DCFA-Pakistan President Muhammad Shakir Umar Gujjar has announced that at least 40,000 cattle have been affected by the lumpy skin disease in Karachi. He further said that since no action has been taken in trying to control the disease, his organisation jas listed down measures that could be helpful in controlling the disease and its subsequent cure.
The suggested measures are as follows:
1) Please allow Eros Pharmaceutical and Huzaifa International to import LSD Vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus in non-affected provinces/areas. The government must subsidise this vaccine for small scale farmers and monitor the price control systems for the commercial & corporate sector.
2) Immediately stop the animal movement from Sindh to other provinces and keep the entry of other animals into Sindh on a conditional basis.
3) In the worst-case scenario we may need to freeze the open animal markets to prevent the spread. This act will incur massive local economic losses.
4) Issue instructions on lumpy skin disease prevention, first aid and advertise in VET hospital and engage media if necessary.
5) Make sure all communication remain effective and meetings are held on a weekly basis to analyse the set parameters.
6) Government must investigate and take strict action against relevant authorities who pay negligence on this issue.
The leader then warned that Pakistan needs to step up and get with the times and become proactive instead of reactive in situations like these.
“Our farmers are already suffering from many other challenges and can’t afford such damages and survival for their families is next to impossible,” he said.
