Mizoram's pig farming industry faces devastating losses due to African Swine Fever outbreak
AIZAWL: Mizoram's pig farming industry has suffered a staggering financial loss of nearly Rs 800 crore due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) since 2021.
This was informed by Mizoram animal husbandry and veterinary minister C Lalsawivunga during an assembly session on Tuesday.
In a written response to a query, Mizoram minister Lalsawivunga informed that the ASF outbreak has led to the death of 57,217 pigs, while an additional 43,159 pigs were culled to prevent the further spread of the disease between March 2021 and August 15 this year.
The total financial loss incurred by pig farmers during this period amounts to Rs 799.68 crore.
This year alone, between January and August 15, the disease claimed the lives of 9866 pigs, and 17,977 more were culled, resulting in a loss of Rs 239.45 crore.
The Mizoram minister also stated that the state government has received financial assistance from the central government at various intervals to combat the outbreak.
Despite these efforts, ASF remains a significant threat, leading the Mizoram government to declare the outbreak a state disaster on January 1 this year.
To contain the spread of the disease, the Mizoram government imposed a complete ban on the import of pigs and pork products from neighboring states and countries in May.
This ban remains in effect. Meanwhile, pork products are being imported from Pune, Maharashtra, by private agencies to meet the state's demand, which averages over 4 lakh kilograms of pork consumption per month.
African Swine Fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting pigs.