The Department of Agriculture (DA)  said it will have an emergency procurement of vaccines against African swine fever (ASF) following reports of an outbreak in some areas of Batangas province. 

“The local government units may need to declare a state of emergency in these Batangas municipalities to enable the DA to respond swiftly to the situation and release funds for the urgent purchase of vaccines,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Wednesday.

Industrial lime will also be provided to hog raisers in the said province to treat areas where condemned swine are buried, the Agri chief added.

Likewise, checkpoints will be enforced to prevent the spread of ASF-infected animals.

According to Agriculture Asec. Dante Palabrica,  at least 10,000 doses of ASF vaccines might be needed for the emergency response. 

In a statement, the DA said emergency procurement could cut the purchase period by about two weeks.

“Local Government Units (LGUs) have the authority to declare a state of emergency, and such a declaration would be confined to the affected areas to control the ASF outbreak,” it added.

Palabrica is in charge of engaging with LGU officials in the declaration of the state of emergency and coordinating the response. 

The resolution formalizing the emergency procurement process, on the other hand, will be handled by the department's  Birds and Awards Committee and the Bureau of Animal Industry.