GUWAHATI:The North East Progressive Pig Farmers' Association (NEPPFA), an umbrella body of more than 500 commercial pig farmers, organised a press meet on 21st April to clarify the misconceptions about the different types of diseases in pigs.
Manoj Kumar Basumatary, President of NEPPFA and Dr Dhireshwar Kalita, Principal Scientist, Assam Agricultural University, addressing the meet, cited the difference between Swine flu (H1N1) and Classical Swine Fever.
While the H1N1 flu is a viral disease that attacks humans as well, the Classical Swine Fever, although viral, does not attack humans.
The latter is a seasonal flu and pigs can be vaccinated from its infection.
The association further clarified that World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the H1N1 influenza event to have moved to a post pandemic period. The flu, which attacked human beings, could not be contracted by consumption of pork products.
The press meet also discussed various guidelines to tackle the classical flu that had killed a large number of pigs in some districts of the state. Issues like proper vaccination at piggeries and proper way for disposal of dead pigs by either burying at minimum 3-4 feet depth underground or burning them were discussed.
And appeal was also made to facilitate ample availability of the vaccine and mass production of the same at the Khanapara Biological Centre.
NEPPFA also asked the state government to address crucial issues like animal life insurance, feeds stock availability through public distribution system and a database of all the pig farmers in the state.
Claiming pig farming is at a developing stage with huge potential the association pointed out that many educated youths from Assam and the nearby regions have taken it up on commercial basis.
As per the 20th Census from 2012 to 2019, Assam has the largest number of pigs in the country. And the northeast region alone consumes around 4.26 lakh metric tonnes, which is 65 percent of the country's pork meat. The pork market of the northeastern region amounts to more than one billion US dollars.
