Mizoram faces Rs 336.49 crore loss in 2024 due to African swine fever

Aizawl, Jan 2: Mizoram has incurred a substantial financial loss of Rs 336.49 crore due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 2024, according to the State's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. Since the initial outbreak in 2021, the total economic loss caused by the deadly disease has reached Rs 896.69 crore.

Between January and December 2024, ASF led to the death of 14,950 pigs and the culling of 24,177 others across the hilly State. The ASF outbreak was first reported at Lungsen village in Lunglei district, located near the Bangladesh border, on March 21, 2021. That year saw 33,417 pigs perish, with 12,568 pigs being culled as a preventive measure.

The losses continued in subsequent years, with 12,795 pigs dying and 11,686 pigs culled in 2022. However, the numbers significantly reduced in 2023, with only 1,139 pigs dying and 980 culled. In terms of financial losses, ASF caused Rs 334.14 crore in 2021, Rs 210.32 crore in 2022, and Rs 15.77 crore in 2023.

Officials have noted that the outbreak seems to be receding, with fewer deaths and culling reported since mid-December. Typically, ASF outbreaks show a pattern of respite during winter, followed by a resurgence in warmer weather.

Mizoram has also battled the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in several previous years, including 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020, resulting in a loss of Rs 10.62 crore. Despite these setbacks, authorities remain hopeful that the ASF situation will improve in the coming months.