The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has relaxed conditions for indemnification of hog raisers for losses under its insurance program amid the continuing spread of African swine fever (ASF).
The PCIC said its board of directors approved on Feb. 24, 2021 , a proposal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) proposal to pay losses resulting from government-ordered culling or slaughter of insured hogs.
The PCIC also raised the payable amount up to 100 percent of the insurance cover or the total sum insured.
At present, backyard raisers are provided with P5,000 for each hog culled.
Current standard insurance industry policy does not include government-ordered disposal of stocks when epidemics occur among the compensable risks while indemnity payment is at a maximum of 60 percent of total sum insured.
DA Secretary William Dar said the relaxed rules will encourageraising of over 10 million heads of swine among commercial and backyard raisers for both fatteners and breeders hogs.
Backyard hog raisers currently receive free insurance provided they are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the country’s database of bona fide subsistence farmers and fisherfolk. They are also covered with the relaxed provision on indemnity payment and culling or emergency slaughter.
Meanwhile, human and animal nutrition provider, ADM, has partnered with the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners (PCSP) to form an interdisciplinary program that will assist local hog raisers in Mindanao.
Max Montenegro, a doctor from the PCSP said the multi-stakeholder partnership between the public and private sector and veterinarians seeks to control the spread of ASF and assist in the repopulation of farms affected by the disease.
ADM, through its corporate social responsibilities arm, ADM Cares, donated assistance for the program to protect areas which remain free of ASF in Mindanao for a funding that can cover training sessions for volunteers, farmer seminars and procurement of more than 700 Nanogold ASF Test Kits and cPCR test kits.