FMD vaccination drive going on at brisk pace in Palamuru district

Mahbubnagar: People's representatives, including Ministers, have been sparing no effort to educate farmers on the importance of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination for cattle. Most of the farmers are not showing enthusiasm in getting the cattle vaccinated because of lack of awareness.

It is, however, to be noted that at Tummalkunta Thanda in Vollur village udner Jadcherla mandal in Mahbubnagar district, no official from Veterinary Department has visited the village to carry out vaccination driver, said Devuja Nayak of Chinnagutta Thanda of Vollur village.

Majority of farmers have cattle like cows, bulls and buffalos, sheep and goats. Nayak said he had 10 buffalos, and four cows and a few goats.

While the State government started the vaccination drive to eradicate FMD, the officials from the Veterinary Department are finding it difficult to visit each and every village because of shortage of workforce.

Despite the hurdles, the veterinarians and the health providers in the department are making every effort to reach out to farmers and help them. The doctors and staff are visiting two to three villages each day to administer vaccination to the cattle.

For instance, in Badepally and Kaverammapet villages under Jadcherla constituency, the officials formed five teams and each team was entrusted with the responsibility of covering two-three villages a day.

"In Jadcherla constituency there are about 12,000 cows and about 6,000 buffalos, We have formed five teams and every day we have set a target to reach out to certain number of villages and trying our best complete the vaccination drive 100 per cent by July 22," said Dr G Shivananda Swamy, Assistant Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department from Badepally.

Vaccination drive for animals started from July 5 and it will come to an end by July 22. Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy and Minister for Prohibition and Excise Srinivas Goud launched the vaccination drive.