March 13, 2023

Assam state, India has banned imports of poultry and swine from other parts of the country

The government of Assam state, located in north-eastern India, has temporarily banned imports of poultry and swine from other parts of India due to rising cases of avian influenza and African swine fever (ASF) throughout the country, The Times of India reported.

The temporary ban has been imposed through the western border of the state to prevent the entry of the animal diseases into India's northeast.

Intra-district and inter-district of live swine is permitted to be transported, subject to biosecurity measures.

While a bird flu outbreak has been reported in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, Bihar is also on high alert to stop the spread of avian flu. Despite the fact that the last ASF case in Assam state was two-and-a-half years ago, which killed thousands of farmers' swine last year, the decision to ban swine imports was made in response to reports of ASF from various central and western states of the nation.

Atul Bora, Assam state's Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, said the government is worried about the spread of ASF from other states even though there haven't been any recent cases reported in Assam. Pork consumption in Assam and other north-eastern states is much higher than the state's current pork production. Swine are imported in large quantities from neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

-      The Times of India