Government to bear full cost of Livestock Vaccination

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to bear the full cost of the Livestock Health & Disease Control scheme.

About the Proposal

• The entire cost of Rs 13,343 crore under the Livestock Health & Disease Control scheme would be borne by the centre that seeks to control livestock diseases, especially foot and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis.
• At present, the Centre and state governments contributed funds in the ratio of 60:40. The Central government has now decided to bear the entire cost.
• The scheme provides for vaccination coverage to 30 crore bovines (cows-bulls and buffaloes) and 20 crore sheep/goat and 10 million pigs.
• The government aims to eradicate FMD and brucellosis diseases fully as it has done in the case of polio and tuberculosis in human beings.

Livestock Diseases

The diseases like foot and mouth disease and brucellosis are common among the livestock viz. cow, bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats and pigs. If a cow or buffalo gets infected with FMD, the milk loss is up to 100 per cent which could last for four to six months.

Brucellosis can result in reducing the milk output by 30 per cent during the entire life cycle of animal and also causes infertility among the animals. Further, the infection can be transmitted to farm workers and livestock owners.

Livestock Health & Disease Control scheme

Livestock Health & Disease Control scheme initiated in 2010 towards prevention, control and containment of animal diseases of economic importance e.g., Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), Brucellosis, Anthrax, Haemorrhagic Septicemia (HS), Black Quarter (BQ), Classical Swine Fever, New Castle Disease (Ranikhet), Avian Influenza (AI), etc.

The Department of the Animal Husbandry and Diaries provides financial assistance to Animal Health Institutions under the scheme.