THE Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) expressed alarm over reported farm trials of African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines in Pangasinan by the Department of Agriculture or the Bureau of Animal Industry without the knowledge of the provincial veterinarian as well as members of the livestock industry.

Engr. Rosendo So, SINAG chairman, conveyed his group’s concern in his Aug. 3, 2023 letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), he said the trials that reportedly started in June and will end in September make the province’s hog industry most vulnerable for ASF infections since live vaccines are being used and biosecurity protocols are compromised.

So asked the SP to conduct committee hearing on the issue and determine why such farm testings are happening without the provincial veterinarian’s office and hog industry’s  knowledge since any negative impact of the farm trials of the vaccine testing will affect the province’s hog industry.

In an interview, Vice Gov. Mark Lambino said he, too, was not aware of the ongoing farm testing on the ASF vaccine in Pangasinan and only learned about it in So’s letter.

Lambino immediately asked Fifth District Board Member Nicholi Louie Sison, chair of the Committee on Agriculture to conduct an immediate inquiry on the matter.

“Our primary concern here is the biosecurity protocols of the province,” Lambino said, especially because¸ the provincial veterinarian, provincial agriculturist, provincial health officer were not informed of the testing being done in the province.

“Na-compromise agad yung biosecurity natin since testing lang sya, hindi po natin alam kung ano yung mga possible side effects nitong vaccine po na ito,” Lambino said.

He added the committee must determine which farms were tapped for the testing, how many heads were being tested, and why Pangasinan was selected, and what are the initial results of the testing. (Eva Visperas)

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