PECUNIARY AID TO BE PROVIDED TO OWNERS OF PIGS SLAUGHTERED BECAUSE OF AFRICAN PLAGUE IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
March 12, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 12, NOYAN TAPAN. About 20 thousand pigs were slaughtered
as a result of penetration of African plague virus into Armenia in
August 2007.
The head of the state food safety and veterinary inspection of the
RA ministry of agriculture Grisha Baghian said at the March 12 press
conference that the virus mainly penetrated into the country’s two
marzes – Tavush and Lori, some cases were also registered in Ararat,
Armavir and Kotayk marzes and Yerevan.
In the words of G. Baghian, the Armenian government will allocate 480
mln drams to the ministry of agriculture with the aim of providing
pecuniary aid to the owners of the slaughtered animals. The amount of
aid for 1 kg of meat makes 1,005 drams (about 3.3 dollars). G. Baghian
said that there are 152 thousand pigs in Armenia.
The inspection head annouced that the last case of African plague
was registered in Berd in January of this year. According to him,
the situation is stable now but some marzes are in high risk zones,
and it is not ruled out that there will again be cases of African
plague this spring.
As for the recent cases of bird flu in Turkey and Moscow region,
G. Baghian said that the import of meat products from Moscow region
into Armenia has been suspended, and control has been established on
the Armenian-Turkish border. Besides, according to him, the respective
preventive measures against bird flu are being taken in the country.