Leadway Urges Pig Farmers to Tighten Biosecurity as Swine Fever Threat Persists

News in Brief:

— Leadway Assurance has urged pig farmers to strengthen biosecurity measures to prevent African Swine Fever, warning that the disease has no cure or vaccine.

— The advisory follows recent outbreaks in Plateau State that have caused heavy losses for pig farmers and disrupted livestock production.

Leadway Assurance has called on pig farmers across Nigeria to strengthen biosecurity measures following growing concerns over outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), warning that prevention remains the only effective defence against the highly contagious livestock disease.

The insurer said African Swine Fever poses a serious threat to pig production, with the virus capable of spreading rapidly through herds, causing high mortality rates and severe financial losses for farmers. Although the disease does not affect humans, there is currently no approved treatment or commercially available vaccine.

To reduce the risk of infection, Leadway advised pig farmers to tighten farm access, quarantine newly introduced animals, improve cleaning and disinfection practices, closely monitor livestock for signs of illness, and report suspected cases promptly to veterinary authorities.

Prevention Better Than Recovery

Speaking on the outbreak, Leadway's Global Head of Agricultural Risk Solutions, Ayoola Fatona, stressed that proactive risk management is just as important as insurance coverage.

He said while agricultural insurance helps farmers recover from unexpected losses, preventing disease outbreaks should remain the priority.

According to Fatona, African Swine Fever has the potential to wipe out entire pig herds within a short period, making investments in farm biosecurity essential for protecting livelihoods, ensuring business continuity, and safeguarding Nigeria's livestock industry.

He added that Leadway's role extends beyond providing insurance by supporting farmers with expert guidance, risk management initiatives, and continuous engagement aimed at building resilience against emerging agricultural threats.

The company also reminded insured farmers to comply with statutory disease control measures and maintain appropriate biosecurity standards as part of responsible farm management.

Plateau Outbreak Raises Fresh Concerns

The advisory comes weeks after pig farmers in Plateau State raised the alarm over an outbreak of African Swine Fever that reportedly killed thousands of pigs and forced hundreds of farms to suspend operations.

Industry stakeholders warned that the outbreak has inflicted millions of naira in losses on producers while threatening pork supply chains and livelihoods in one of Nigeria's major pig-producing states.

As part of its response, Leadway said it will continue educating farmers through radio programmes, webinars, community town halls, and stakeholder partnerships to improve awareness of disease prevention and strengthen the resilience of Nigeria's livestock sector.

Experts say stricter farm hygiene, early disease reporting, and improved biosecurity practices will be critical to limiting future outbreaks and protecting investments in Nigeria's growing pig industry.