Context: 

This editorial is based on the news “Just what the doctor ordered for the livestock farmer” which was published in the Hindu. 

Livestock Population in India

As per the twentieth livestock census, 95.8% of livestock population is concentrated in rural areas 

• Access to veterinary service is a major challenge for Livestock farmers. 
• They are often compelled to travel far from their villages whenever their animals need treatment. 
• This adversely impacts the longevity and the productivity of their livestock.
• Mobile veterinary units will prove to be  instrumental for livestock health.

Issues Faced by Livestock Farmers in India

• Inadequate testing and treatment facilities for veterinary diseases: especially when there is a drastic rise in cases of zoonotic diseases.
  • Most villages in the country lack testing facilities, and even when samples are collected, they need to be sent to blocks/districts nearby for test results.

• Antibiotic Resistance: 

  • Prevalence of Quacks or untrained animal health workers in rural India due to less consultation charges  and easily accessible has led to the inappropriate administration of antibiotics especially in cases of mastitis (inflammation of the udder in cattle)
  • animal no longer responds to a drug to which it was originally responsive. 

• Lack of Credit Access: 

• • As per M.K. Jain Committee Report, livestock farmers face greater challenges in comparison to traditional agricultural farmers especially while accessing credit and livestock insurance.

• Milk Loss: 

• • The prevalence of mastitis results in a substantial daily milk loss of about 10 litres per farm, equating to an economic loss of around ₹300-₹350. For many small livestock farmers, the death or illness of livestock poses a critical threat, potentially determining the line between sustenance and starvation. 

Government Measures For Livestock Farmers

• Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs): The adoption of the MVU’s will lead to:
  • Increased outreach of Veterinary services especially in geographically difficult terrains as stationary hospitals cannot be easily accessed by most livestock farmers.
  • Surge in employment opportunities for veterinarians and assistants
  • Innovative outreach: through video consultation sessions between livestock farmers and veterinarians.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens”:  a catalogue of 12 species/families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. 
  • The MVU model will mitigate the issue of antimicrobial resistance and is in alignment with the ‘One Health vision’ laid down by the Global Action Plan of WHO.

Way forward to Livestock Sector

• Enhancing the longevity and the productivity of their livestock will go a long way towards alleviating rural poverty. 
• Focus should be on the upgradation of veterinary health-care services, disease surveillance and training (CVE), and disease reporting in real time.
• The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model should be explored for the MVU model to generate higher returns on investment.