What happened
Since March 2021, African Swine Fever has killed 71,912 pigs in Mizoram, devastating 8,966 pig-farming families and erasing an estimated Rs 960 crore in livelihoods — roughly Rs 10.7 lakh per affected household. By February 23, 2026, the total state compensation disbursed stood at Rs 15.59 crore: a figure equal to 1.6% of verified losses, or approximately the price of a mid-size government conference centre inauguration. The official government response to this gap was a new Animal Insurance Scheme, launched in February 2026, under which the state subsidises 85% of future insurance premiums and farmers pay the remaining 15%. The scheme does not cover pigs that are already dead. Mizoram's government has characterised this as a comprehensive recovery programme for the pig-farming sector.