TODAY -
Hundreds of pigs culled/killed following outbreak of ASF
Vashum advocates insurance for livestock
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 23 2023:
Even as hundreds of pigs have been killed/culled following outbreak of African Swine Fever, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister Khashim Vashum has said that the Government may soon make insurance of livestock mandatory for farmers.
At his official residence at Babupara, Imphal the Minister told The Sangai Express that the spread of African Swine Fever has devastated pig farmers of the State and affected their economy.
At times of such a disaster, insurance helps cover farmers' losses by way of compensation, he said.
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The spread of African Swine Fever has affected many pig farmers and is unfortunate.
The loss is not of the farmers alone but for the State also, he said.
Maximum number of farmers in Manipur do not have any insurance for their livestock which would compensate them in case of a disaster, he said.
While many are not aware of livestock insurance, many who are aware have also not taken any insurance.
If the farmers had availed insurance for their livestock including pigs, they would have gotten compensation, he said.
Farmers in the State should avail insurance for their livestock to protect losses in case of catastrophes such as the African Swine Fever, he added.
The Minister said that the Government doesn't have the resources to give compensation to all farmers of the State who have been affected by the African Swine Fever.
However, the Government may provide some compensation to affected farmers from the State Relief and Disaster Management Fund, he said.
On the other hand, the Minister informed that last year, many farmers in the hills who lost cattle to an infectious disease applied for compensation from the fund of the State Relief and Disaster Management.
The Government has not yet released the compensation, he said, stating he believes that the farmers may get the compensation later.
He stressed that due to Manipur's present state of economy, it can't compensate and cover the losses of all the farmers caused by the African Swine Fever.
The Minister stated that in other States, farmers avail insurance cover for their livestock compulsorily, and as such, they are well compensated in times of disasters.
The Veterinary Department will soon take up steps to make insurance mandatory for people rearing livestock at home.
Such a step will benefit the farmers.
Proper policy will be prepared for this, he said.
Amid the African Swine Fever scare, the Minister said that people/farmers rearing livestock, cattle, pigs and poultry should immediately inform about illness, infections, and deaths of animals and birds to the Veterinary Department for timely action.
He said rapid response teams of the Veterinary Departments have been formed and they are responding to reports of deaths of pigs.
At the reported sites or farms, the rapid response teams are taking up control and containment measures to curb the spread of African Swine Fever, he said.
Farmers should cooperate with the Veterinary Department and its experts to properly handle the dead pigs and other livestock.
The carcasses of the pigs should be buried deep, he said.
The Minister also urged farmers to timely administer vaccines to their livestock.
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