Be cautious when restocking pigs due to the disease.

To avoid the risk of a resurgence of African swine fever, farmers need to be cautious and strictly adhere to technical procedures and biosecurity protocols when restocking their herds.

To avoid the risk of a resurgence of African swine fever, the specialized agency of the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment advises farmers to exercise caution and strictly adhere to technical procedures and biosecurity measures when reinvesting.

Farmers spray pesticides in their livestock pens before restocking in Lai Chau . Photo: Duc Binh.

To date, the four communes of Bum Tở, Pa Ủ, Pu Sam Cáp, and Nậm Sỏ have gone 21 days without any new cases of African swine fever.

Meanwhile, the five communes of Ta Tong, Dao San, Khong Lao, Muong Te, and Hua Bum continue to effectively protect their livestock. This is a positive sign for disease control efforts. However, authorities still warn that restocking livestock, especially pigs, in these localities requires extreme caution to avoid complacency that could lead to a resurgence of the disease.

Mr. Vu Manh Tuong, Head of the General Department of Veterinary Medicine (Lai Chau Livestock and Veterinary Sub-Department), said: "To successfully protect the results of disease prevention and control and to sustainably restore production, people need to be cautious and strictly comply with regulations on organizing pig restocking."

Pig restocking should only be carried out at facilities that have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever or where at least 21 days have passed since the last case and there has been no recurrence. The restocking facility must ensure disease safety and biosecurity, and may be certified VietGAHP, GlobalGAP, or confirmed to meet all requirements by the local government and veterinary authorities.

For restocking facilities, livestock owners must declare their restocking plan to the local authorities; they must have standard barns, and a system for care, drinking water, feed, veterinary hygiene, etc., that complies with the regulations of the Livestock Law. Large-scale livestock farming requires periodic environmental sampling and testing to check for African swine fever pathogens.

In addition, farmers should raise a small number of pigs as a trial in the initial phase to monitor their progress and repopulate the herd. They should closely monitor the trial herd daily, and immediately report any unusual symptoms to veterinary officers and authorities for timely action.

After the trial period, if the test results are negative and the pigs show no signs of disease, farmers can then fully restock their herds, reaching 100% capacity.

Local authorities and veterinary agencies are responsible for inspecting restocking conditions, monitoring implementation, providing technical guidance, and ensuring disease prevention throughout the restocking process.

Authorities advise farmers to exercise caution during the pig restocking process. Photo: Duc Binh .

In Tan Uyen commune, in addition to disease prevention and control efforts, commune officials are actively advising people to be cautious when restocking their herds. Ms. Tong Thi Kim Van, Deputy Head of the Commune's Economic Department, shared: "Currently, the African swine fever situation in the area is gradually being brought under control. We are stepping up efforts to educate people about the veterinary agency's guidelines for restocking to ensure effectiveness. The people are very supportive and comply with the regulations."

Repopulating pig herds is essential for restoring production after an outbreak. However, if done carelessly, hastily, and without strict control, the consequences could be a resurgence of the disease with greater severity. Therefore, people need to strictly adhere to regulations on biosecurity in livestock farming.

Given the continued high demand for pork and the expected surge towards the end of the year, if restocking is done correctly and safely, it will not only restore production but also create opportunities to increase income.

To support and assist livestock farmers, in the coming period, specialized agencies at the provincial, commune, and ward levels will continue to coordinate strict inspections and quarantine at checkpoints. At the same time, livestock farmers need to apply effective disease prevention and control measures and only restock their herds when they have ensured compliance with the guidelines.

According to statistics from the Livestock and Veterinary Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment), since the beginning of the year, the province has recorded 35 outbreaks of African swine fever in 33 communes and wards, forcing the culling of more than 13,200 pigs with a total weight of nearly 697,000 kg, belonging to 3,349 livestock farming households in 397 residential areas and villages.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/than-trong-tai-dan-lon-vi-dich-d784685.html