The African Swine Fever (ASF) has also been found in the swine samples taken from Talwandi Aklia village in Mansa district, said the government on Wednesday. Now, Punjab has five ASF-affected districts.

Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar said, 735 swine have been culled in four ASF affected districts; Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, SBS Nagar and Fazilka. He said that a total of 471 swine in Patiala, 68 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 176 in SBS Nagar and 20 swine have been culled in district Fazilka.

The Minister said that after the confirmation from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – National High Security Animal Disease Institute, Bhopal, the Animal Husbandry Department has strictly enforced restrictions and declared zero to one kilometre area of the epicentre in Mansa as ‘infected zone’ and one to ten 10 km area as ‘surveillance zone’ to prevent the disease in the district.

The departmental officials have also been instructed to ensure that no live or dead pig including feral or wild pigs, unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material from the piggeries should be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person will bring or attempt to bring into the market any pig or pig products which are known to be infected with the ASF.

“The Punjab government has announced a compensation policy for the 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 epicentre notified by the department,” said the Minister.

He said that compensation for the culling of a piglet weighing up to 15 kilogram (kg) is Rs 2200, Rs 5800 for pig weighing between 15 kg and 40 kg, Rs 8400 for weighing between 40 kg and 70 kg pig, Rs 12000 for weighing between 70 kg and 100 kg. The compensation of Rs 15000 will be given for the 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 Minister has urged the 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. It is mandatory to cull swine within one kilometre radius from the epicentre of the disease,” he said.

The Minister said that the mortality rate of the disease can be as high as 100 per cent and once a pig is affected, it dies within a few days. It is, therefore, better that culling should be done by the department as there is no compensation policy if an affected pig dies on its own, added Bhullar.