GUWAHATI: Around 10 lakh pig farmers, who were affected by the death of pigs due to African Swine Fever last year, will boycott the assembly polls if they are not compensated before the , the North East Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association (NEPPFA) has said. It said the farmers should be provided compensation either in the form of money or fresh pigs to help them tide over the crisis.
Ashok Barman, director of the animal husbandry and veterinary department, said around 18,200 pigs died of African Swine Fever (ASF). But NEPPFA president Manoj Basumatary differed. “Over 1 lakh pigs died of the disease. We do not know how the government came up with that data,” he added. “The government has not taken any step to compensate the affected farmers despite memoranda being sent to CM Sarbananda Sonowal and the agriculture minister Atul Bora,” he said.
Demanding revival of the sector, Basumatary added, “Pig farming is a livelihood of around 10 lakh families in Assam and there are around 1,200 commercial farmers. While commercial farmers incurred unprecedented losses, the other families have lost their livelihood. Now, commercial farmers are focusing on survival after being severely hit by the African Swine Fever and Covid-19.”