By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

NAKHON PATHOM Thailand (Reuters) – Jintana Jamjumrus was a Thai pig farmer who lost two years of business when her animals began to get feverish. Jintana suspected it was an African swine virus (ASF), which is a potentially deadly viral disease that has no known cure.

After years of insisting it was in Thailand, Jintana officials have identified the first ASF-related case.

It’s impossible for them to have known. The country was ravaged by pig deaths… So why the cover-up? Jintana (75) asked Jintana about previous deaths. What can they do right now? It’s all gone.”

In parliament, an opposition lawmaker accused the government of a years-long cover-up, though a deputy agriculture minister denied this, saying authorities had successfully kept out the disease in previous years.

Small farmers have been losing 54% of their income in the past 12 months. They are also skeptical about the possibility of the viral disease that has decimated hundreds of millions in Asia and Europe since 2018.

Jintana stated, “I needed to allow the sick ones to die and then sell the good ones.” Jintana said, “My entire business had been destroyed.”

A earlier warning could have saved the farmers’ livelihoods and possibly prevented the shortage of pork that caused retail prices to rise to Bangkok at 215 baht ($6.47) a kg Jan. 11. This was the highest daily average from a database dating back to 2001.

High prices resulted in a ban on live animal exports until April. However, consumer prices might remain high since production may take many months to recover. Rural communities already struggling from the loss of hogs could be further affected by this.

The confirmation has led to the discovery of African swine disease in Thailand, which was discovered in 23 areas of 13 provinces. Thailand also culled 400 pigs from small farms since then, according Bunyagith Pinprasong who is the director of Bureau of Disease Control and Veterinary Services.

Bunyagith stated that between 2019-2021, nearly 300,000.000 pigs were culled by livestock authorities who considered them to be high-risk for African swine disease. But, the virus was never found in dead pigs.

He stated that the majority of pig deaths in previous years were due to porcine reproductive and respir syndromes (PRRS).

“We took strict and efficient measures to stop ASF from spreading, which was why it didn’t exist before,” he stated. We will stop its spread and develop a vaccine.

PRODUCTION LOWER

Nearly 100,000 smallholders (or those who raised up to 50 animals) had gone by the time Thailand announced the ASF epidemic. There were only 79,000 left, according to government statistics on the livestock sector.

The data show that the losses in the national herd of 10.85million pigs by small farmers, 17% less than last year’s 13.1million, were due to a halving of their herds.

Small farmers and smallholders with 51 to 500 animals typically contribute about 30% of Thailand’s pork production. This includes about 19million to 20million pigs. About 18 million of these pigs are eaten domestically, while the remainder is exported.

Bunyagith stated that the current decline in pigs was not due to African swine flu. He also said that PRRS (previous disease outbreaks) and classic swine virus were two of the most prevalent diseases in Thai pork, although vaccines are available for both.

But, regardless of whether ASF or PRRS is used, smallholders will still suffer losses if they do not have a sound farm management system.

Small farms are struggling, but shares in Thailand’s largest food producer Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl jumped to nearly seventy percent in January. Shares in Thaifoods Group Pcl reached their highest level since April.

Kevalin Wupichayasuk from Kasikorn research Center said that further reductions in small farm market shares could lead to longer-term food price declines.

Kevalin stated to Reuters that the gradual loss of smallholders means fewer competitors and lower prices, which could have an effect on prices.

Bunyagith stated that raising new animals in order to close the gap could take more than 10 months. Therefore, the government will offer loans to smallholders and new piglets for rebuilding.

However, farmers claimed that they have lost faith and are unsure if pig farming can still provide income.

Jamnian Iangjiam (62), said that she quit pig farming following two unsuccessful attempts at restarting with new piglets. They got sick as well.

Jamnian stated that her pig pen has been empty for the past five months because she had spent all of my savings on raising pigs. “I’m done.”

($1=33.22 baht)