Rinchen Tshering holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc, AH) degree and currently serves as the District Veterinary Officer under the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock, Department of Livestock, Dzongkhag Administration, Punakha, at the District Veterinary Hospital. In addition to his professional role, he is an adjunct lecturer at the College of Natural Resources, where he teaches Veterinary Microbiology , Parasitology and Public Health for Sustainable Development. His research interests focus on Animal Health, the Animal Disease Economy, Transboundary Diseases, and Public Health.
The Impact of African Swine Flu on Bhutanβs Food Security
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs that has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy. The global spread of ASF has devastated the piggery farms, often an important source of income for the pig-rearing families. Globally, pork is a major source of animal protein; therefore, the disease poses serious threat to global food security. However, the impact of ASF on food security in Bhutan, an import-dependent country remains poorly explored. Government reports providing secondary data were utilized to assess the impact of ASF on pork production and market prices with a focus on its impact on national food security. Since the first case of ASF in May 2021, Bhutan reported 24 ASF outbreaks across 10 districts of the country. From May 2021 to June 2024, 336 pigs died due to ASF; 1712 pigs were culled in preemptive culling measure to contain the further spread of the disease. This has resulted in estimated loss of 143.4 MT pork in the country. As Bhutan imports pork to meet the consumer demand in the country (about 1224 Metric Ton), loss of pork production would further shift the balance of trade to negative and raise concerns over food security. Despite the series of outbreaks over past 3 years, Bhutan maintained its domestic pork production at levels comparable to recorded prior to the outbreak. These findings recommend continued proactive containment strategy in management of future outbreaks, implementation of preventive measures and enforcement of farm biosecurity measures to avoid future outbreaks. The implementation and enforcement of these measures through close collaboration among various stakeholders are critical in mitigating the impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) on national food security and reducing the economic burden on farmers.