The Philippines expects commercial approval of Vietnamese ASF vaccine by Q3 2026
Government also launches US$2.43 million local vaccine development programme to support hog industry recovery
PHILIPPINES – The Philippines expects to grant commercial release certification for Vietnam’s AVAC African swine fever (ASF) live vaccine as early as the third quarter of 2026, a move expected to strengthen the country’s efforts to rebuild its hog industry after years of ASF-related losses.
According to Department of Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa, once certified, the vaccine will be distributed through Bureau of Animal Industry-registered biologics stores, veterinary outlets and other authorised suppliers.
ASF has affected the Philippines’ swine sector since 2019, causing billions of pesos in economic losses. National hog production declined slightly to 1.66 million metric tonnes in 2025 from 1.7 million metric tonnes in 2024, while eight barangays were still reporting active ASF cases as of early June.
Alongside the planned commercial rollout of the Vietnamese vaccine, the Department of Agriculture has launched a P140 million (US$2.43 million) Animal Vaccine Development Programme to develop locally produced vaccines against both ASF and foot-and-mouth disease.
Farmers seek stronger support as recovery continues
National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. President Chester Warren Tan said commercialisation of the AVAC vaccine could significantly accelerate the industry’s recovery.
He noted that the national hog population continues to expand, with particularly strong growth in Mindanao and more moderate increases in Luzon. Tan expressed optimism that pork production growth in 2026 could be twice the rate recorded in 2025 if disease control continues to improve.
However, he warned that profitability remains under pressure. Current farm-gate pork prices of P170-P185 per kilogram are at or below estimated production costs of P180-P200/kg, while he said sustainable returns would require prices of around P200-P230/kg.
Tan also raised concerns over rising pork imports, urging the government to strike a balance between import volumes and policies that support domestic pork producers as the industry works to recover from seven years of ASF outbreaks.
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