Maharashtra govt to start lumpy skin disease vaccine production in Pune

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The Maharashtra government has finalised a proposal to undertake production of the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease which has affected a large number of cattle in the state and others parts of the country, a senior official said on Thursday.

The move will make Maharashtra self-sufficient in producing vials of the vaccine, commonly known as goatpox, said the official from the state animal husbandry department.

"The proposal is aimed at undertaking vaccine production so that the state can continue to inoculate cattle every year to put a check on the lumpy skin disease spread. The technology to produce the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease is already available with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), which is a Union government body," he told PTI.

The official said the vaccine production will take place at a facility in Pune district.

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"The state government needs to transfer around Rs 70 lakh to the ICAR as part of royalty. Once the technology is acquired, the Maharashtra government will start production at a facility in Aundh (Pune district) and become self-sufficient in terms of vaccine production and availability," he said.

"The animal husbandry department has mooted a policy decision to inoculate cattle annually with the lumpy skin disease vaccine commonly known as goatpox. This will put a check on its spread," the official said.

The state government had earlier said more than 3,000 cows, bulls and calves have died in Maharashtra due to the contagious viral disease, which spreads through insects or contaminated water.

The first case of the lumpy virus in Maharashtra was detected in Jalgaon district some months ago, but a massive vaccination drive kept the cattle toll under control in the state, the official said.

"Although the state government has compensated the affected farmers, the amount does not cover the full cost of cattle. If a farmer loses a milch animal, then it takes longer to recover the losses," said Raju Shetti, a farmer leader and former Lok Sabha member from Kolhapur.

Shetti has been demanding enhanced compensation for affected farmers and better infrastructure for veterinary doctors and supporting staff to tackle the outbreak.

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