An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has reportedly struck Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, causing the deaths of hundreds of pigs in the municipality.
The affected areas include Canteen, Attributu, Boroto, and Sori Number One, among others.
In an effort to contain the disease, some farmers have been forced to slaughter and bury sick pigs, as well as properly dispose of those that have already died.
While pork remains a popular delicacy both locally and internationally, the outbreak has had a severe impact on pig farmers, many of whom are still trying to recover from a similar outbreak in 2023.
Farmers who spoke with MyJoyOnline.com shared their frustration with the ongoing impact of these repeated outbreaks on their livelihoods.
“I lost about thirty fully grown pigs in the last outbreak. As if that wasn’t bad enough, all my new piglets—about forty of them—also died. Now, I’m unsure how to stop this from happening again, as the four pigs I recently bought all died just last week,” said Amatus Azuri.
Another affected farmer, Agnes Beyuo, expressed that she is considering leaving pig farming altogether.
“Business is about profit, and you have to accept some losses. But if this disease keeps striking without any relief, I may take a five-year break to observe the industry before deciding what to do next,” she said.
Dr. Enouch Sarkodie-Addo, the West Gonja Municipal Director of Veterinary Services, confirmed that the outbreak is indeed due to African Swine Fever.
He urged farmers to implement biosecurity measures and shift toward more intensive farming methods, as opposed to the semi-intensive systems commonly used in the affected areas.
“The most effective solution is strict biosecurity and intensive farming because, unfortunately, there are no vaccines available for ASF at this time, although research is ongoing,” Dr. Sarkodie-Addo explained.
He further noted that affected pigs often show erythema (skin reddening), a symptom not as evident in the previous outbreak.
“One of the major indicators of ASF is the sudden and unexpected death of otherwise healthy animals. If pigs fail to respond to typical treatments and begin dying abruptly, it raises serious alarm,” he added.
