Mokokchung, August 7 (MTNews): The Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Nagaland, today, under the aegis of the Nagaland Livestock Development Board (NLDB) officially launched the second phase of this pivotal scheme, “National Animal Disease Control Programme on Foot and Mouth Disease” (NADCP), by Dr. Nsanthung Ezung, Director, AH and Veterinary Services, at the Nagaland Livestock Development Board Office, Dairy Farm Complex, Lerie Kohima. The National Animal Disease Control Program was launched by Prime Minister Modi on September 11, 2019 which envisages control of FMD and Brucellosis diseases in livestock by 2025 and freedom status by 2030.
In his speech, the director asked all department officers and field staff to be sincere and ensure that the program’s requirements are met by vaccinating the entire eligible herd of cattle and buffalo in the state against foot-and-mouth disease.The disease is a highly contagious viral vesicular disease that affects animals with cloven hooves, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and pigs. It leads to reduction in milk yield, decreased growth rate, infertility, reduced working capacity in bullocks, and trade embargo in the international market. FMD can be controlled by mass vaccination of susceptible livestock repeatedly at regular intervals till the incidence of the disease comes down.
He urged farmers to take full advantage of the programme by vaccinating their livestock against Foot and Mouth Disease. Furthermore, he emphasised that the mission can only be accomplished with the help and collaboration of the district and village authorities, and he demanded that they provide full support and cooperation to the department while carrying out vaccination in their respective jurisdictions.
The mission will conclude on October 4, 2022, as part of synchronised vaccination with a mandate to attain 100 percent immunisation of the state’s bovine, caprine, and ovine populations.
The programme was chaired by Dr. Kuokehebi Gwirie, Project Director; Dr. Salangtemjen, Managing Director Nagaland Livestock Development Board; and the Vaccination Mission was launched by the Director, AH and Veterinary Services, Nagaland by tagging the animals, vaccination, recording, and data uploading into the INAPH portal.