At Mercy For Animals request:
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Nov: Following Mercy For Animals’ demand, the Uttarakhand Government has issued a statewide advisory against feeding of food waste to pigs at farms
The advisory issued by the Animal Husbandry Directorate mandates Chief Veterinary Officers to educate pig farmers and monitor state farms to prohibit the feeding of unregulated food waste in Uttarakhand.
The advisory urges Chief Veterinary Officers of all the districts to ensure prohibition on the dangerous practice of feeding untreated and unregulated food waste, or swill, to pigs in backyard and commercial farms.
“Stale, mold-infected, or highly contaminated components (high salt, high oil, chili) fed to pigs are not only detrimental to pigs’ digestive health but also public health,” said Niharika Kapoor, Organising Specialist for Mercy For Animals India. “It has been widely documented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE) that feeding food waste is a major vector for the spread of livestock diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD),” added Kapoor.
The advisory issued to all Chief Veterinary Officers and Project Directors includes three key directives:
- They must actively educate pig farmers in their districts about the risks of disease spread and poor growth linked to feeding waste food.
- They are mandated to ensure strict monitoring of State Pig Farms to prevent the use of rotten, spoiled, and fungus-infected materials.
- They must undertake all necessary steps to effectively implement these awareness and monitoring initiatives across the state.
Mercy For Animals India is a leading nonprofit organisation dedicated to reducing the suffering and cruelty endured by animals raised for food and promoting a transition to plant-based eating. With film stars like John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha, Daksha Nagarkar, and Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik as brand ambassadors, Mercy For Animals uses legal advocacy, corporate campaigns, movement building, and public engagement to create a future in which animals are respected, protected, and free. With over 800 volunteers pan-India, Mercy For Animals is committed to achieving meaningful change for animals across the country.
