Ekiti Govt warns pig farmers against African swine fever

Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, has warned pig farmers to beware of the African swine fever.

The commissioner said the disease could cause an increase in the mortality rate of pigs, and adversely affect piggery businesses.

Boluwade, who gave the warning in an advisory made available to farmers and stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti, charged farmers to take preventive measures early enough to deal with the highly contagious viral disease.

According to him, such preventive measures include farmers stepping up the biosecurity measures on the farms, increasing plane nutrition to step up immunity, increasing the level of farm sanitation, and limiting visits to other farms.

Other measures to prevent the African swine fever, according to the commissioner, are slaughtering and processing of mature pigs to reduce the risk, awareness creation and strict warnings to farm attendants and workers and restriction of human and vehicular movements in and out of farms.

Boluwade further advised piggery farmers to also put in place a secured perimeter fence on farm premises and stopping the exchange or reuse of feed bags.

The commissioner emphasized the need for farmers to heed the warning in order to further consolidate the efforts being made by the Governor Biodun Oyebanji led administration to reduce hunger and ensure food security in Ekiti State.

Ekiti Govt warns pig farmers against African swine fever