QUEZON CITY, Jan. 24 As part of the current nationwide biosecurity and surveillance program, aptly called “BABay ASF” (Bantay ASF sa Barangay), the Department of Agriculture (DA) is initially allotting P80 million (M) for the development and mass production of Filipino-made test kits that can detect the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) faster and cheaper.
“We are allocating an initial P80 million through the DA-National Livestock Program (NLP) and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to mass-produce and distribute to local government units (LGUs) the test kit, called “ASFV Nanogold Biosensor,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“We commend the team from the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in partnership with the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) who developed the ASF rapid test kit,” the DA chief added.
01/21/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/20/2021 20:41
DA-PCIC urges raisers to insure hogs so they can bounce back
Author: DA Communications Group | 21 January 2021
Agriculture Secretary William Dar is urging backyard and commercial hog raisers to secure insurance packages so they can recover part of their investments, in case their farms are affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF). As the Department of Agriculture (DA) intensifies efforts to encourage hog raisers to get back to business and, ultimately, help pork production rebound, availing of an insurance coverage is a prudent safety net for existing raisers and for those in ASF-free areas who will venture into this business, Secretary Dar said.
Philippines: Government intensifies soil rejuvenation program
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will intensify its soil rejuvenation program nationwide to sustain the increased productivity of rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, fruits, and other major crops.
“One of our continuing major challenges is how to increase productivity and reduce the cost of production. And as soil is the foundation of agriculture, we must protect, preserve, and nurture it to sustainably produce adequate, affordable, and nutritious food for all Filipino families,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“We, therefore, instructed all our commodity banner program directors to make soil rejuvenation as the basic foundation of their productivity strategies,” said Secretary Dar, underscoring that “from healthy soils, come bountiful crops.”
Photo by DA.
QUEZON CITY, Jan. 20 The Department of Agriculture (DA) is strengthening its laboratory network system in its continuing fight against infectious diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF) in hogs, avian influenza (AI) in poultry, foot and mouth disease (FMD) in livestock, Panama disease in banana, and fall armyworm (FAW) in corn and onion, among others.
“We are adopting an integrated ‘OneDA’ laboratory masterplan that incorporates international bio-risk management standards and best practices on biosafety and biosecurity measures, regulations, and certifications,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar, as contained in Department Order No. 1, Series of 2021, on January 5, 2021.
The ‘OneDA’ masterplan was proposed by the DA’s Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) after consultations with concerned DA national laboratories, bureaus, and regional field offices (RFOs), through the assistance of the United States Defense Threat Reduction