MANILA - The Department of Agriculture has approved a P300-million fund for lending to hog raisers in an effort to help the industry recover from the effects of African Swine Fever, Sec. William Dar said Monday.

Pig producers in "green zones" or areas that are free of ASF can avail of this loan, which has 0 interest and is payable in 5 years. There is no collateral needed for this, said Dar.

"Gusto nating matulungan din itong areas na ito para continuous na madagdagan yung imbentaryo po natin sa hog industry kasi we had 3 million hogs na na-depopulate as a result of the African Swine Fever," he told ANC's Headstart.

(We want to help these areas so that we can continuously add to our inventory in the hog industry because 3 million hogs were depopulated as a result of the African Swine Fever.)

Dar said P200,000 is the "minimum" amount that a backyard hog raiser can borrow to produce around 40 pigs and to also upgrade biosecurity measures against ASF.

This fund will augment the agency's repopulation program, which has been budgeted P2.7 billion.