MANILA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines continues to see African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks with 25 out of the 81 provinces affected, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Wednesday.
To stem the spread of the pig disease, Dar said in a televised press conference that almost 350,000 pigs have been culled since the ASF outbreak in the country in September 2019.
"It continues to be a threat to the Philippine swine industry. This trans-boundary pig disease is a very complex problem," Dar said.
Dar said the agriculture department is working with industry players to restart and revive the affected enterprises.
He said the department has provided support in particular for small and backyard hog raisers with livelihood opportunities.
"We are continuously restarting the hog industry, especially in the affected provinces. Our help focuses on the small and backyard hog raisers," he said. "This is a big project that we are doing to help those affected. We give them livelihood opportunities and projects."
The ASF is harmless to humans but highly contagious and fatal for pigs as there is no known cure.
Hogs remain the main source of meat in the Philippines, and about 64 percent of the swine population is raised in backyard farms. The Philippines is the world's 7th biggest pork importer. Enditem
