To prevent the occurrence of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the state, Punjab Animal Husbandry Department has started a mass immunization drive for the livestock.
As many as 68,45,300 FMD vaccine doses have been procured under National Animal Disease Control Programme, said the state Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Sunday.
A total of 48,73,277 FMD vaccine doses have already been administered covering around 75 per cent of the livestock population so far under this drive, Khudian said, adding that 100 per cent livestock population (around 65,03,505) will be vaccinated by December 20, 2023.
The Minister informed that this vaccine is totally free and the service of administering it is being provided by the staff of Punjab Animal Husbandry Department at the doorstep of the livestock or dairy farmers. The main objective of this immunization drive is to protect our livestock from Foot and Mouth Disease, which has been recognized globally as a serious threat to the livestock population.
To save the dairy farmer from the severe milk production losses as the FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact, the Cabinet Minister urged the state dairy farmers to reach out to their nearest veterinary institutions to get vaccinated their livestock to eradicate this contagious disease.
