Manipur: Centre grants Rs 1 crore relief for ASF-hit farmers

Imphal: The Central Government has approved Rs 1 crore as compensation for farmers in Manipur whose pigs were culled due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

The epidemic, which spread across seven districts, led to the culling of 1,781 pigs from 1,662 farms. The state government had initially requested Rs 30 crore in compensation.

Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services Secretary, Michael Achom, announced that the compensation would be distributed to affected farmers by the second week of next month.

The highly contagious ASF outbreak began in October 2024 and was contained by December 2024. Officials identified 37 epicenters, resulting in the destruction of 23,694 kg of pig feed.

The affected districts include Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Ukhrul, Kamjong, and Kakching. Officials emphasized that ASF has no available vaccine and is often fatal to infected pigs.