Stating that more than 58.93 lakh animals have been vaccinated against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Hemorrhagic Septicemia (HS) in Punjab, the state’s Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Sunday directed the Department officials to inoculate total livestock population of 65,47,407 — comprising 25,31,460 cows and 40,15,947 buffaloes — against the contagious diseases before June 30.
Urging the livestock farmers to take the maximum benefit of this drive to keep the animals safe from such fatal and life threatening diseases, Khudian said that the State Government is committed for the welfare of livestock farmers and directions have been issued to all field staff that not even a single animal should be left without vaccination as these diseases decrease milk yield along with working capacity of animals.
Giving breakups of the drive, the Minister informed that over 90 percent livestock has been covered against FMD, while 85.3 percent animals have been vaccinated against the HS so far. “Both vaccines are available in all veterinary institutes in the State and any livestock farmer can contact their veterinary institute for vaccination,” he said, while categorically asking the field staff, who were entrusted with the crucial vaccination drive, that negligence will not be tolerated.
