Guwahati: Mizoram’s Animal Husbandry department has reported a financial loss of Rs 336.49 crore in 2024 due to the ongoing African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, bringing the total losses since 2021 to Rs 896.69 crore. The disease, which affects pigs, has severely impacted the state’s pig farming industry.
In 2024, ASF caused the death of 14,950 pigs and led to the culling of 24,177 more.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The outbreak, which began in Lungsen village in Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021, has continued to devastate the sector.
In the previous years, the virus claimed 33,417 pigs in 2021, with an additional 12,568 culled as a precaution. In 2022, ASF killed 12,795 pigs and resulted in the culling of 11,686 others.
While 2023 showed some improvement with only 1,139 pig deaths and 980 culled, the total financial losses remained significant-Rs 334.14 crore in 2021, Rs 210.32 crore in 2022, and Rs 15.77 crore in 2023.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Officials noted that while the outbreak appears to be easing, with fewer deaths and culling since mid-December, ASF tends to subside in winter before reappearing in the summer months.
Alongside ASF, the state has also faced challenges with outbreaks of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), further affecting the pig farming industry.