Lumpy Skin Disease Under Control In Jammu And Kashmir: Union Minister L Murugan

Lumpy skin disease among cattle is well under control in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister L Murugan said on Sunday and lauded the efforts of the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration in tackling the infection.

The Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry said vaccination drive for the animals is a priority of the Narendra Modi government and "we are sure to eradicate the disease".

Several districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu, reported lumpy skin disease that infects cows and buffaloes mainly through vectors like blood-feeding insects. It leads to the formation of nodes on the animal's skin or hide that look like lumps, fever, runny nose, reduced milk yield and difficulty in eating.

"Lumpy skin disease among cattle is well under control in Jammu and Kashmir," Murugan told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

The minister visited Aquarium-Cum-Awareness Centre for on spot assessment of the day-to-day activities of the fisheries department on the last leg of his three-day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are proactively taking various steps to control lumpy skin disease and the way our Prime Minister tackled the Covid-19, we are sure to successfully defeat this infection among cattle as well," he said.

The minister said the vaccination drive against lumpy skin disease is the priority of the government and it was launched some days ago.

Referring to the various schemes for the promotion of the fishery industry in the country, Murugan said in the past one year, the Centre has invested Rs 32,000 crore for the purpose while another Rs 7500 crore was used for the development of the fisheries infrastructure.

"India is one of the leading countries in the export of marine products and we are making continuous efforts to tap the full potential of the sector," he said. 

(With PTI Inputs)