SIBU: Pig farmers have been reminded to step up their farm biosecurity to protect their farms from the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) which has been detected in Durin in Sibu District, Meradong and Jalan Repok in Sarikei District.
Sibu and Sarikei Divisions were declared as ASF Disease Control Area to declare a bigger area for effective control.
Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said these declarations were still in effect and had yet to be lifted.
“The Department of Veterinary Services continues to monitor all the pig farms, be it a commercial or smallholder farm, or even indigenous pigs kept in the villages and longhouses.
“Our monitoring programmes include both clinical and serological surveillances to determine the spread of ASF in these two divisions,” he said.
Rundi advised farmers to discourage farm visits and bar vehicles that are not properly cleaned and disinfected.
Swill feeding using kitchen wastes should be stopped as contaminated food products (including pork) are often the cause of the spread of ASF, he said.
“I am quite happy as the department has managed to contain the disease.
“I would like to seek the cooperation of all parties, especially the producers, to uphold good animal husbandry practices and strengthen farm biosecurity, and the butchers, the retailers as well as the transporters to practise strict hygiene and sanitation.
“Only if we work together can we halt the spread of the African Swine Fever,” he said.
