African swine fever (ASF) continues to devastate pig populations across Arunachal Pradesh, with the disease spreading to new districts in recent months. This ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for stronger animal welfare standards and biosecurity measures in pig farming. Without immediate intervention, both animals’ lives and farmers’ livelihoods remain at serious risk.
Mercy For Animals India’s Appeal to the Government
Mercy For Animals India has formally written to Shri Gabriel Denwang Wangsu, the minister of agriculture for Arunachal Pradesh, urging the government to adopt a comprehensive package of practices developed by the ICAR–National Research Centre on Pig (ICAR–NRC).
These science-based measures, already proven effective, provide detailed guidance on the following:
- Housing for pigs
- Hygiene and waste-disposal practices
- Farmer training and awareness programmes
- Biosecurity systems to limit disease spread
What Mercy For Animals India Is Recommending
In the letter, Mercy For Animals India called for these measures:
- Adopting ICAR–NRC guidelines for scientific housing, hygiene, and waste management
- Aligning with the national ASF action plan (2020) to strengthen surveillance and regulate pig movement
- Launching awareness and training programmes to help farmers implement biosecurity best practices
- Introducing monitoring systems with pig-housing registration and regular inspections
These steps can help safeguard animal welfare, public health, and farmer livelihoods.
Scientific Guidelines for Pig Farming
The ICAR–NRC guidelines offer practical, science-driven methods to improve conditions for farmed pigs in India:
- Housing systems that reduce overcrowding and stress
- Hygiene practices that limit disease transmission
- Safe waste disposal to protect the environment
- Training for farmers to adopt biosecurity best practices
Implementing these guidelines is crucial to preventing ASF outbreaks and improving overall farmed animal welfare.
Inspiring Change Beyond Arunachal Pradesh
Animal welfare reforms are gaining momentum across India. After appeals from Mercy For Animals India Foundation and other groups, 21 states have prohibited the use of cruel gestation and farrowing crates for pigs: Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Telangana, Manipur, Mizoram, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sikkim, West Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, and Punjab.
These decisions serve as powerful inspiration for Arunachal Pradesh—and the world—to rethink animal welfare policies and adopt more humane and sustainable farming practices.
Learn more about Mercy For Animals India’s work to ban cruel gestation crates here.
