Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked leaders of cities and provinces to take responsibility in front of the law and himself for their locality’s performance in preventing and fighting the African swine fever (ASF).
The PM made the request in a teleconference held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on March 4 to seek urgent solutions to control the ASF outbreak.
As of March 3, within one month, the virus has been reported in 202 household farms in the seven cities and provinces of Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Ha Nam, and Hai Duong.
More than 4,200 infected pigs, weighing a total of 297 tonnes, have been destroyed.
Experience learnt from countries affected by the virus shows that the major reason of the fast spreading of the virus are transportation, poor hygiene in farms, and the inadequate treatment of redundant pig feed.
Participants at the event proposed a number of proposals on how to control the epidemic as well as support policies for households who have had their ASF-infected pigs destroyed, thus preventing the selling of ill pigs to the market.
PM Phuc asked the whole political system, sectors, businesses, and farmers to strictly implement comprehensive measures to control ASF.
The government leader requested sectors and agencies to strengthen communications work to encourage farmers not to allow the virus to spread further by not trading and transporting ill and dead pigs, not consuming dead pigs, not disposing dead pigs irresponsibly by dumping them in surrounding areas, and not using untreated redundant animal feed.
The PM ordered the clarification of reasons behind the spreading of the virus to the current seven provinces. Meanwhile, along with the strict controlling of the virus development, it is necessary to support farmers in destroying infected pigs, he said, asking participants to consider the MARD’s proposal of compensating farmers with cash equivalent to 80 percent of the value of the buried pig.
It is also crucial to ensure transparency in the compensation process, the PM noted. –VNA
VNA