In an effort to double the income of farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) on September 11, 2019, from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, for eradicating the foot and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis in the livestock. The central programme solely focuses on improving animal health conditions in the country.
The Need
India’s livestock wealth with a population of more than 125 crores is the largest in the world. It includes 190 million cattle, 110 million buffaloes, 135 million goats, 65 million sheep, and 10 million pigs. As per 2017–18 data, India is the largest producer of milk globally with the production of 176.35 million tonnes. But the prevalence of animal diseases is a serious impediment to the growth of the livestock sector. cattle productivity is getting low. Losses due to major diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), brucellosis, etc., are humongous and often beyond estimation. These diseases are common among livestock such as cows, buffaloes, bulls, pigs, sheep, and goats. Both diseases have a direct negative impact on the trade of milk and other livestock products. If a cow or buffalo gets infected with FMD, the milk loss is up to 100 per cent, which could last for 4 to 6 months. In the case of brucellosis, the milk output reduces by 30 per cent during the entire life cycle of the animal and also causes infertility among animals. It is because of FMD that there is not the only reduction in the milk production and trade in livestock products but also infertility, reduction in the quality of hides and skins of the animals, and reduction in their draught power. Thus, FMD has a direct negative impact on the trade of milk and other livestock products. The diseases have resulted in some overseas markets being shut to Indian dairy and meat products and prevented the industry from realising its income potential.
The NADCP for foot and mouth disease and brucellosis aims to eradicate these diseases. This will result in increased domestic production and ultimately in increased exports of milk and livestock products. The intensive brucellosis control programme in animals is envisaged for controlling brucellosis, which will result in the effective management of the disease in both animals and humans.
The National Animal Disease Control Programme
With 100 per cent funding from the central government, of ` 12,652 crores for a period of five years till 2024, the NADCP aims at vaccinating over 500 million livestock including cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and pigs against the FMD. The programme also aims at vaccinating 36 million female bovine calves annually to safeguard then from the brucellosis disease.
The FMD control programme component of the NADCP envisages 100 per cent vaccination coverage of cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and pigs at six months’ interval in the entire country. Further, animals will be identified using unique animal identification ear tags, which will help track and get information regarding past history and exposure of the animals to the virus. The programme also includes deworming of the targeted population of livestock twice a year as one of its activities. Unlike the earlier FMD control programmes, the latest attempt is to implement the programme in a phased manner for effective coverage and results. The brucellosis control programme component of the NADCP envisages 100 per cent coverage of only female cattle and buffalo calves that are 4–8 months of age. They will be given the vaccination shot once in their lifetimes. The NADCP aims to control the diseases by 2025 and eradicate them by 2030. The programme will be implemented on a ‘war footing’, with all animals getting two shots of the vaccine, ear-tagged, and followed up across all states.
The brucella vaccine is also being covered under the NADCP..
National Artificial Insemination Programme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also launched the National Artificial Insemination Programme (NAIP). He launched a countrywide workshop in all krishi vigyan kendras (KVKs) in all 687 districts of the country on vaccination, disease management, artificial insemination, and productivity. The programme was launched along with ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ (SHS) Programme, 2019, and National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) at Mathura.
Implications
A much better breed of cattle would enable the farmers to pocket 6–8 times more profit than what they are usually earning now. India has also hired the services of two American companies, considered to be the most advanced in artificial insemination technology, to produce healthier livestock. The farmers would now be able to breed only cows rather than bulls. The new technology of insemination provides sex-sorted semen wherein the farmers can ensure that only female calves are born so that they can obtain more milk. The cows are to be inseminated using semen of genetically superior bulls to ensure increased milk production and better fertility.
In the livestock sector, due to continued focus on exotic germplasm-based cross-breeding, the number of indigenous breeds with better adaptability, disease-resistance, and feed efficiency ratio is declining. The situation is made worse by unregulated blood levels in the crossbred progeny, in attempts to increase milk yield indiscriminately. Hence, it is the need of the hour to conserve and improve the productivity of Indian indigenous breeds. For accomplishing this task, the government is now focusing on 100 per cent artificial insemination coverage along with the application of advanced cutting-edge reproductive technology developments.
Policymakers in the government’s think tank, National Institution for Transforming India (Niti) Aayog, are hopeful that by increasing livestock production in quality and quantity, rural India can contribute to India’s GDP in a significant way. According to a Niti Aayog official, animal husbandry and dairying can reap profits up to ten times more when compared with agriculture production by and large limited to Kharif or rabi crops.
About Foot and Mouth Disease
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious viral disease of cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. FMD is generally not fatal in adult animals but leaves them severely weakened, results in drastically reduced production of milk, and can be a potent cause of major financial loss for dairy farmers. The animals infected of this virus get a fever, sores in their mouth, on their teats, and between their hooves. This disease spreads through excretions and secretions; infected animals also exhale the virus.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, the intergovernmental organisation for improving animal health, FMD is endemic in several parts of Asia, most of Africa, and the Middle East. Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Central and North America, continental western Europe, and most Latin American countries are FMD-free.
Measures to stop outbreaks and check FMD transmission include controlled introduction of new animals into existing herds, regular cleaning and disinfection of livestock areas, monitoring and reporting of illness, and use of effective vaccination strategies.
About Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a reproductive disease of livestock resulting in huge financial losses and has an adverse impact on human health, as it has zoonotic potential. It is a bacterial infection contracted from animals due to consuming unpasteurised dairy products. Farmworkers and livestock owners are always at risk of contracting as well as spreading this disease. Its symptoms include fevers, chills, lethargy, weakness, headache, and muscle and joint pain. According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, brucellosis is endemic in most parts of India. It causes early abortions in animals and prevents the addition of new calves to the animal population. Hence, control of brucellosis will have a double impact—both in human health and livestock health, besides rich economic gains to the animal owners/farmers.
To control the disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the vaccination of cattle and, in some cases, testing and culling.
Overcoming Challenges
There is a need to examine previous programmes and identify what caused problems and failure in achieving expected results. For instance, where livestock extension services are concerned, the trained rural youths were responsible to cater only to 8 to 15 villages. They often focused on treatment, mostly on large livestock, rather than preventive practices and awareness-building. It was also difficult to reach out to women, who were caretakers of livestock. High travel costs also resulted in the neglect of close monitoring and administering first aid.
Vaccine Challenge
According to industry estimates, India’s FMD control programme requires 1,000 million doses every year, whereas the current production is only around 500 million doses. But as per the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), this shortage could be met. India currently has a capacity to produce 850 million doses of FMD vaccines, which is more or less sufficient to take care of the cattle and buffalo population in the country. But if other livestock is also to be covered, as the control programme envisages, India may need additional shots of vaccine. Besides, the farmers do not need to pay for the vaccination as the centre is undertaking the entire bill. As for the vaccine availability, the major producer in the country is the Hyderabad-based Indian Immunological Ltd, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of FMD vaccine, with a capacity to deliver 360 million doses per annum. Many other companies are gearing up to meet the challenge.
Biovet from Bengaluru, that makes animal vaccines, has announced an investment of ` 200 crores to meet the growing market demand for animal vaccines. Expansion work has begun at its manufacturing unit in Malur, Karnataka, and it is to build a new production facility to produce 100 million doses of Brucella vaccine.
Considering the animal health scenario and the central programmes, one can conclude that livestock is the backbone of the Indian agricultural sector and it holds the key to doubling farmers’ income. Only healthy animals can fulfil the expected results and help economic growth. Therefore, in all central programmes, animal health has been treated as a priority.
