Mizoram urges Centre to assist pig farmers affected by swine fever

The Mizoram government has urged the Centre to provide financial assistance to pig farmers affected by the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) that wreaked havoc on piggeries since 2021, an official statement here said. Speaking at the meeting of ministers of animal husbandry and veterinary held in Odisha, Mizoram animal husbandry and veterinary minister C. Lalsawivunga said that the outbreak of ASF has greatly affected the state and financially impacted the pig farmers, the official statement said. Emphasizing the need for providing compensation to the pig farmers, Lalsawivunga urged the Centre to take steps to compensate the pig farmers for their losses, it said. The minister also urged the Centre to either produce or import vaccines from other countries at the earliest possible, the statement said.

Lalsawivunga had informed the state assembly last month that  more than 57,000 pigs have died and over 43,000 others culled due to the outbreak  of ASF across the state causing a monetary loss to the tune of nearly Rs. 800 crore since 2021. He had said that more than 7 crore was received from the Centre during 2021-22 and 2022-23 to compensate the pig farmers for their losses.  The minister had said that the state government has also sought another Rs. 74.7 lakh assistance from the Centre for the fiscal 2023-24, which was already approved by the National Steering Committee.

According to a bulletin issued by the state animal husbandry and veterinary department on Friday, at least 234 villages in five districts, including Aizawl, have been currently affected by the outbreak of ASF. A total of 12,475 pigs have died due to ASF and 21,390 others culled to prevent the spread of the dreaded swine disease since January till September 13 it said. The outbreak of ASF was first reported at Lungsen village in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021. Officials believed that the outbreak was caused by pigs illegally imported from the neighbouring country.Mizoram shares a 318-km long international border with Bangladesh. Although believed to be contained in December 2021, the ASF was resurfaced in February 2022, and again in May and July 2023 and further in 2024, according to officials.