Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, informed that African swine fever (ASF) has been found in the swine samples from village Talwandi Aklia of district Mansa and this area has been notified as 'infected zones' for the prevention of the ASF.
He said that after confirmation from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) -National High Security Animal Disease Institute, Bhopal, the Animal Husbandry department has strictly enforced restrictions and declared 0 to 1 kilometre area of the epicenter as "infected zone" and 1 to 10 KM (9 KM) area as "surveillance zone" to prevent the disease in the district.
The departmental officials have also been instructed to ensure that no live/dead pig (including feral or wild pigs), unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material/goods from the piggery farms or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person shall bring or attempt to bring into the market any pig or pig products which is known to be infected with the scheduled disease.
Giving information about the swine culling to prevent the disease in the state, Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said, as many as 735 swine have been culled in four ASF affected districts i.e. Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, SBS Nagar and Fazilka. He said that a total 471 swine in Patiala, 68 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 176 in SBS Nagar and 20 swine have been culled in district Fazilka.
"The Punjab government has announced compensation policy for culling of swine and compensation will be given only for the culling done by the department within the "infected zone" of one km radius of the epicenter notified by the department", said the Animal Husbandry Minister.
He said that compensation for the culling of a piglet weighing up to 15 kg is Rs.2200, Rs.5800 for pig weighing between 15kg to 40 kg, Rs.8400 for weighing between 40kg to 70 kg pig, Rs.12000 for weighing between 70kg to 100 kg, while compensation of Rs.15000 will be given for pigs weighing above 100 kg, while swine feed destroyed within the "infected zone" will also be compensated at the rate of Rs.22 per kg.
The Cabinet Minister urged pig farmers to cooperate with the department for the culling of swine. "As per the policy of the Government of India, compensation will be given only for the culling done by the department and it is mandatory to cull swine within one kilometer radius from the epicenter of the disease", said the Cabinet Minister, while adding that the mortality rate of the disease can be as high as 100 percent and once a pig is affected, it dies within a few days. Thus, it is better that culling should be done by the department as there is no compensation policy if the affected pig dies on its own.