Mass Death of Farm Animals still Occurs

Thousands of pigs in farms in North Sumatra have died from African swine fever in the past six months, followed by similar cases in Bali and East Nusa Tenggara. The government has yet to come up with solutions.

KOMPAS/NIKSON SINAGA

A farmer shows the vitamins he was provided for injecting his pigs on Friday (21/2/2020) in Helvetia village of Sunggal district, Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra. Pig farmers in 22 regencies and municipalities of North Sumatra have been battling against an outbreak of African swine fever.

MEDAN, KOMPAS – After six months of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak and a massive street protest demanding government attention in mid-February, pig farmers in North Sumatra have yet to find a solution. The outbreak continues to spread, leading to 47,143 deaths in 22 regencies and cities. The figure does not include the outbreak in Bali and possibly East Nusa Tenggara, where more than 2,000 pigs are believed to have died from the disease.

The ASF outbreak hit around 700 farmers in Helvetia village, Sunggal district, Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra. A majority of pigpens in the pig-farming regions were empty on Friday (21/2/2020). However, some farmers have restocked their pigs.