African swine fever causes Rs 800 cr worth loss to Mizoram pig farmers

The pig farmers of Mizoram suffered a loss of nearly Rs 800 crore following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state since 2021, the assembly was informed on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister C Lalsawivunga said that 57,217 pigs died of ASF and 43,159 others were culled to prevent the spread of the disease between March 2021 and 15 August 2024.

Pig farmers of the northeastern state incurred financial loss to the tune of Rs 799.68 crore during that period, he said.

The minister said that 9,866 pigs have died and 17,977 others culled causing a loss of Rs 239.45 crore due to ASF between January to 15 August this year.

Lalsawivunga said that the state government received financial assistance of varied amounts from the Centre from time to time to tackl the situation.

The state government declared ASF as state of disaster or calamity on January 1 this year, he said adding that the administration is making massive efforts to contain the outbreak, although it is not possible to eradicate it completely.

According to Lalsawivung, the state government has imposed a complete ban on the import of pigs and pork products from neighbouring states and countries in May, which is still effective.

The minister said that pork products are being imported from Pune in Maharashtra by private agencies.

On an average, Mizoram consumes over 4 lakh kilograms of pork a month, he said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ASF is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of pigs.

It was first detected in Kenya, East Africa, in 1921 as a disease that killed settlers' pigs.