SARAWAK Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom has described the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the state a “disaster”. 

Thousands of farm pigs have either died from the disease or culled, and farmers who have seen their livestock wiped out by the culling have appealed to the state government for assistance to help them avoid financial ruin.

Since the outbreak, reported in March last year in the northern (administrative) division of Limbang, close to 2,000 farm pigs have been culled. 

Since February, 1,400 pigs have been culled in five farms in and around Sarikei and Sibu in central Sarawak.

The number of animals that have died from the disease, which has a 100% mortality rate, is unknown as there have been reports of several farmers in Miri and Sibu who have been illegally disposing of carcasses to hide the fact that ASF had hit their farms. 

“(It’s) a big problem and something we never expected,” Dr Rundi said. 

He compared the ASF outbreak to the Covid-19 pandemic and said the state’s Veterinary Services Department (DVS) is mooting drawing up a standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of the disease.

“The Veterinary Services Department is trying its level best to see how best we can, in future, prevent this from happening. 

“It’s very frustrating to (cull the animals) but it’s something we have to do the moment any pig gets infected. 

“We have to stop it from spreading to other farms.” 

He said the SOP the DVS is drawing up will address the spread of the disease by ethnic tribal hunters of feral pigs and wild boars.

Some longhouses have reported their pigs have “mysteriously” died.

Dr Rundi said the outbreak has nonetheless left the state’s RM100 million per annum trade in pig and pork products with Singapore untouched. 

The trade accounts for a fifth of the state’s annual RM500 million pig production industry. 

He said that’s because the 804ha “modern” Pasir Putih farm in Simunjan is unaffected by the outbreak so far. 

Sarawak presently exports 2,000 live pigs to Singapore every week. 

The state also exports pigs worth RM1 million a year to neighbouring Brunei, and there is a thriving pig trade along certain sections of the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. 

ASF is a fatal and highly infectious haemorrhagic disease. 

The virus passes between pigs via direct contact, contaminated feed or contact with vectors like ticks.

It is classified by the World Organisation for Animal Health as a List A disease, with a mortality rate of up to 100%.

Though ASF is deadly to pigs, it is not known to infect humans or other animals. – March 8, 2022.