Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that the state government has initiated immediate containment measures after closely monitoring the fresh outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state. He informed that the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department was taking all possible steps and precautionary measures to contain the outbreak and ensure that it did not spread on a large scale. He added that while only a few cases had been reported, the state government was making every effort to keep the situation under control.
The renewed outbreak has raised concerns over the livestock sector, particularly pig farming, which serves as a crucial source of livelihood for thousands of rural households in Meghalaya and across the Northeast, a region that has repeatedly battled ASF outbreaks in recent years.
The latest cases have prompted the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department to launch an extensive containment and surveillance operation, with infected and surveillance zones being notified across multiple districts.
The restrictions come amid fears that any further spread of the disease could result in significant economic losses for farmers, disrupt the pork supply chain and affect one of Meghalaya’s most important livestock-based rural industries.
