African Swine Fever kills over 9700 pigs in Mizoram, losses touch Rs 114.64 cr

Aizawl, Jan 16: Mizoram incurred a financial loss of Rs 114.64 crore in 2025 following an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) that led to the death of over 9,700 pigs, a senior official of the state’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department said.

Deputy Director (Disease Investigation & Epidemiology) Esther Lalzoliani Ralte told PTI that a total of 9,711 pigs died due to ASF between March and December last year, while 3,620 pigs were culled as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the disease.

The outbreak affected 3,867 families across the state during the period, she said.

According to the official, the ASF outbreak in Mizoram was first reported on March 21, 2021, at Lungsen village in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border. Since then, the disease has taken a heavy toll on pig farming in the state.

“From 2021 till date, a total of 72,012 pigs have died due to ASF, impacting more than 12,500 families and resulting in an estimated cumulative loss of Rs 1,011.27 crore,” Ralte said. Additionally, 52,979 pigs have been culled over the years to prevent further transmission of the highly contagious disease.

She said the last pig deaths due to ASF in the state were reported on December 8, 2025, adding that the outbreak generally subsides during winter months but resurges with the onset of warmer weather.

On compensation, Ralte said that over Rs 14.51 crore, received jointly from the Centre and the state government, has been disbursed to pig farmers as compensation for pigs culled till 2023.

A proposal seeking Rs 24.94 crore as compensation for pigs culled in 2024 has been submitted to the Centre, which will be shared equally by the Centre and the state.

“There is no provision for financial assistance for pigs that die due to ASF; compensation is provided only for culled animals,” she clarified.

Mizoram recorded the highest pig fatalities in 2021, when 33,417 pigs died due to ASF, followed by 14,950 deaths in 2024 and 12,795 in 2022.

The state also suffered the highest financial loss in 2024, estimated at Rs 336.4 crore, followed by Rs 334.14 crore in 2021 and Rs 210.32 crore in 2022.

The state has previously battled other pig diseases as well. Mizoram was hit by Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020, which killed thousands of pigs and piglets and caused losses amounting to Rs 10.62 crore, the official added.

PTI