PCIC, NMIS CARAGA URGE HOG RAISERS TO INSURE PIGS

By Venus L. Garcia

To safeguard the interests and investments of local hog raisers and industry players, Dr. Bernadette Montenegro, action officer of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Caraga, and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation is encouraging them to avail of the regular livestock insurance program.

This is in support to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) effort in recognition of the urgency of the situation the hog industry is currently in especially with the seasonal prevalence of the African swine fever (ASF).

Backyard and commercial swine raisers are urged to have their stocks insured, as these insurance packages will help protect their livelihoods in case their farms are affected by the ASF.

Dr. Montenegro also underscored during a virtual briefing on Swine Mortality Insurance hosted by the DA-Caraga on Friday the need for immediate depopulation of pigs infected by the ASF to control the spread or even completely eradicate the ASF in the region.

She also urged the hog raisers and traders to cooperate and not to sell live or dead pigs or pork products infected with the said viral disease.

Hog raisers can apply for insurance online on the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) website or visit any of its regional offices, provincial extension offices, and service desks. “Hog raisers must take advantage of the government’s free insurance coverage which is part of DA’s broader goal under the hog repopulation program,” said Dr. Montenegro.

The intended beneficiary-participants of the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program of the DA-PCIC are backyard

swine raisers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), farmers cooperative or associations, commercial farm operators, local government units, state colleges and universities.

Based on the minimum requirements for the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program, the provincial and municipal governments that have jurisdiction over the farms of these beneficiaries must have adopted harmonized ordinance relevant and pertaining to the prevention and control of ASF.

The municipal government must have prepared and is implementing and regularly updating a Municipal ASF Control and Prevention Plan aligned with the regional initiatives of the DA Regional Field Office, the PCIC said. In addition to the minimum requirements for the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program, the local government must have organized the Bantay ASF sa Barangay; the hog farms are registered with the local government unit; operations must be compliant with Biosecurity Level 1 standards; and farmers, or in case of commercial farms, owners and staff have been trained in biosecurity procedures.

The PCIC has allotted P600 million from its current budget for the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program. The amount shall be used either as insurance premium subsidy or indemnity payment for assured RSBSA listed hog raisers. The DA will provide additional fund, if needed.

For backyard swine raisers/ smallholders, the premium subsidy under the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program shall be 100% of the premium cost or full premium subsidy, while for commercial swine raisers, the premium subsidy shall be at such rate of the premium cost as may be agreed upon by the DA and PCIC.

Swine Repopulation Insurance Program includes the following policy condition: Hog raiser farm should be in an area cleared for repopulation or in the green zone; hog raiser must be a registered practitioner of the biosecurity under the Bantay ASF Program; the insured shall be the sole owner or co-owner of the livestock subject for insurance coverage; the insured livestock should remain within the premises of the farm of the insured; and the hog farm must be supervised by a hog technician or a veterinarian.

The responsible agencies are continuously monitoring the status of ASF in the entire region wherein pigs are recently detected to have been infected in barangay Florida, Butuan City. (VLG/PIA-Suriao del Norte)