Improper disposal of food waste from international sources linked to ASF outbreak in SL
November 10, Colombo (LNW): The Department of Animal Production and Health has identified improperly disposed food waste as the primary contributor to the recent African Swine Fever outbreak affecting pig farms across Sri Lanka.
According to Director General Hemali Kothalawala, the disease’s spread is largely due to leftover food from ships and aeroplanes arriving from overseas.
Kothalawala explained that food scraps from international passengers, often distributed to pig farms as feed, have inadvertently introduced the virus into the local swine population.
She emphasised that the use of these imported food remnants, without proper treatment, has exacerbated the outbreak, leading to significant concerns within the farming community.
The Department has urged farm owners and relevant authorities to adopt stricter measures for the handling and disposal of foreign food waste, stressing that contamination from such sources poses a serious threat to the island’s livestock health.
Efforts are now underway to raise awareness among farmers about safe feeding practices and to explore regulations that prevent the use of untreated food waste from international sources as animal feed.
