Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has urged the State government to expedite steps to disburse adequate compensation to farmers in the district for massive culling of their pigs to contain the spread of African swine fever.
The Hindu had published a news article on the plight of the pig farmers in Wayanad on Saturday.
In a letter to Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Milk Co-operatives J. Chinchu Rani, Mr. Gandhi said that in a region where the agrarian sector had been particularly hard hit by erratic weather and natural calamities, pig rearing had provided an additional source of income.
“Many farmers have taken loans to establish and expand their piggery enterprises. However, the outbreak of the disease has not only derailed their prospects, but has further pushed them into debt,” Mr. Gandhi said.
The Thavinhal grama panchayat authorities had drawn the MP’s attention to the acute distress faced by the farmers due to the inadequacy of government-mandated compensation rate vis-à-vis the prevailing market rates, Mr. Gandhi said. Over 380 pigs were culled in this grama panchayat alone to keep the disease at bay, he added.
Hence, the State government should intervene and ensure the payment of adequate compensation in a timely manner, Mr. Gandhi said.
