Mizoram: 33,417 pigs died of African Swine Fever last year

Aizawl: As many as 33,417 pigs have died due to the outbreak of a highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mizoram last year causing monetary losses to the tune of Rs 60.82 crore, State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister K Beichhuah informed the state legislature on Monday. 

Replying to a query from VL Zaithanzama of opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Beichhua said a total of 10,910 pigs have also been culled to prevent further spread of ASF besides those claimed by the dreaded disease.

The monetary losses incurred on dead pigs by ASF is estimated to be more than Rs 60.82 crore, he said.

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He said that the state government has sought compensations from the Centre for the culled pigs, while compensation of Rs. 3000 each for a dead pig has been sought from the state disaster management and rehabilitation department.

According to the minister, the outbreak, as of now, is more or less controlled and contained.

He said that no pig death due to ASF has been reported since December last.

Beichhua also informed the assembly that the state government has lifted a ban on the import of pigs from ASF free states on February 1.

However, the imported pigs should be brought along with a healthy certificate and Common Swine Fever (CSF) vaccination certificate, he said.

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Mizoram had banned the import of pigs from Indian states and neighbouring foreign countries for about 17 months between August 2020 and January 2022.

The first outbreak of ASF believed to be caused by pigs imported from Bangladesh was reported at Lungsen village in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border on March 21 last year.

Later in mid-April, the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed that the pig deaths were due to ASF.

The pig diseases had affected more than 9,400 families across all the 11 districts of the state.