Key Strategies discussed to boost Livestock Sector: Vaccination, Fodder Cooperatives, Disease Control
A Regional Review Meeting of the Northern States/UTs was held on 12th November 2024 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The meeting brought together Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Directors and scheme officers from the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Departments of the Northern States/UTs including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to discuss the progress of various departmental programs and schemes. Key officials of the department including Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary and Shri Jagat Hazarika, Adviser (Statistics) were also present for the meeting.
During the meeting, Secretary DAHD reviewed the physical and financial progress of several key schemes, including the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), Entrepreneurship Development under the National Livestock Mission (NLM), the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) During the meeting, progress of Government of India’s flagship LHDCP(Livestock Health and Disease Control Program), which focuses on vaccination against major diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD),Brucellosis, PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) and Classical Swine Fever(CSF) was also reviewed, with discussions on the status of six-monthly vaccinations for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats.
Discussions were also held on several other topics including components under Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD), the operationalization of Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and the formation of “Pashukalyan Samities.” Alka Upadhyaya, urged the states to speed up vaccinations and increase reporting to prevent disease spread. She underscored the need for sero-surveillance and mentioned that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Free-zones should be a focus. Highlighting the importance of growth in the dairy sector, she emphasized upon the need to increase processing capacity and diversifying dairy products. Secretary, DAHD encouraged the States to spend funds for interest subvention under NLM. She asked the states to monitor claim-to-settlement ratio and review the progress constantly. On the issue of fodder production, she requested all the states to constitute fodder cooperatives. Increasing the coverage of the organized dairy sector, promoting Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) especially in the Goat, Pig and Poultry sector and optimising the infrastructure and wealth creation by taking the benefits of NLM and AHIDF were highlighted as strategic approaches to strengthen the livestock sector in the Northern region. Secretary, DAHD also emphasized the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure the success of the ongoing 21st Livestock Census that plays a critical role in shaping future policies and programs for the Animal Husbandry sector and called for leveraging the latest technologies to achieve its successful implementation.
