While Kerala’s state government follows stringent measures to stop the spread of the swine flu, pig farmers in the state struggle with losses, despite government compensation.
What Jiji Shaji would give to hear her pigs’ squeal. When she found out about the culling of pigs because of the African swine flu in the Thrissur district three weeks ago, it was a grim reminder of the pigs she had lost.
Shaji started rearing pigs in Kaniyaram village in the Wayanad district 14 years ago. In the beginning of June this year, she noticed certain changes in the pigs in her farm.
It began with a single pig refusing to eat.
Soon it fainted and then died. She took the dead animal to the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Pookode to find out what had killed her pig.
In the 10 days it took for the results to come in, the remaining 43 pigs in her farm were dead.
Whether small farmers such as Shaji or large scale farmers who grow pigs by the hundreds, livestock of swine are staring at an uncertain future despite the state government’s efforts to stop the problem.
Arun Vincent is a large scale farmer with 360 pigs in his farm in Thavinghal village in Wayanad. He had entered the business just a year ago, following the footsteps of his father.
On June 18, the veterinary department informed him that his pigs were infected with the African swine flu and had to be culled.
When three pig farms in Wayanad reported the flu, more than 700 pigs were culled.
It’s a strong virus that a mere touch is enough to make one a carrier. Every 15 days, disinfection must be done in all infected farms
The same is playing out now in the Thrissur district. In October more than 200 pigs were culled in the Thrissur district.
In addition to following protocols in culling the infected pigs and burying them, the department is taking various measures to stop the spread of the infection.
Neither pigs nor pig meat can be sold within a radius of 10 km from the place of the African swine flu outbreak.
“Most of the 450 pigs in my farms are ready to be sold. But I can’t sell them as my farms are within a 10km radius,” KS Ravindran, a pig farmer and vice president of Kerala Livestock Farmers Association, told Village Square.
Farmers are not allowed to sell pigs outside the district too.
“The farms that reported African swine flu infections can restart pig farming only after six months, after making sure that the virus has been eradicated,” said K Jayaraj, district coordinator of the animal husbandry department, Wayanad, who is in charge of the drive to control the African swine flu.
On top of that these farms must limit the number of pigs to 10% of the earlier count.
“It’s a strong virus that a mere touch is enough to make one a carrier. So we have restricted the movements of human beings in the surveillance zone. Every 15 days, disinfection must be done in all infected farms,” Jayaraj told Village Square.
The maximum compensation for a culled pig has been limited to Rs 15,000.
The Kerala government has already distributed more than Rs 37 lakh as compensation to pig farmers.
But Jiji Shaji is not one of them even though she suffered a loss of around Rs 5 lakh.
“As per the rule, compensation is only for pigs culled following the protocol. But my pigs died because of the African swine flu,” bemoaned Shaji.
But the state veterinary department replied positively.
“Whatever may be in the rulebook, she would be adequately compensated,” assured Jayaraj.
Like Shaji and Vincent there are around 500 pig farmers in the Wayanad district – most of them having switched from agriculture as it was becoming unviable for various reasons. Many chose pig farming after trying other livelihoods – since restaurant waste is enough to feed the pigs.
Though it’s difficult, I have to run the shops. I have pawned my wife’s jewels to pay the shops’ rents,”
“Before the flu hit us, I would have earned Rs 75 lakh for 360 pigs at the Angamali market in Eranakulam district,” said Vincent. He received Rs 19 lakh as compensation for the culled pigs.
Having started pig farming with a bank loan of Rs 73 lakh, he is lost as to how he would pay.
In addition to a pig farm, Shiju Valad owns three pork shops in Mananthawadi block in Wayanad.
“Though it’s difficult, I have to run the shops. I have pawned my wife’s jewels to pay the shops’ rents,” said Valad.
Like Vincent, most farmers had taken bank loans but can not pay the monthly interest.
“We need a moratorium on the loan instalments at least for one year,” he said.
Due to the recurring anxiety, most of the traders are reluctant to purchase pigs from farmers and the price of pork has come down drastically.
Like farmers, around 200 pork meat traders are in a fix too.
Before the African swine flu outbreak, each of his shops sold 30-50 kg of pork every day. Now they hardly sell 1-2 kg.
To reverse the situation, the government has decided to enter the market.
“The Meat corporation of India, a state government institution, will procure pigs from farmers at a reasonable price. This will avoid inertia, prompting private traders too to purchase pigs,” said J Chinchurani, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Kerala.
Though the state government is taking stringent measures – like checking borders for illegal transportation of pigs since they suspect the flu came from other states – farmers said that finding a vaccine is the only solution.
“There are thousands of farms in Kerala. Veterinarians intervene only if a farmer reports death. Hence there may be unreported cases. We are requesting the government to invent a vaccine at the earliest,” said Pappachan, secretary of Kerala State Livestock Farmers Association.
But India doesn’t yet have an approved vaccine for the African swine flu.
“So, ensuring the strict implementation of the protocol is the only solution for the time being,” said Jayaraj
The good news is that the African swine flu has not spread as much as it was expected to, though it may take many months to tide over the crisis.
The lead image shows piglets in a farm, even as pigs are being culled in Kerala because of an African swine flu infection (Photo courtesy Kameron Kincade, Unsplash)
K Rajendran is a journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram.
