&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Okowa tasks pig farmers on hygiene<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Given current global health situation&comma; governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has directed owners of pig farms in the state to intensify hygiene and restrictions measures to forestall outbreaks of diseases in their farms&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">A statement signed by the Director of Information and made available to OpenLife&comma; Dona Obuseh&comma; said the directive has become imperative in view of reported case of African Swine Fever &lpar;ASF&rpar; outbreak in some farms of the state&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">The statement specifically directed pig farmers&comma; butchers and other stakeholder put in place control measures such as stepping up the bio-security in their respective farms&comma; by improving on their hygiene and halting inter-farm movement of pigs&comma; humans&comma; materials as well as importation of pigs from outside the state&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Other control measures include protect their pig farms from free range pigs and&nbsp&semi; report any suspected sick pig to the veterinary clinic&comma; livestock officer or agricultural extension agents&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">According to the statement&comma; the ASF kill pigs in large scale and capable of crumbling pig business for farmers&comma; adding however that the consumption of infected pig posed no threat to humans&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">The statement&comma; nevertheless&comma; directed pig farmers and stakeholders to beware of buying already sick animals to forestall the outbreak of the disease in their farms and those of others in the state&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph"><&sol;p>&NewLine;