The authorities in Champhai district bordering Burma allegedly seized and slaughtered 19 pigs on June 9. Between July 28 and 29, 11 more pigs were done in.

The local authorities ordered slaughtering of all illegal poultry and livestock from Burma after the H5N1 strain was detected in neighbouring Manipur state, Bangladesh and Burma.

Earlier, the authorities in Mizoram used to send back all seized domestic animals to Burma. The turning point came after June 2007. They started slaughtering illegally imported pigs and chickens on the spot.

The Mizoram authorities banned all domestic animals from Burma for fear of bird flu virus spreading. However, smuggling of poultry and livestock continues through the porous Indo-Burma border.

Across Mizoram the price of livestock is going up as a result of the ban on the entry of poultry and live stock from Burma. The price of a pig climbed to Rs. 7,000 from Rs. 5,000 and the price of pork has gone up to Rs. 120 from Rs. 100 per kilogram.

“Pigs are a rarity in the markets in towns of Mizoram as of the ban,” said a butcher in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram.

The animal husbandry department of Mizoram declared the state free from H5N1 strain this week. - Khonumthung.