Komi Ministry of Agriculture urged pig farms to change their profile to alternative types of animal husbandry

The Ministry of Agriculture of Komi calls on pig farms to change their profile to alternative types of animal husbandry. The work is carried out as part of the execution of the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture of RUSSIA, the press service of the department reports.

The Komi Ministry of Agriculture informs that a tense epizootic situation with African swine fever is currently developing in Russia.

ASF is a highly contagious disease of domestic and wild pigs. The death of pigs with ASF infection is up to 100%. This disease, although not dangerous to humans, poses a great threat to pig production. There is currently no cure for ASF and there is no vaccine for it. The disease is highly contagious, and is spread not only by infected animals, but also through care products, water and feed. When a diagnosis of ASF is established in the focus of the disease and within a radius of up to 20 km from it, the removal of pigs and the destruction of MEAT and other products of slaughter of pigs is carried out.

Recall that in Komi in 2021, 2 ASF outbreaks were registered among domestic pigs in Syktyvkar and the Syktyvdinsky district. In the course of measures to eliminate ASF outbreaks, 696 heads of pigs were seized from 32 owners.

According to the agency, there is currently a high risk of introducing ASF with live pigs, pig products and feed into the territory of the Komi Republic.

The most vulnerable pig farms for ASF are personal subsidiary farms, peasant (farm) farms and subsidiary farms of institutions for which it is not possible to comply with biological safety requirements.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, such farms should be converted to alternative types of animal husbandry.

Owners of pig farms with a low level of biological protection, in the event of a decision to re-profile, can receive state support for the purchase and maintenance of young cattle, cows and heifers.

In addition, the republic provides grant support for Agrostartup to citizens and peasant (farm) enterprises. On a competitive basis, a grant can be used to purchase farm animals (except for pigs), including poultry; purchase of agricultural machinery, trucks, equipment for the production and processing of agricultural products (except for equipment intended for the production and processing of pig products), etc.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Komi Republic strongly recommends refraining from purchasing and keeping pigs. If at present it is not possible to transfer the farm to alternative types of animal husbandry, then we ask citizens and heads of agricultural enterprises - owners of domestic pigs to ensure strict compliance with the requirements of the Veterinary Rules for keeping pigs for the purpose of their reproduction, cultivation and sale, approved by order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia dated October 21 2020 No. 621, Veterinary Rules for the implementation of preventive, diagnostic, restrictive and other measures, the establishment and lifting of quarantine and other restrictions aimed at preventing the spread and eliminating foci of African swine fever, approved by order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia dated January 28, 2021 No. 37.

Keep pigs indoors, do not allow free range of pigs, their contact with other animals.

Regularly clean and disinfect rooms. Constantly use change of clothes, shoes, separate equipment for caring for pigs; the danger is visiting and caring for animals in everyday clothes and shoes, in which you could previously visit another farm.

Avoid feeding pigs with feed of animal origin and food waste without heat treatment (boiling) for at least 30 minutes after boiling, buy feed only of industrial production.

Do not allow visits to farms, livestock farmsteads by unauthorized persons.

Do not purchase and sell piglets and pigs in places of unauthorized trade, as well as without veterinary accompanying documents, register pigs in local administrations of districts and settlements.

Do not carry out house-to-house slaughter and sale of pork without veterinary pre-slaughter inspection of animals and veterinary and sanitary examination of meat and slaughter products by specialists of the state veterinary service.

Do not buy meat products in places of trade that are not established for this purpose by the local administration.

In the event of signs of illness in pigs or their sudden death, immediately contact the state veterinary institutions at the place of residence.

It is obligatory to provide the livestock of pigs for veterinary examination, vaccination (against classical swine fever, erysipelas) and other treatments.

Do not throw away animal carcasses, waste from their maintenance and processing to landfills, roadsides, dispose of and destroy biowaste only with the knowledge of state veterinary institutions in specially designated places determined by the administration of a rural settlement or cremators.

Do not process the meat of dead or forcedly slaughtered sick pigs - this is prohibited and can lead to further spread of the disease.