Mizoram bans pig import in wake of African Swine Fever outbreak

Aizawl, The Mizoram government on Friday banned import of pigs and pig products such as pork sausage, frozen pork meat and smoked pork meat in view of the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the neighbouring states.

An order issued by the state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Department said that a complete ban has been imposed on import of pigs and pig products of various kinds from the neighbouring countries and states due to the outbreak of ASF in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

It said that the swine fever has killed as many as 20,000 pigs in the neighbouring states.

The ASF is a dangerous disease and all pigs in Mizoram might be killed if it spread to the state, the order said.

The state was hit by PRRS in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020, killing thousands of pigs and piglets, causing a loss to the tune of Rs 10.62 crore, officials said.