Pork sale banned in Parasi after finding African swine fever infection

By Bikash Adhikari, Nawalparasi (West), Nov 25: The sale of pork has been banned after the infection was confirmed in pork  that was being sold at the weekly market in Parasi, the district headquarters of Nawalparasi (West).

A notice has been issued by Ramgram Municipality, which manages the local market, to ban the sale of wild boar meat in the market.

Two traders were found selling suspicious pork in the Parasi weekly fair on November 12 and samples of the meat were tested and confirmed to be infected with African swine fever.

"After the PCR testing conducted at the Veterinary Laboratory under Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Center, Parasi, confirmed positive for the African Swine fever, it was sent to Kathmandu, where it the reconfirmed to have the virus. After that, the buying and selling of pork has been banned, "said Ramgram Municipality.

Similarly, the District Administration Office has also issued a notice asking not to sell or distribute pork in markets.

According to sources, farmers are taking the meat of sick pigs to sell to the market after failing to sell meat from home.

Pritam Gurung, a farmer who raises pigs in Sunwal, complained that smugglers from India make arrangements to bring in sick pigs and sell them in the market.

He urged the Chief District Officer to take control, saying that the problem arose due to the local administration's lack of interest.

He said that the untested pigs imported from India have increased the risk of the pigs being raised by farmers dying all at once.

The Animal Service Expert Center reported that pigs from some farms in the Ramgram area are currently sick.

Department of Animal Services has called the disease a "highly dangerous" epidemic with a high mortality rate in animals.

Experts have urged farmers raising pigs on farms to exercise caution.