Pigs at the Drestry Farm Industry commercial pig farm, in India’s northeast state of Assam (Sonapur, Karchia Village; photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann).

In view of the pig production potential in . . . [India’s] Northeast and eastern states, a mission on pig production with focus on strengthening large pig-breeding farms and other infrastructure, incentives for producing feed input materials, improved package of practices, vaccines and diagnostics, pork processing plants and linking of pig producers to markets should be initiated,” says a working group on animal husbandry set up by a government planning commission.

‘The country has 13.84 million pigs and the Northeast has 26 per cent of the population. . . .

Rameshwar Deka, scientist (livestock and livelihood) International Livestock Research Institute, Guwahati, said it would be ideal to establish medium to large pig-breeding farms in the region for their multiplication under the private sector with support from the government.

‘“The private sector will have to step into the pig sector in the region and there will have to be support from the government,” he said.

‘Deka said capacity building of all those who are involved in pig rearing and marketing is the need of the hour.

‘The group said protection of pigs from classical swine fever in particular is a must. . . .

‘The mortality rate in pigs because of classical swine fever varies from 60-80 per cent.

‘Nearly 80 per cent of the population in the Northeast are indigenous people and pig-keeping is an integral part of their life.

‘Swine fever, also known as hog cholera, is a highly contagious viral disease and is said to be the most serious threat to the pig population in the Northeast. . . .’

Read the whole article in The Telegraph (Calcutta): Panel stresses pig rearing: Working group stresses setting up of large breeding farms, 9 May 2012