Anantnag, Mar 01: Director of Animal Husbandry Department Kashmir kicked off the fourth round of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination program from Anantnag after laying the foundation stone for a sub-district veterinary hospital in Bijbehara, Anantnag district.
Purnima Mittal, Director of Animal Husbandry Kashmir, visited Anantnag and addressed the farmers in Bijbehara, launching the FMD vaccination program under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP).
She was accompanied by Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Anantnag, Javed Mohi ud Din Zargar, along with other officers and officials.
Director Mittal said that every farmer with livestock will be covered under this vaccination program free of cost. Teams will visit every village and household to vaccinate the livestock against FMD.
“This is a two-month program, and we will ensure 100 percent coverage. People with livestock should ensure their animals are vaccinated as the teams reach out to them,” she said.
She said that the new project (Sub-District Veterinary Hospital), for which the foundation stone was laid, is funded by NABARD and its timeline is three years, though it may be completed in less time.
An official told Rising Kashmir that around 1.5 lakh cattle in Anantnag district will be covered under the vaccination program within two months. He said that this initiative is a step towards complete eradication of the diseases.
“The overall aim of the National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD and Brucellosis (NADCP) is to control FMD by 2025 through vaccination and eventually eradicate it by 2030. This will lead to increased domestic production and ultimately higher exports of milk and livestock products,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rouf Zargar, DDM NABARD, told Rising Kashmir that the project is sanctioned by NABARD under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) XXIX tranche.
He said that the total financial outlay of the project, if completed within the timeframe, is 477.53 lakh, out of which NABARD assistance amounts to 453.65 lakh, with the remaining being the contribution from the UT Government. “NABARD has already released 136 lakh as mobilisation advance to the department for execution of the work,” he added.
