Importing Burmese pork to India was suspended from 14 July to 14 September. Mizoram State is contiguous with Chin State in Burma along a 404 km border.

In June, Manipur State also banned Burmese pork, Mizzima reports.

The main border trade route for Burmese pork into Mizoram State is through Saiha and Champhaing districts; another route is through Lawngtlai District. Silchar in Assam State, India, is another main border trade route between India and Burma.

According to trade figures posted on the Burma Economics and Commerce Ministry Web site, Mizoram State imported a total of 338,522 kg of pork from April 2008 to the end of March 2009 worth 489.72 million kyat (about US$ 669,000).

"The pigs are imported not only for meat, but also the piglets for rearing. Pigs imported from Burma are distinguished from other pigs. Similarly some cows imported from Burma are marked with the Burmese language in red paint," cited a source. Pork is a staple food in Mizoram State and many Mizos prefer pork and serve it as main dish in religious and social functions.

"Pork is the favourite food for the people living in the mountainous region in Mizoram. Pork is their traditional meat. The pork is an essential and favourite food for them," said a resident of Aizawl, the state's capital.

Local residents said the ban would cause a rise in pork prices if it continues for long. "This impact will be seen in next two months unless they lift the ban. Pork is a staple food here."

Blue-ear pig disease was first reported in Mandalay Region on 15 February 2011, and it spread to pigs in large pig farms and household small-scale farms, killing thousands of pigs in the area.

The disease originated in the US in 1987 and spread to Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France, England and Canada between 1990 and 1995. Earlier, Mizoram State also banned importing poultry and poultry products in 2009 when an outbreak of avian flu virus was reported in Burma.

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