“Fighting African swine fever is like fighting invaders,” said Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Suan Fook.

As incurable swine disease spreads rapidly across the country, the prime minister called for harsh penalties for anyone trying to nullify efforts to contain it.

In his address to central and local government agencies, Fook called for increased efforts to prevent and control the disease. In the country, the disease spread to 53 of 63 cities and provinces, and to date, two million pigs have been culled.

Fook said there were reports that a fund set up to support farmers to select infected pigs was being stolen. When farmers report their sick pigs to the authorities, they must be paid a certain amount based on the weight of the pigs so that the infected pigs are rejected.

But some officials have reportedly pocketed some of this fund. The Prime Minister has imposed severe penalties for those who find ways to steal funds intended to support farmers and those who do not report the exact number of pigs to be rejected.

The responsible authorities, according to the Prime Minister, must ensure that the infected pigs are detected on time and destroyed in accordance with the rules.

Vietnam is the world's seventh largest pig population of 30 million, and is the sixth largest producer of pork. According to official figures, pig farming provides livelihoods for 2.4 million Vietnamese households.