File photo of a pig herd. More than 3.3 million sick pigs have been culled due to ASF – PHOTO: VNA

The epidemic has been the costliest seen in the country to date, posing multiple challenges in the fight against it as it was mainly discovered among local farming households, stated Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, at a meeting on measures to prevent and fight against the disease last week.

So far, the central province of Ninh Thuan is the only locality to remain untouched by ASF, according to Cuong.

Many localities have faced obstacles in bringing ASF outbreaks under control. Over 100 ASF-hit communes across 22 provinces and cities reported they had no more sick pigs after 30 days, but then new outbreaks occurred.

The agriculture ministry has called on pig farming firms and the relevant agencies to adopt bio-safety breeding methods. Also, it directed localities to develop more than 800 facilities for safe pig farming.

The minister added that ASF was still mutating. Bio-safety remains the most effective prevention measure that can be applied to all diseases.

Cuong suggested effective plans should be worked out to develop the livestock sector over the long term as more epidemics may hit the country in the years to come.

Further, the relevant agencies have to study ways to develop vaccines and bioproducts to ensure bio-safety in the future, the minister added. SGT

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