Cabinet Approves Initiative to Control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) & Brucellosis to Support the Livestock Rearing Farmers

Cabinet Approves Initiative to Control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) & Brucellosis to Support the Livestock Rearing Farmers

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an initiative to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis to support farmers associated with the animal husbandry sector.
• The initiative has been allocated total outlay of Rs. 13,343 crores to fully control these diseases amongst the livestock in the country in the next 5 years and subsequently eradicate these diseases.
• Under FMD, vaccination coverage will be provided to 30 crore bovines (cows-bulls and buffaloes), 20 crore sheep/goat and 1 crore pigs at an interval of six months’ along with primary vaccination in bovine calves.
• The Brucellosis programme will cover 100 percent vaccination coverage of 3.6 crore female calves.
• So far the initiative was implemented on cost sharing basis between the Central and State Governments but now the central Government will bear the entire cost of the programme to ensure complete eradication of these diseases and better livelihood opportunities for all the livestock rearing farmers in the country.