Mizoram suffered a financial loss of Rs 114.64 crore in 2025 due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which claimed the lives of more than 9,700 pigs across the state, an official of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department said.
Deputy Director (Disease Investigation and Epidemiology) Esther Lalzoliani Ralte said a total of 9,711 pigs died of ASF between March and December last year, while 3,620 pigs were culled as a preventive measure to stop further spread of the disease. The outbreak affected 3,867 families during the period, she added.
ASF toll since 2021 remains severe
Ralte said ASF was first reported in Mizoram on March 21, 2021, at Lungsen village in Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border. Since then, the disease has caused widespread devastation in the state’s pig population. A total of 72,012 pigs have died due to ASF since 2021, affecting over 12,500 families and resulting in cumulative financial losses of Rs 1,011.27 crore.
To control the spread of the disease, authorities have culled 52,979 pigs across the state since 2021. The last ASF-related pig deaths were reported on December 8, 2025. Mizoram recorded the highest number of ASF-related pig deaths in 2021, when 33,417 pigs died, followed by 14,950 deaths in 2024 and 12,795 in 2022.
The state also suffered its highest financial losses due to ASF in 2024, estimated at Rs 336.4 crore. Losses in 2021 were pegged at Rs 334.14 crore, while those in 2022 stood at Rs 210.32 crore, the official said.
Compensation, seasonal pattern and other outbreaks
Ralte said more than Rs 14.51 crore received from the Centre and the state government has already been disbursed as compensation to farmers for pigs culled up to 2023. A compensation proposal of Rs 24.94 crore for pigs culled in 2024 has been submitted to the Centre, with the amount to be shared equally by the central and state governments.
She clarified that there is no provision for financial assistance for pigs that die due to ASF, and compensation is provided only for animals culled by government authorities.
Explaining the disease pattern, Ralte said ASF outbreaks usually subside during winter but tend to resurface with greater intensity during warmer months.
Apart from ASF, Mizoram has also faced outbreaks of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020. These outbreaks killed thousands of pigs and piglets and caused financial losses estimated at Rs 10.62 crore, she added.