ITANAGAR, 28 Jun: Agri & Allied Minister Gabriel D Wangsu has issued an advisory to farmers across the state,following forecasts of potential disease outbreaks by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology (ICAR-NIVEDI) through their National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES v2).
The advisory identifies Papum Pare district as facing a ‘very high risk’ of African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.
Wangsu outlined comprehensive preventive measures for pig farmers in order to help them safeguard their livestock and livelihoods.
“Strict biosecurity measures are the most effective way to prevent and control the disease,” the minister said, and urged farmers to implement controlled access to farms with mandatory disinfection of all equipment and vehicles entering farm premises.
The advisory specifically warns against feeding swill or kitchen waste to pigs, a common practice that significantly increases disease transmission risk. Farmers have been instructed to dispose of any carcasses “through deep burial with lime treatment or incineration, following proper protocols.”
Movement restrictions within and outside affected zones have been mandated, with farmers required to maintain regular monitoring systems and to report any unusual pig mortality to veterinary authorities immediately.
West Siang district faces an equally serious threat from footand mouth disease (FMD), with risk levels assessed as ‘very high’ by ICAR-NIVEDI forecasting systems. The minister has called for immediate vaccination campaigns to protect cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals in the region.
The comprehensive FMD prevention strategy includes ring vaccination within an 8-kilometre radius of any suspected cases, using vaccines appropriate for circulating serotypes O, A, and Asia-1. Livestock movement controls will be strictly enforced during outbreak situations, with quarantine measures mandatory for newly introduced animals.
“Animals aged four months and older should receive biannual vaccinations to maintain immunity,” stated Wangsu. The advisory emphasizes immediate isolation of infected animals, as their excretions and secretions contain active virus particles capable of rapid transmission.
All feed and fodder that comes into contact with infected animals must be discarded immediately to prevent further contamination, according to the guidelines.
Speaking about the advisory, the minister highlighted that farmers in the state have previously suffered significant losses due to minor negligence in disease prevention protocols. “We cannot afford to take these warnings lightly. Prevention is always better and more cost-effective than dealing with full-scale outbreaks,” he stated.
