Hog farmers in the country are eager to hear good news regarding the certification of the African swine fever vaccine submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, a sector representative recently revealed.

ASF is a deadly disease that kills hogs in a matter of days. More than half of the hog population of the Philippines has been affected by the disease.

According to Dr. Niño Bagui, assistant vice president of Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative — one of the largest hog farm cooperatives in the country with more than 67,000 members — demand for the vaccine continues to mount, as more farmers appeal to the government "to make the vaccine available soon, especially to small hold farmers. We are looking forward in seeing vaccination as a more sustainable and long-term action that will help and propel the hog sector to get back on track."

Jeffrey Virgo, who runs a small hog farm, joined the call for the FDA's swift action. "Farmers like me and our families, all we want is to put this thing behind us. I wish that the availability of the vaccine will be the government's pamasko for us," he said in Filipino.

To date, the most promising swine fever vaccine on the local horizon is the ASF AVAC LIVE, which is manufactured by AVAC Vietnam and exclusively distributed by KPP Powers Commodities, Inc.

The application to secure the vaccine's Certificate of Product Registration from the FDA was initiated more than a year ago in November 2022, and farmers nationwide have since been yearning for an update.

Domestic and commercial use of AVAC ASF LIVE in Vietnam earned approval last year, after trials yielded an efficacy rate of 95 percent out of the 650,000 doses tested on hog herds in 40 of the country's provinces.

Likewise, an independent assessment by a delegation of the United States Department of Agriculture on the Vietnamese vaccine corroborated the findings of safety and efficacy, which reportedly met international standards submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health.

In the Philippines, local trials were conducted this year under the supervision of the Bureau of Animal Industry. The results of these tests —which showed a 100 percent success rate in Phase 1 — prompted the FDA to approve the importation of 300,000 doses as trials proceed.

KPP Powers Managing Director Juancho Robles further emphasized the industry's demand for ASF immunization, stating, "we share the sentiment of farmers, producers, and even consumers that have been yearning for positive news as soon as possible."

"This is why we made sure that all the regulatory requirements, as well as reports on the results of the trials are promptly submitted to both the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry and the FDA since last October 2023," he added.

According to Dr. Maximino Montenegro, the veterinary consultant who assisted in the conduct of the trials, the overall results of the trials showed that the ASF vaccine is safe for pigs. Meanwhile, Dr. Noel Bonita, a 30-year farm veterinarian, cited feedback from managers and owners of farms up to commercial size in scale who "confirmed the efficacy and safety of their hog livestock from ASF."

"The industry as a whole has already suffered hundreds of billions in losses because of ASF, which has led to a more than 150 percent increase in the country's pork imports compared to two years ago," Bagui underscored.

In 2021, the Philippines imported approximately 280 metric tons of pork. This year, it is estimated that the figure could go beyond 710 metric tons.

Robles likewise warned that time could be running out for a significant segment of the country's pork producers. "For most farmers it's no longer about profits, it has become a matter of survival now," he added, "Countless farms are facing debt and growing financial troubles, and are actually considering closing their facilities altogether."

"The testing of the AVAC vaccine was one of the happiest news we've had in a while," Virgo said. "In the coming months, we hope to hear of another positive development. It won't be just a Christmas or New Year gift to us farmers, actually, but also something to help the entire country greet 2024 with higher hopes," he concluded.