New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to the Rs 3,880-crore Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme to include the distribution of high-quality and affordable generic veterinary medicines to farmers.
The total budget provided for the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) was Rs 3,880 crore for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
“A decision related to livestock health has been taken in the Cabinet. …High-quality medicines will be provided under the Pashu Aushadhi component of the scheme,” I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters after the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.
Pashu Aushadhi is the new component added to the LHDCP scheme, an official statement said.
The minister said Pashu Aushadi would be similar to Jan Aushadi Yojana. The generic veterinary medicines will be distributed through PM Kisan Samridhi Kendras and Cooperatives.
Vaishnaw said traditional knowledge of veterinary medicines will also be revived and documented as part of the scheme.
The Cabinet approved a provision of Rs 75 crore from the total budget allocation for supplying good quality and affordable generic veterinary medicine and an incentive for sale of medicines under Pashu Aushadhi component.
The scheme has three components – National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) and Pashu Aushadhi.
Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme focuses on the prevention of diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Lumpy Skin Disease, etc, through immunization.
The Scheme also supports door-step delivery of livestock health care and improving the availability of generic veterinary medicine.
The minister stated that nine states are ready to be declared as FMD-free zones. These states include: Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
India is the world’s largest milk producer. Being FMD-free and having a systematic and well-documented vaccination programme will help in the export of milk and milk products in a significant way and improve farmers’ income, he added.
The LHDCP will help in the prevention and control of livestock diseases through vaccination, surveillance and upgradation of healthcare facilities.
Also, the scheme will improve productivity, generate employment, encourage entrepreneurship in rural areas and prevent economic losses of farmers due to disease burden.
