IDUKKI/KALPETTA: The spread of African swine fever, a highly contagious disease of pigs causing 100% mortality is spreading panic among farmers across the state. On Friday, the spread of disease was confirmed in a pig farm at Ellumannam in Edavaka panchayat of Wayanad. Pigs have been dying with symptoms at this farm since October 4.
Meanwhile, 278 pigs were culled in three panchayats in Idukki district after the disease was confirmed in eight farms, including six in Karimannoor and one each in Alakode and Edavetty panchayats.
A total of 90 pigs in three pig farms in Karimannoor were culled till Friday evening and 124 more pigs in the remaining three farms were culled by the animal husbandry department later. The 124 pigs were from the infected pig farms in ward 1 of Alakode panchayat and ward 6 of Edavetty panchayat, located within 1-km radius of the first farm in Karimannoor.
“This is the first time that the disease is severely impacting the district. All pigs within a one-km radius of the affected farms are being culled. Pig farms within 10-km radius are under observation,” said Karimannoor panchayat member Tessy Wilson. The rapid spread of the disease is causing panic among farmers who have been expecting good sales during the festival season in December. The animal husbandry department will distribute compensation to the farmers whose pigs were euthanised within two weeks’ time, said an officer.
In Wayanad the authorities are planning to cull 144 pigs within the next two days.“The disease was confirmed in the farm of P B Nash of Ellumannam in Wayanad, who is also an office-bearer of the Pig Farmers’ Association Wayanad.
As many as 13 pigs have died in the farm till Friday. The animal husbandry department has decided to cull the remaining 23 pigs and those in three other farms within a radius of 1sq-km around the infected farm. The culling of pigs in the infected places will start at 9am on Saturday from the farm of Ajeesh C J, who has 75 pigs,” said Ellumannam ward member H B Pradeep. Wayanad animal husbandry officer informed that about 144 pigs will be culled in total in Ellumannam within two days.
Swine flu was first confirmed in Thavinjal panchayat and Mananthavady municipality in July. In Mananthavady and Thavinjal, more than 300 pigs died due to the disease.
Subsequently, swine flu was confirmed in Nenmeni panchayat and last time in the farm of Thomas Thannikkal in Poothadi panchayat in September. Around 700 pigs were culled by the animal husbandry department from July as part of disease control mechanism.
“The farmers have incurred huge loss due to the spread of African swine fever. Though the government has assured compensation to the farmers, the amount offered is inadequate. If the infection is detected in one farm, pigs in farms located within one sq km are culled which has landed the farmers in crisis. Meanwhile the price of pig meat has crashed from Rs 145 per kg to Rs 80 per kg. We urge the government to enhance the compensation for farmers,” said Kerala Independent Farmers Association leader Dr Sibi Zacharias.