Ogun Pig Farmers Report N5bn Losses to Swine Fever, Seek Government Aid.

Pig farmers in the Ikangba/Agoro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area, Ogun State, say an outbreak of African Swine Fever has caused losses exceeding N5bn. They are asking the state and federal governments for compensation, low-interest loans and other support to help restore their businesses.

Members of the Ikangba/Agoro Pig Farmers’ Association made the appeal on Wednesday at a protest organised with the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign in Ikangba Town. The group said more than 2,000 farmers had been affected, with tens of thousands of pigs dying and most farms in the area shutting down.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, said the state had notified the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and was awaiting a response on possible intervention. He described African Swine Fever as a highly contagious disease affecting pigs, for which there is no approved vaccine for routine prevention.

Owotomo urged farmers to report suspected cases to veterinary authorities so samples could be collected and the outbreak confirmed. He also advised them to strengthen biosecurity, limit the movement of pigs, disinfect facilities and equipment, and avoid transporting pigs or pork products from suspected infected farms until they receive veterinary guidance.

John Eko, national coordinator of the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign, said the outbreak had damaged not only livestock but also farm infrastructure, feed supplies, investments and livelihoods. He added that farm workers had lost their jobs and described the outbreak as the third major African Swine Fever crisis to hit the area in a decade.

Eko called for compensation, production subsidies, affordable loans, quality breeding stock, animal feed and disease-control materials. He also urged the government to provide relief for farmers struggling to meet basic household needs.

He called for increased investment in research into vaccines and treatments, and proposed a technical committee of scientists, farmers and other experts to explore possible solutions. He cited the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State, as an institution that could contribute to the work.

Farmers at the protest described the personal toll of the outbreak. Folorunsho Ayodele said he had lost pigs worth more than N18m, while a neighbour lost over N30m. He said the outbreak began about two months ago and left his pens empty. According to Ayodele, some farmers had borrowed to finance their farms, and several were struggling with the shock of their losses.

Another farmer, Adeola Oyeleye, said she had lost more than N10m, while some farmers she knew had lost over N100m. She appealed for grants, loans and compensation to help affected farmers return to business.

The farmers stressed that African Swine Fever is not transmitted to humans, but warned that without urgent assistance, pig production in the area could face further decline.