N5bn Lost: Ogun Pig Farmers Protest Over Swine Fever Devastation

Pig farmers in the Ikangba/Agoro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area, Ogun State, are appealing to both federal and state governments for urgent intervention after suffering estimated losses exceeding N5 billion due to recurrent African Swine Fever outbreaks. The affected farmers, operating under the banner of the Ikangba/Agoro Pig Farmers’ Association, staged a protest in Ikangba Town on Wednesday, collaborating with the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign, to demand compensation, soft loans, and other forms of support to help them rebuild their businesses.

During the demonstration, farmers displayed placards with poignant messages, including pleas like “President Bola Tinubu, Gov Dapo Abiodun, please come to our aid; African swine fever has destroyed our means of livelihood” and “African swine fever virus is not a spirit; government should find a cure to this deadly virus.” Other signs declared, “Over N5bn lost to African Swine fever, we are now jobless and depressed. We call on the government to rise to our rescue,” highlighting the severity of their plight.

Speaking on behalf of the distressed farmers, John Eko, the National Coordinator of the Food and Farmers Rights Campaign, revealed that more than 2,000 farmers have been impacted by the disease. He stated that the outbreak has led to the demise of tens of thousands of pigs and the forced closure of over 99 per cent of pig farms within the region. Eko emphasized that the financial devastation extends beyond the livestock itself, affecting critical farm infrastructure, feed supplies, initial investments, and the livelihoods of numerous farm workers who have since lost their jobs.

Eko articulated the scale of the crisis, saying, “For several weeks running, we pig farmers within the Ikangba/Agoro axis in Odogbolu Local Government, numbering over 2,000, have lost tens of thousands of pigs worth over N5bn, and the losses are still counting, to the outbreaks of the rampaging, highly contagious, but non-zoonotic African Swine Fever virus. The outbreak has devastated the local pig production industry, leaving farmers struggling to recover from the financial losses.”

He further pointed out that this recent outbreak marks the third instance in a decade that African Swine Fever has severely impacted investments in the area. Eko criticized both the state and federal governments for their perceived lack of adequate support to farmers affected by previous occurrences. He lamented, “Sadly, both governments have maintained a pin-drop silence to our agonies, sobbing and murmurs, yet it is loud enough to stir the dead in their comfortable reposes in graveyards.”

According to the campaign coordinator, farmers can no longer endure the burden of repeated outbreaks without government intervention, stressing that immediate action is crucial to prevent the complete collapse of the industry. He added, “Neglected and forlorn, we had before now been compelled to bear our losses with stoic perseverance. But our limits of endurance to these preventable and avoidable losses have been exceeded. Moving forward, we can no longer suffer and die in silence.”

Eko’s demands included comprehensive compensation for affected farmers, agricultural production subsidies, accessible low-interest loans, and the provision of essential resources such as quality breeding stock, animal feeds, and disease-control materials. He also called for the distribution of relief materials to farmers struggling to meet their families’ basic needs due to their lost incomes.

Furthermore, Eko urged the Federal Government to prioritize investment in agricultural research and development, particularly in efforts to create effective vaccines and drugs against African Swine Fever. He highlighted Nigeria’s capacity, with institutions like the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State, and its qualified scientists, to contribute significantly to combating the disease. He expressed disappointment, stating, “The fact that this has not happened, particularly in a country like Nigeria, given her huge human and material resource endowments, only shows how our successive governments have not taken agriculture, food security, and the plight of farmers seriously.”

To address the ongoing crisis, Eko proposed the formation of a high-powered technical committee, including scientists, farmers, and other relevant professionals, to explore viable solutions for developing vaccines and drugs.

Corroborating the widespread losses, Mr. Folorunsho Ayodele, another farmer present at the protest, shared his personal ordeal, revealing he lost pigs valued at over N18 million. He added that his neighbor suffered even greater losses, amounting to more than N30 million. Ayodele recounted, “the outbreak began about two months ago and over 2000 farmers have lost their animals to this cruel disease. I personally lost over N18m; my pen houses are now empty. My own neighbor lost over N30m. These are pigs that weighed over 300kg and a kilogram is sold for N2,500 and above. Many of us are on loan; some are even in the hospital because of the shock of these terrible losses. The experience is better imagined than experienced. We beg Gov Abiodun and President Tinubu to please come to our aid. We need all the suppor”