500.000 Pig Tails In NTT Dies Exposure To The ASF Virus

The delivery of three units of Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) diagnostic tool for the detection of the African Swine Fever (ASF)/ANTARA virus

The Australian Indonesia development partnership program said 500,000 pigs in East Nusa Tenggara Province died due to exposure to the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus or swine fever when it first broke out in the area in 2020. "In 2020 the rapid transmission of the ASF virus in NTT resulted in the death of more than 500,000 pigs and enormous economic losses for farmers," said Promoting Rural Incomes CEO through Support for Markets in Agriculture (PRISMA) Nina FitzSimons in Kupang, Antara, Tuesday, February 7. Nina FitzSimons said this when handing over three units of Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) diagnostic tools for the detection of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus or African Babi fever from the Australian government worth IDR 1.4 billion to support the handling of ASF transmission prevention in NTT. The three ASF virus detection tools are to support the NTT Government in efforts to restore the pig farm sector in NTT, which is the area with the largest pig population in Indonesia. According to him, the three tools worth Rp1.4 billion are diagnostic tools Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and related reagents sent as part of the package can detect the ASF virus in pigs placed in three locations, namely Flores, Sumba and Timor islands. "This tool is expected to support the NTT Government in efforts to restore the Babi sector in NTT Province considering that the diagnosis can be done more quickly, so that control measures can be taken immediately," said Nina FitzSimons. He said NTT Province has the largest pig population in Indonesia and in 2020 the rapid transmission of the ASF virus in NTT resulted in the death of more than 500,000 pigs and enormous economic losses. "The new outbreak of the ASF virus that occurred in 2023 has again made NTT the most affected area in Indonesia both economically and culturally," he said. In addition to the submission of LAMP, the Government of Australia through the Australian Indonesia Partnership for Promoting Rural Incomes through Support for Markets in Agriculture (PRISMA) and the Australian Indonesia Partnership Program for Health Resilience (AIHSP) will also carry out capacity building activities (technical guidance), workshops, and training of trainers (ToT) targeting veterinary field officers and laboratory technicians. In addition to helping livestock producers, the impact of using LAMP is also expected to provide economic impetus for market players involved in livestock trading and its derivative products. “ We are very happy that small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs involved in the development of the Babi sector will gain access to animal disease testing facilities available on the islands of Sumba, Flores, and Timor. This will make farmers' pigs safe and their income protected, while the Babi sector recovers from the African Babi Fever Virus ” Nina FitzSimons said.