Agri Chief tells partners: It's time to share ideas to overcome swine problem
Agriculture Secretary William Dar has encouraged partners to come together and share their ideas in order to overcome the country’s current swine problem.

“Nakikiusap po kami sa lahat (We are appealing to everyone). This is the time to bring ideas on the table. This is the time to cooperate. This is the time to understand the mix of interventions that we have put together,” Dar said during the launch of the P29.6-billion hog repopulation and “Bantay sa ASF sa Barangay” twin program in Batangas ON February 11.
“Kung mayroon pa kayong maidadagdagag na (If you have additional) ideas, we are open to discussing all of these during the 2021 National Food Security Summit,” the secretary added.
The National Food Security Summit, tentatively set on April 7 to 8, 2021, will be held to discuss and address the current and emerging agriculture and fishery issues, in response to recent calls by pork and poultry producers for consultations.
Meanwhile, the national hog repopulation or the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) and "Bantay sa ASF sa Barangay" twin program was launched in a bid to effectively control the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) and revive the badly-hit swine industry.
"I thus urge our partners -- the local government units, hog industry stakeholders, veterinary associations, universities and research institutions, farmers' cooperatives and associations, (FCAs), and backyard and commercial hog raisers -- to join us implement stringent, sustainable biosecurity measures from hereon," Dar said.