PERAMBALUR: Farmers across the district are worried as their cattle have been affected by Foot and mouth disease (FMD) for over 10 days. They said there is no vaccine for the disease in hospitals.
Most of the farmers here depend on their cattle for their livelihood. In fact, Perambalur district ranks third in milk production in the State. These cattle are vaccinated by Perambalur Animal and Husbandry department twice a year. However, for the past two years, there has been no supply of vaccine from the Central government owing to Covid-19.
Cattle in Keezha Perambalur, Vathistapuram and Vayalpadi have been affected by the disease during the last ten days, resulting in them being unable to eat.
P Anjalam, a farmer from Keezha Perambalur, told The New Indian Express, "My cattle have sores in the mouth and legs. I fear this will reduce our yields. At least 15 cattle have been affected by the disease in my village alone. Many people do not know how to fix it. I went to my nearest veterinary hospital but the doctor says there is no vaccine due to lack of adequate supply."
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"I gave Siddha medicines to help my cattle, but the authorities must conduct regular camps and take action immediately," she went on to add.
Another farmer, R Ganesan, said, "A week ago, my cattle also had symptoms. Foot and Mouth is a viral disease and can severely affect other cattle. I could not take my cattle outside as there was no vaccine. I do not even know what treatment to give."
When The New Indian Express contacted the Perambalur Animal and Husbandry Joint Director D Suresh Christopher, he said, "We do not have a vaccine supply from the Centre due to the pandemic. Three months ago we had asked the government for the vaccine. The symptoms of this disease are not greater in our district. However, we go door-to-door to check the issue and if there is any symptom in cattle, we provide Siddha remedies."