Mr. Ha Van Tien, Trang hamlet, Tu Ly commune (Da Bac) sadly watched his pigs die gradually due to disease.
Stunned because of strict disease prevention but pigs still die
In early April 2024, Cao Son was the first commune in Da Bac district to record a case of pigs dying from ASF. By early May, the disease broke out and spread strongly in Tu Ly commune. Mr. Ha Van Tien's family in Trang hamlet has been involved in pig farming for decades. Due to strict implementation of disease control, for many years now, Mr. Tien's family's pigs have always been safe, even though there were times when pigs from surrounding households got sick and died from ASF. Last year, Mr. Tien's family earned 200 million VND from raising pigs. At the beginning of this year, he invested more than half of the profit from last year in pig farming. To prevent and control the disease, Mr. Tien's family chose to buy piglets from a reputable pig farm for 1.5 million VND/pig, 300 - 400 thousand VND/pig higher than the price of pigs bought outside. The pig farming area is separated from residential areas, strangers are not allowed to enter, and is regularly sprayed with disinfectants.
However, over the past few days, the pigs have been dying. More than 30 pigs and sows have died and had to be destroyed. Mr. Tien sadly said: "Since the discovery, the pigs have been dying persistently, more than 30 pigs have died. Currently, the disease continues to spread to the herd in the neighboring barn. Every day, we have to bury the dead pigs, which is really sad and frustrating. My family regularly sprays disinfectant to keep the barn floor clean, does not let outsiders in, and buys piglets from reputable farms. But the pigs still get sick and die." According to estimates, his family has suffered a loss of about 100 million VND during this epidemic. With the current epidemic situation, it is unlikely that his family's remaining pigs will survive...
Also in Trang hamlet, Mrs. Dinh Thi No's family "hung" their pigsty during this sweep by ASF. A few days ago, Mrs. No's family's herd of pigs, including a sow weighing over 200kg, 17 breeding pigs and 1 porker, had to be destroyed due to ASF. According to Mrs. No, 3 years ago, her family also suffered a loss of nearly 50 million VND due to this dangerous disease. After 1 year of stopping raising pigs, the family invested in raising pigs again. However, before they could recover their capital, they tasted bitter fruit. After the pigs died, Mrs. No's family dug a hole in the corner of the garden to bury them and burned straw, sprinkled lime to kill pathogens in the pigsty and surrounding area. Nearly 20 pigs died, causing a loss of about 30 million VND. "In rural areas, livestock is mainly raised to improve the economy . Now pigs are dying from an epidemic like this, and we still owe money to buy feed. My family and other affected households hope that the authorities will pay attention and support to fight the epidemic so that we can invest in livestock farming again in the future," Ms. No expressed.
Need to tighten quarantine
According to veterinary officer of Tu Ly commune Dinh Ba Hanh, the commune has a total herd of about 3 thousand pigs. Pig farming is one of the occupations that bring income to many households in the area. Since the outbreak, this dangerous disease has spread to the hamlets: Mit, Me, Chau, Tinh, Trang and started appearing in hamlet Gieng, so far about 200 pigs have been destroyed. To prevent the spread of the disease, Tu Ly commune has stepped up propaganda work, mobilizing people to destroy sick pigs, not to sell pigs to avoid the spread of the disease. Along with that, disinfecting and sterilizing to destroy pathogens. According to veterinary officer of Tu Ly commune, one of the reasons for the outbreak and strong spread of the disease is due to lax control and quarantine. The situation of traders bringing pork of unknown origin from other places to consume in the area is quite common.
According to the data of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Da Bac district, the total pig herd in the district is currently over 26.8 thousand. In Cao Son commune, the outbreak of ASF has had 143 pigs infected with the disease and had to be destroyed, weighing over 3.3 tons. Comrade Bui Khac Vinh, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the district, said: When the epidemic broke out, the unit advised the District People's Committee to support households with spraying drugs; propagandized people to focus on spraying disinfectants at locations where the epidemic occurred. Strengthened information and propaganda about the harmful effects of the epidemic, instructed farmers to clean and destroy dead pigs in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine.
Regarding the cause of the outbreak of ASF, the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Da Bac district also stated that it was due to the lack of control over slaughtering and animal quarantine. This is a problem that has existed since the merger of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station into the Agricultural Service Center. Due to the complicated developments of the epidemic, there has been a situation of pigs being sold off in Tu Ly commune, with a high risk of the disease spreading widely. Therefore, preventing this situation is very important, requiring the drastic participation of functional sectors and authorities at all levels. Along with that is more timely attention and support for people who are suffering losses caused by ASF.
Written by Dao
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