No more sooar ke bachche

With zero demand for pork in the wake of swine flu, pig farms stop breeding

The increase in the number of swine flu cases has been inversely proportional to the demand for pork and pork products. Demand has declined drastically, causing owners of pig farms to stop breeding.

J Lewis of White Yorkshire & Landrace pigs in Panvel, one of the biggest piggeries providing to Mumbai, said, "We have 1,600 pigs and have taken precautions, because of the H1N1 virus.

Though the World Health Organisation has made it clear that the flu does not spread through pigs and one can eat pork or pork products, demand has dropped drastically. As a result, we have had to take steps to avoid breeding."
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Lewis used to sell around 30 pigs and another 50 were used for meat. But he is hardly selling any now.

He added, "The sows that are already pregnant will deliver, but we are avoiding new pregnancies." Usually, the farm sees about 200 births every month.

100% drop in salesAnother well-known pig farm, Green Meadows at Vasai, has not sold a single one of their 700 pigs in the last two months.

Said the owner, Lincoln Crasto, "Even though WHO has clarified that H1N1 has nothing to do with eating pork, we have not sold a single pig for a couple of months.

We used to sell around 60 a month. Since there is no demand, we have seen to it that there is no breeding either." There used to be around 100 births at Crasto's farm every month.

"Our business was doing really well before swine flu. My business has stopped by 100 per cent."

Pig farm owners now see no other option but to wait it out.

12 to 16
The number of piglets in a litteru00a0