Ogun Pig Farmers Lose N5bn to African Swine Fever

Pig farmers in the Ikangba/Agoro axis of Odogbolu Local Government Area, Ogun State, have reported losses exceeding N5 billion following outbreaks of African swine fever, appealing to the Federal and state governments for assistance to revive their businesses.

The farmers, operating under the Ikangba/Agoro Pig Farmers’ Association, made the appeal on Wednesday during a protest organised in collaboration with the Food and Farmers’ Rights Campaign in Ikangba town.

The National Coordinator of the campaign, Mr John Eko, said more than 2,000 farmers had been affected, with tens of thousands of pigs reportedly dying from the highly contagious disease. He added that more than 99 per cent of pig farms in the affected area had shut down.

Eko said the losses extended beyond livestock to farm infrastructure, animal feed, business investments and livelihoods, leaving several farm workers unemployed.

He described the outbreak as the third major occurrence of African swine fever to devastate investments in the area within a decade, accusing the Federal and Ogun State governments of failing to provide adequate support to affected farmers.

The campaign coordinator said the farmers could no longer absorb repeated losses without assistance, urging the authorities to intervene before the local pig industry collapsed further.

He called for compensation, agricultural subsidies, low-interest loans, quality breeding stock, animal feed and disease-control materials. He also appealed for relief assistance for farmers struggling to provide for their families following the loss of their businesses.

Eko urged the government to increase investment in agricultural research, particularly efforts to develop vaccines and treatments against African swine fever. He cited the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State, as one of the institutions that could contribute to the research.

He also proposed a technical committee comprising scientists, farmers and other professionals to explore possible solutions to the recurring outbreaks.

One of the affected farmers, Mr Folorunsho Ayodele, said he had lost pigs valued at more than N18 million, while a neighbouring farmer had suffered losses exceeding N30 million.

Ayodele said the outbreak began about two months ago and had left farms empty, adding that some farmers had borrowed money to finance their operations. He appealed to the Federal and state governments to provide support to help them resume production.

Another farmer, Mrs Adeola Oyeleye, said she had lost more than N10 million in investments, while some farmers she knew had lost over N100 million.

Oyeleye called for compensation, grants and soft loans, alongside stronger efforts to develop a vaccine against the disease.

The farmers stressed that African swine fever does not infect humans but can cause severe losses in pig production. They urged the authorities to strengthen disease-control measures and provide timely assistance to prevent further damage to livelihoods and food production.