| GUWAHATI: The Assam government has assured pig farmers of providing adequate compensation against losses incurred owing to deaths of over 13,000 pigs infected with African Swine Fever (AFS) across nine districts of the state.
The state government is already in consultation with the Centre in regard to provision of compensation to the pig farmers. “We understand the severity of financial loss from death of pigs due to AFS. We are in regular consultation with the central government in this matter and I assure the farmers that necessary compensation will provided after a proper and thorough appraisal of the loss of pigs,” state animal husbandry and veterinary minister, Atul Bora said on Tuesday. Assam had initially banned sale and consumption of pork in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Biswanath and Jorhat districts, where the outbreak of the disease was initially detected after large scale deaths of pigs, and of late, enforced the same prohibition in Kamrup (Metro), Golaghat and Majuli districts. “We have taken all possible measures to combat African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. Containment and surveillance zones of 1 km and 10 km respectively have been set up around the affected areas. I request the pig farmers to cooperate with the government to help us tackle ASF,” Bora said. The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal had earlier this month confirmed the presence of the ASF virus in pigs in the state after samples sent there tested positive for the virus. Reportedly, state government has decided against culling pigs, as of now, as huge amounts have to be paid to farmers and piggery owners as compensation. Meanwhile, the minister has urged the piggery owners in the state to adhere to the government’s guidelines and take up stringent bio-safety measures to stop spread of the outbreak.
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