India is “free” of ASF and CSF is being managed by aggressive, prophylactic vaccination drives

In a major move to protect rural livelihoods and to manage the endemic Classical Swine Fever Disease from pig farms and support pig farming in India, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has placed India’s entire 90 lakh (9 million) domestic pig population under a strict passive surveillance programme.

The nationwide health monitoring system operates alongside aggressive, proactive. state-backed Classical Swine Fever (CSF) vaccination drives targeting high-density pig production zones in the Northeastern states. Concurrently, international epidemiological registries confirm zero active African Swine Fever (ASF) detections across commercial hubs in mainland India. This achievement cements India’s status as one of the few major pork-producing and consuming economies to keep its primary commercial supply lines free from ASF outbreaks.

Centrally Sponsored CSF Vaccination Drive

Classical Swine Fever remains a premier economic bottleneck for India’s pig farming sector, causing severe multi-million rupee losses through high piglet mortality, stunted growth, and sudden farm outbreaks.

To systematically eliminate the pathogen, veterinary directorates across the Northeast have launched coordinated, free-of-cost CSF vaccination sweeps under the Central Government’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP).

The financial architecture leverages a 90:10 funding pattern (Centre to State) specifically tailored for the Northeastern region. A prime example of this rollout is in Manipur, where the Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry officially launched its 3rd Round CSF Vaccination Programme. Running under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the campaign deploys localized mobile veterinary teams to inoculate eligible herds across volatile border areas, safeguarding smallholder equity.

African Swine Fever Status: Mainland Commercial Corridors are Clear of ASF

While neighboring Southeast Asian territories and global pork production hubs grapple with endemic African Swine Fever (ASF) mutations, India’s mainland pork sector continues to maintain a highly resilient containment profile. Following strict regional containment protocols enacted during past localized wild-herd spillovers in shifting border zones (such as isolated clusters in Mizoram’s southern districts), mainland commercial channels remain entirely ASF-free.

This ASF-free status gives India a powerful competitive edge in the global livestock market:

• The Clinical Distinction: Unlike CSF, which can be managed via prophylactic vaccines, there is no widely approved, 100% effective global vaccine for ASF. It features a mortality rate approaching almost 100%, meaning containment relies entirely on biosecurity and culling

• The Border Shield: Because mainland India’s commercial production lines are free of the virus, its domestic pork supply chain is insulated from the mass liquidation events and sudden spikes in retail meat prices seen in other major global markets

India’s CSF and ASF Management Efforts

Pathogen Classification

Vaccine Availability

Current India Footprint

Economic Impact Profile

The Industry Verdict

The deployment of a nationwide passive surveillance network across India’s 90 lakh pig population shows a mature approach to national biosecurity. By driving free CSF vaccination campaigns across the vulnerable Northeast while successfully shielding mainland commercial lines from African Swine Fever, India is setting a strong example for livestock defense. Sustaining this freedom from disease will require continued investment in local vaccine production and strict border control, ensuring the long-term profitability and safety of the country’s growing pork industry.