The Meghalaya government on May 2 has imposed a ban on inter-district transportation of pigs even as it advised people to properly cook pork due to the outbreak of African swine fever leading to large scale death of pigs in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
“Transporting of pigs and selling of pork only within the district is allowed,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters in his daily briefing.
Last week, the government had already imposed a ban on import of pigs from other states into Meghalaya following reported death of pigs in the two Northeast states.
“Samples from these two states (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) were taken and were tested at ICAR, Bhopal which confirmed the same,” Tynsong said, urging people not to panic since the flu was not reported in Meghalaya.
“It is advised that people should consume pork only after cooking adequately (above 70 degrees Celsius) for at least 20 minutes,” he said.
The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department has asked all pig farms, private farms and pig farmers to take adequate measures for strict hygiene and bio-security such as disinfection of the farms, equipment and restricting entry of any outside person into pig farms.
“Signs of high fever in pigs and any abnormal mortality of pigs should be brought to the notice of the District or Sub Divisional Animal Husbandry & Veterinary,” the department had stated in its order.
“All government pig farms, private pig farms and pig farmers should take adequate measures for strict hygiene and bio-security such as disinfection of the farms, equipment and restricting entry of any outside person into pig farms,” a government notification said.
