CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Former Meghalaya Cabinet Minister and Mawkynrew MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh has urged the State Government to impose an immediate temporary ban on the import of pigs from outside Meghalaya and to provide loan relief to pig farmers, warning that the prolonged outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has pushed the State's livestock sector into a deep economic crisis.
Raising the issue during a meeting with Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai on Thursday, attended by senior departmental officials, Lyngdoh highlighted the widespread distress among livestock rearers, mounting pig mortality, and the sharp fall in market prices, calling for the Chief Minister's direct intervention to prevent further devastation of the sector. Shullai assured that he would personally take up the matter with the Chief Minister within the next two weeks.
During the meeting, Shullai said, "The Veterinary Department has already resolved to temporarily suspend the import of pigs from outside the State. However, this proposal must be formally presented to the State Government to effectively contain the rampant spread of the devastating African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic in Meghalaya."
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