Enforce bye-laws on stray animals — Pig farmers appeal

The Ashanti Regional Pig Farmers and Processors Association has called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to enforce bye-laws on stray animals, particularly pigs, to support the development of the pig farming industry.

Making the call at a news conference in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional chairman of the association, Mr Kwame Dei Ampofo, said the pig farming industry had made significant strides in revenue mobilisation and that enforcement of the bye-laws would safeguard the industry.

He noted that a number of pig owners in the country had left their animals to stray and also failed to do routine veterinary checks on their animals, leading to the outbreak of diseases.

According to him, the pig farming industry had attracted a large number of employees and investors and so without the enforcement of bye-laws on stray animals, most especially pigs, there would be a financial drain on pig farmers.

 The call comes in the wake of recent media reports of an outbreak of swine fever in and around the Ellembelle District in the Western Region.

The secretary of the association, Mr Philemon Ampong, blamed the media for reporting negatively on the outbreak of swine fever in Ellembelle, saying the report was an attempt to sabotage the pig industry.

He said even though the disease had been detected, the affected pigs in the area had been slaughtered and burnt to prevent the disease from spreading to other communities outside the district, as directed by the Western Regional Veterinary Officer.

He called on all members of the association to work harder to ensure bio-security measures on their farms to avoid contracting any related diseases harmful to the consumption of pork.

He also called on government institutions and all stakeholders to create an enabling environment for the development of the pig industry.