Manipur: African Swine Fever outbreak causes Rs 30 crore loss

Guwahati: The soaring African Swine Fever (ASF) cases in Manipur have severely affected the commercial pig farmers as they informed that to date the outbreak of the highly contagious disease has caused Rs 30 crore loss as 90 per cent of pigs reared in the affected farms have died of the disease.

According to the Manipur Veterinary and Animal Husbandry (VAS) department, ASF has been reported at pig farms in Imphal West, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Kamjong districts.

Imphal West district which reported the first ASF outbreak from a pig farm at the Central Agricultural University (CAU) at Iroisemba a few weeks ago, has now seen another five farms at Lilong Chajing Mamang Leikei, Konthoujam Maning Leikai, Loitang Khunou, Luker and Sairemkhul hit by the disease.

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L Bidyasagar, Jioint Secretary of Manipur Progressive Pig Farmers Association (MAPPFA), said that they have received information about the death of pigs from all commercial piggery farms affected by the disease.

Among the affected districts, Ukhrul witnessed the highest number of pigs infected by the disease and deaths of the same, he said, adding the disease has caused around Rs 30 crore loss to the commercial farmers in the five valley districts of Manipur.

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The association’s leaders categorically appealed to the people to cooperate with the officials of Manipur the VAH department when they visited the controlled areas for culling pigs.

Taking serious note of dead pigs found floating in the rivers and Loktak Lake, they appealed to the people not to throw such carcasses into the water bodies.

The latest ASF outbreak has been reported at five pig farms in Imphal West district’s Lilong Chajing Mamang Leikei, Konthoujam Maning Leikai, Loitang Khunou, Luker and Sairemkhul.

Deputy commissioner of the ASF-affected districts recently issued notifications, saying that the particular pig farms from which ASF had been reported have been declared as epicentres, areas within a one-kilometre radius from them as infected zones and areas within a 10-kilometre radius from the same surveillance zone, and the whole areas have been categorised as controlled areas.

Culling of all pigs in the infected zone should be done by the officials of the Manipur VAH department and all equipment and tools as well as vehicles used in the farms that have pigs, either infected or suspected to be infected, should be restricted from movement without protocols, the notification added.