Thiruvananthapuram: The Government Kerala announced that it would distribute this month the compensation to pig farmers in Kannur and Wayanad districts, who had suffered heavy loss on account of the outbreak of African swine fever. The state government also made it clear it would pay the full amount without waiting for the central allocation . Pigs had reportdly been culled in these districts following the outbreak.
The Animal Disease Control Project of the department's corpus money would be used to pay for the necessary preventive measures and compensation, according to State Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J Chinchurani.
A government order has been issued for the situation, and the district animal welfare officers have been directed to determine the losses suffered by the farmers. The state government had implemented all preventative measures in response to news of Bihar and north-eastern states having African swine fever, but Mananthavady, Thavinjal, and Nenmeni in the Wayanad district as well as Kanichar Panchayat in Kannur had the virus, the minister explained. Then, pigs at farms within a one-kilometer radius of the disease's epicentre had to be put to death in accordance with the central government's action plan. Chinchurani said, up to 702 pigs in Wayanad and 247 pigs in Kannur had already been put to death.
The state and the federal governments often split the cost of the compensation. But in this case, the minister said, "the Kerala government will pay the full amount right away without waiting for the federal allocation and will seek the same later. The minister added that she will soon travel to the affected areas to visit the farmers who had lost their pigs and give them compensation.
She said that the members of the department's fast action forces would be recognised for their successful preventive actions. Following a warning from the Center that African swine flu had been reported in Bihar and a few northeastern States, Kerala enhanced biosecurity measures in July. African swine fever is a deadly viral disease of domestic pigs, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
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