Set for African swine fever fight

A 10 KILOMETRE buffer zone has been created in the Mendi-Munihu, Southern Highlands, by the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (Naqia) after initial evidence of African swine fever (ASF) in pigs was detected there.
Dr Andy Yombo, who is heading the Naqia team, said the disease was believed to have started in the district, then found in Nipa-Kutubu and they took some samples for testing in the Haralenja village at the border of Hela and Southern Highlands.
He said many pigs from Haralenja, Hekenda and other neighbouring villages were buried and people were worried.
“More than 500 pigs have died and before the awareness reached people in the beginning of the year, it was reported that cooked pork was sold everywhere at Mendi town,” Dr Yombo said.
“Today, our advice to the people is to kill the infected pigs and bury them.”
Dr Yombo said there were five Naqia teams based in the Highlands, two in Southern Highlands looking after the eastern and western parts and another three were based in Hela, Enga and Western Highlands.
The Government recently declared Southern Highlands, Hela and Enga as “diseased areas” following the outbreak of ASF.
Dr Nime Kapo, from the Pacific horticultural and agriculturalmarket access (Phama), said the disease was terrible and could wipe out pigs in the Highlands if people did not take heed of the awareness.
He said Phama was funded by the Australian and New Zealand ministry of foreign affairs and trade who had to step in to support Naqia’s work.
Dr Kapo said police and a few locals would help in setting up checkpoints at certain locations to stop people from transporting pigs and pork.
“I see many people in the rural areas with broken hearts because pigs are their backbone and it is very valuable to them,”he said.
“We will make sure the awareness reaches people in the remote areas so that they will separate or kill and bury infected pigs and the disease does not spread.”
Many people in Southern Highlands have lost pigs worth thousands of kina.
Komea village spokesman Myron Peter told a Naqia team last Wednesday during their awareness routine that no one would help them.
He said people from the village alone lost more than 100 pigs.
“One time all our potato gardens were affected by an unknown disease and nothing was done by the national and the provincial governments to help us with seedlings,” Peter said.
“Again Naqia is in Southern Highlands working in partnership with the provincial government and we know they will do nothing to help us with piglets or give K50 each to all farmers that lost their pigs so that they can buy piglets.”
“Pig is money and people look after pigs to settle disputes in their villages, compensations, marriages and pay school fees for their children and now many are affected.”
Peter said many were not happy to cooperate and work with the Naqia team because of the failure by the provincial government to support them in the past.
Representing the Naqia team, Wesly Pape said Naqia was doing awareness to protect the disease from spreading.
“If nothing is done the disease will wipe out pigs in the province, we cannot ignore this important message from Naqia,” Pape said.
“We understand your grievances but we cannot comment on that as people in higher authority might have the answers but we need people to cooperate and we prevent the disease from spreading,” he said.