Aizawl, January 16 (IANS). Mizoram has suffered a financial loss of about Rs 115 crore due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) between March and December 2025. Officials gave this information on Friday.
An official of Mizoram’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) said more than 9,710 pigs died of ASF between March and December 2025, while more than 3,620 pigs were culled during the same period to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.
The official said that due to these deaths and killing of pigs, the farmers of the state have suffered a financial loss of Rs 115 crore.
In view of the winter season, the intensity of ASF outbreak in Mizoram has reduced significantly.
According to the official, the ASF outbreak was first reported on March 21, 2021, in Lungsen village of Lunglei district in southern Mizoram, near the Bangladesh border.
More than 72,000 pigs have died due to ASF since March 2021, affecting more than 12,500 pig farming families and causing a total financial loss of Rs 1,011.27 crore in the last nearly five years.
A total of 52,980 pigs have been culled since 2021 to prevent further spread of the disease, the official said.
The central government has so far given compensation of Rs 14.51 crore to the affected pig farmers, while the state government has submitted a compensation proposal of Rs 24.94 crore to the Centre.
The state government has also given compensation to the affected families.
Mizoram suffered the highest loss due to ASF in 2024, where pig farmers suffered an estimated loss of Rs 336.40 crore. After this, there was a loss of Rs 334.14 crore in 2021 and Rs 210.32 crore in 2022.
In 2025, Siah district in southern Mizoram was the worst affected, where deaths of more than 3,645 pigs were reported from 45 villages and localities, affecting about 1,370 families. About 970 pigs have also been culled in the district as a measure to prevent the spread of the infection.
Apart from Siaha, other major affected districts include Longtlai, Khojaul, Hanthiyal, Lunglei, Aizawl, Mamit and Champhai.
The Mizoram government is urging farmers to remain vigilant and cooperate with AHVD officials in efforts to prevent the spread of ASF.
This highly contagious virus remains a serious threat to the pig population in the state, so preventive measures remain a top priority for the authorities. Several AHVD teams are regularly visiting the affected areas to closely monitor the situation and take immediate steps to control the disease.
Experts say ASF is an extremely dangerous and easily spread disease, with a very high mortality rate and up to 100 percent mortality in infected animals. It affects domestic pigs and wild boars, and there is no treatment or vaccine available to prevent or control the disease.
However, ASF does not affect humans.
–IANS
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