KANOWIT, April 10 — Residents of two longhouses at Nanga Ngungun Resettlement Scheme here could only watch helplessly as their pigs died one by one over the past two weeks.

It is suspected that the pigs were infected by African Swine Fever (ASF).

Lia Jepon, a villager of Rumah Sali Kirak, said she noticed that the first two pigs showed decreased appetite less than a week before they died.

"The sow looked weak. There was blood oozing out of its eyes and snout just moments before it died,” said the 55-year-old paddy farmer who with her husband Jalak Bujun, and assisted by a few fellow villagers, buried the carcass of the second pig yesterday.

The first pig died about a week ago.

Lia said she had been rearing the pigs for five years and intended to have them slaughtered for this year’s Gawai Dayak.

"My children, who are currently in Peninsular Malaysia, will come back for Gawai this year,” she added.

Lia’s fellow longhouse villager Suri Renggan lamented over the losses that they had to incur.

"We spend hundreds of ringgit to buy pig feed from sago waste every month.

"This is really bad.

"So I hope the relevant authorities could provide financial assistance to the pig farmers affected by ASF,” she said.

Empawi Garaji from Rumah Austin Kilat also suffered similar losses – two of his pigs died within one week.

The two pigs left, including a pregnant sow, appeared unhealthy too, he pointed out.

"Both pigs are looking weaker and weaker each day.”

Last Friday, two officers from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sibu office conducted inspection on Empawi’s pen.

"They told to inform the department immediately should the remaining pigs die, as they need to collect samples for ASF testing,” said Empawi. — Borneo Post