Mysterious disease hits pork market in Manipur

 IMPHAL: Fearing an “unknown” disease following the large-scale deaths of pigs in some valley districts, the consumption of pork came down drastically, causing the price of the meat to drop steeply, affecting the pork business in Manipur, especially in Imphal.

Officials of the Manipur Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department said that samples were collected from the piggeries at Kakching and Imphal East districts to check if there was any outbreak of disease in the state. The samples are being sent to a laboratory in Guwahati, and if any disease is detected, the department will take the necessary measures to control it, the officials said. Last year, African Swine Fever (ASF) broke out in three districts of Manipur—Kakching, Bishnupur, and Noney—prompting the government to take steps to deal with the disease. Pork is currently priced between Rs 150 and Rs 200 per kilogram, almost half of the actual price of Rs 350 to Rs 380 at retail outlets.

The Manipur Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association reported that a huge number of pigs, valued at around Rs 20 crore, died of an unknown disease at various farms in some valley districts during the past few months. Taking advantage of the price reduction, some pork lovers enjoyed parties at various localities in the valley districts. “We have been enjoying feasts with pork as the main dish with our friends at our residence for the last three days. On Wednesday, we paid Rs 180 for a kg of pork, and on Thursday, we had to cough up Rs 200 per kg,” said Yaiphaba Singh, a resident of Imphal East district. “The pork we bought was fresh and healthy, and we didn’t come across any diseased stuff in the market,” Singh added. (IANS)

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