DIBRUGARH, Nov 17 - Lack of compensation by the State government has shattered several pig farmers in the region as hundreds of farmers have lost their livelihood due to increasing deaths of pigs caused by African Swine Fever (ASF) and other classical diseases.
The district alone has recorded more than 2,000 pigs� death and the number is only increasing. Pithubor Farm, one of the biggest farms in the district, has lost over 250 animals. Similarly, Tankesh-war Sonowal of no. 2 Rohmari village under Khowang Block lost 15 pigs. Even the government piggery farm located at Khanikar near here lost some six pigs.
Although the government had recently announced culling and compensation, the culling did not take place in the district as the cases were reportedly subsiding, according to officials here. Nevertheless, farmers claim that deaths of pigs are continuing. As per the record of the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, altogether 1,113 families in the district have been affected.
However, the district has recorded a very few ASF cases. Out of the 50 samples sent earlier, only ten samples were tested positive for ASF. �Four samples were collected from Pithubor Farm also but all the samples tested negative. Animals at Pithubor Farm died due to classical swine fever, the vaccine and treatment for which are available,� according to Dr Chitrajyoti Chetia from the veterinary department here.
Dr Chetia said the majority of the pig farmers in the district rear pigs in their backyards. �Most of the farmers are not trained in pig farming. They also do not have the insurance cover for their animals. So far, ASF deaths have not been reported from the sheds of organised commercial piggery farms,� he said.
Diganta Saikia, the owner of Pithubor Farm, who lost 190 piglets, 20 large animals and 64 breeding animals altogether, said, �We placed several requests to the departments concerned and the government to assist us but nothing has been done so far. While there is a scheme to have our animals insured under National Livestock Mission (NLM) but it has never been successfully implemented for pig farmers. There were always issues conveyed to us by the officials from the Veterinary department.�
�The government has been announcing schemes after schemes as the elections are due in 2021 and yet they are toying around with farmers� lives by not compensating them,� Saikia said.
Dr Chetia told The Assam Tribune that a proposal for compensation to the affected farmers has been sent to the directorate concerned but the government is yet to respond. He further said the department here has again collected eight samples each from eight notified epicentres as also from surveillance zones of the district for further examination. It may be mentioned here that three tonnes of pork are daily consumed in the district.
