestock Program, in coordination with the Municipal Agriculture Office, distributed Thursday the 150 sentinel pigs to 50 hog raisers under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE).
Agripina Tuazon, Agriculturist II of the DA’s Livestock Program, said on Friday that each of the affected backyard raisers received three piglets and nine bags of feeds.
Tuazon said the hog raisers likewise received disinfectants, vitamins, and antibiotics for piglets.
“Bahagi pa rin ito ng programang INSPIRE na naglalayong maiangat muli ang sektor ng pagbababoy at matulungang makapagsimula ang mga magbababoy na naapektuhan ng ASF (This is part of the program INSPIRE which aims to uplift again the piggery sector and to help ASF-hit hog raisers to restart their livelihood),” she said in social media post.
“The distribution of the sentinel piglets is geared toward swine repopulation,” she added.
Tuazon said the repopulation of hogs can only be allowed if the sentinel pigs could survive and progress to maturity without any trace of the ASF virus based on the close monitoring and laboratory results of blood samples.
“The sentinel pigs will be closely monitored for more than a month, if the animal shows good health standing then an area can be declared as ASF-free,” she said.
Tuazon also asked the backyard hog raisers to strictly comply with biosecurity protocols.
Likewise, she reminded them not to feed the pigs with swill which is the main cause of the spread of ASF. (PNA)
