The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas is calling on local government units to encourage swine farmers to insure their herd with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation to avail of indemnification once their stocks are hit by illness or diseases, including the African swine fever.
In a virtual press conference, PCIC regional manager Eva Ulie Laud said they target to insure 370,490 heads of swine in the region.
The government has allotted over P80 million for the premium subsidy of 251,928 swine heads for farmers registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture program.
The Agrarian Production Credit Program of the Department of Agrarian Reform beneficiaries with 1,000 heads, Production Loan Easy Access, and Survival and Recovery Assistance program with 1,112 heads are included in the subsidy.
Meanwhile, the remaining 116,450 swine heads composed of commercial raisers and non-RSBSA farmers will have to pay a premium of four percent of their insurance coverage for breeders and 2.25 percent for fatteners.
The insurance coverage per head is P10,000 for breeders and P7,000 for fatteners.
“We are actively campaigning for our LGUs to encourage their farmers to get insured,” Laud said.
She added that they have also met with commercial growers to persuade them to avail of the insurance.
As of May 11, the campaign has only insured 26,399 heads, composed of 16,447 breeders and 9,752 fattener heads, mostly engaged in backyard-raising.
Commercial raisers are those engaged in raising more than 11 breeders and over 21 fatteners while backyard raisers have 10 breeders and below, and 20 fatteners and below.
For the breeder, the insurable age is six months to two years. It is good for a year and can be renewed annually for up to four years.
For the fattener, the insurable age is 45 days to four months but commercial raisers may opt for up to five months with additional premium payment.
Swine farmers are advised to coordinate with their respective municipal agriculturist offices to learn more about the insurance coverage.
“We have insurance underwriters assigned in every municipality, who will pick up the applications of our hog raisers,” she said.*PNA
