The northern mountainous province of Yen Bai discovered the disease in 17 hamlets of nine communes, and wards and towns in six districts and townships.

The province has provided over 2,600 litres of cleaning chemicals and equipment to localities, while setting up epidemic control stations to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

Meanwhile, the People’s Committee of the northern province of Lao Cai has asked sectors and localities to mobilise all resources for epidemic prevention and control, along with the formation of nearly 20 control stations.

From May 11-19, ASF has attacked five hamlets of Ban Lau and Lung Vai communes of Muong Khuong district, forcing the killing of 310 pigs. Local authorities also culled seven pigs of a farm at Bao Ha commune of Bao Yen district.

In the northern midland province of Phu Tho, from February 19 to May 19, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development culled 1,058 pigs, weighing over 73 tonnes in total, in 38 communes, wards, and towns of 11 districts, cities, and townships.

Phu Tho has established 15 mobile control teams and six stations at provincial and district levels, along with 277 control teams and 17 control stations at communal level to manage pig trading, slaughtering, and transport.

At the same time, the southern province of Dong Nai has asked for 40,000 litres of chemicals from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to help clean pig farms.

Currently, ASF has been found in five communes of Trang Bom, Nhon Trach, and Vinh Cuu districts. Local authorities have culled nearly 900 pigs weighing more than 35 tonnes.

Dong Nai has the largest pig herd in the country with 2.5 million pigs.

Stronger efforts required for fight against African swine fever

Party Committees at all levels, local administrations and social organisations must make strong efforts to fight African swine fever, said a directive issued on May 20 by the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

To cope with the disease which has hit 34 provinces and cities and caused big losses for pig farmers, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat called for stronger measures to control the outbreak.

The fight against African swine fever must be a key and urgent task for the Government and related ministries, said the directive.

The ministries and local administrations must control the outbreak in the shortest time to ensure sustainable socio-economic development and improve people's lives.

Party members and people should be provided with information on the danger of the disease to prevent outbreaks and protect pig production and distribution, while avoiding confusion in society, the directive said.

The agricultural sector should prepare measures to restore pig breeding when the outbreak is fully controlled, as well as set up plans to raise other animals and fishery production.

People’s Committees of provinces and cities must ensure financial and human resources to fight African swine fever and other diseases.

Appeals for financial contribution and technical assistance from organisations and individuals from both domestic and abroad must be launched to help farmers affected by the outbreak.

So far, 1.5 million infected pigs have been culled since the African swine fever entered the country in February this year. VNA