AIZAWL: Pig farmers and rearers in Mizoram have suffered colossal losses of over Rs 20 crore due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) since February causing the deaths of over 5,430 pigs and culling of over 10,300 pigs, officials said on Thursday.
Officials in the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AHV) Department said that as the ASF outbreak continues unabated on average over 100 pigs die every day while over 200 pigs are being culled every day in different districts due to the infectious disease.
The officials said that pigs in over 160 villages in six districts - Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei, Saitual, Khawzawl and Serchhip - have been infected by the ASF outbreak so far after the disease was first reported on February 9.
The ASF first reported bordering Mizoram in 2021, when according to the AHV officials, 33,420 pigs and piglets died due to the contagious disease while 12,800 pigs and piglets died in 2022 and 1,040 in 2023.
Following the outbreak of ASF, the AHV department has declared various villages and localities in the six districts as infected areas under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009, officials said.
The outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the adjoining states of the northeast. The state government banned the import of pigs and piglets from these countries where often ASF infestations are being reported. The outbreak of ASF mostly occurs when the climate begins to warm up and pre-monsoon rain commences in the state, the AHV department officials said,.
The government has so far provided compensation to several hundred families for the loss of pigs due to the disease. (IANS)
Also Read: Mizoram: Over 3,350 pigs killed by African swine fever so far this year (sentinelassam.com)
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