Farmers clean a pig barn. The application of bio-security standards at pig farms is the most effective measure to tackle the disease. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The strict application of bio-security standards to farming practices is the most effective measure to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever until vaccine production begins, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường has said.

At a conference on African Swine Fever held on Thursday, Cường said there was no choice but to live with the disease and apply measures to curb it.

All pig farms, especially large-scale facilities, must strictly apply bio-security standards, he said.

A representative of Quế Lâm Corporation in central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province said that pigs must be kept disease-free and have clear origin.

Pig barns must be well-designed so they can be kept clean, and be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The herds must be fed certain micro-organisms and probiotic food regularly to improve disease resistance.

By now, all of the barns are safe from the disease, he said.

Đặng Huy Hậu, vice chairman of northern Quảng Ninh Province’s People’s Committee, said the farming habits of small-scale households, which were hit hard by the virus, must be changed.

The best solutions to curb the disease would be the reduction of small-scale farming households and the building of modern slaughterhouses.

Hậu said the province had encouraged farmers to switch to aquaculture until the disease is eradicated in the country.

Cường said the ministry would designate safe zones for the expansion of pig farms in the upcoming time.

Localities with no infected pigs reported dead after 30 days would be allowed to resume pig breeding, he said.

Cường also noted that measures should be taken to ensure a sufficient supply of meat.  

The ministry has asked localities to focus on developing poultry. In the first six months of the year, the amount of poultry increased by 7.2 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Figures from the ministry’s Animal Health Department showed that between early February and July 8, all 62 cities and provinces were hit by the disease, with more than 3.3 million of pigs culled.

Ninh Thuận was the only province free from the virus. — VNS