ZHOB: Livestock and Dairy Development department Zhob organized a series of free veterinary medical camps in far-off areas of the district to provide medical facilities to the affected animals in the rain-hit areas. Thousands of small, medium and large animals have been vaccinated and free medicines have also been provided to the farmers.
According to Deputy Director Livestock Dr. Najeebullah Kakar, medicines provided by the provincial government were sent to six veterinary hospitals in different remote areas and the camps also set up in two disease control areas (Abdullahzai and Mandokhail) of the district. In charge CVH Sambaza Dr Juma Gul Mandokhail, Dr Dad Khan Mandokhail, Dr Karim Mandokhail and veterinary staff participated in the camps.
‘The camps have been set up in flood-hit areas to protect the cattle from post-flood diseases. Beside the vaccination, drenching of the animals was also carried out to prevent the cattle from diseases including the lumpy skin disease, that is spreading rapidly,’ he said.
According to the Livestock Department’s 2017-18 statistics, the total number of livestock in the district including cows, bulls, sheep, goats and camels is around three million. The provision of only seventeen thousand doses of vaccine and antibiotic by the government for the around 3 million cattle heads is like a small cumin in the camel’s mouth. Despite the fact that the mysterious lumpy skin disease is also spreading rapidly in the district, for the prevention of the disease insufficient medicine has been provided to the department.
‘The medicines and anti-biotic including Enterotoxaemia, Black Quarter, Sheep Pox, Goat Pox, vaccines for Foot and Mouth diseases (FMD), Hemorrhagic Septicemia and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccines should be provided to the department on war footing to control the post-flood diseases,’ it has been demanded.
Feeds should also be provided for the affected livestock in the flood-hit areas, as the fodder of the livestock has also been severely damaged by the torrential rains and floods as well.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Zhob division Muhammad Saeed Umrani, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ramzan Palal and Assistant Commissioner Jarullah Jalalzai visited the camps and inspected the arrangements for the farmers at the camps.
Livestock after agriculture is an important sector of the rural economy in Balochistan. Zhob valley’s pasture land extends hundreds of kilometers and there is a huge potential. In order to improve the livestock breed, the sector needed to be put on modern lines.
