Lumpy skin claims over 2,000 cattle in Madhesh State

KATHMANDU: More than 2,000 cattle died of lumpy skin disease in Madhesh State. It is a huge toll on livestock, thereby impacting agriculture and income.

Statistics on such loss was made public during a programme organized in Janakpur on Monday. The Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives in the state informed that Siraha witnessed maximum loss- 1,118 cattle died while Parsa has the least deaths- 2.

Cow and ox are the highest in number dying of lumpy skin while buffaloes in the least number- 6.

Meanwhile, in the state, 45,825 livestock have been vaccinated against the fatal disease, according to veterinarian Dr Ranjit Kumar Adhikari.

Sarlahi district has recorded the highest number of vaccination- among 12,325 cattle. However, vaccination has been awaited in Saptari, Siraha, Mahottari and Parsa districts.

Inaugurating the vaccination programme at Gaushala of Janakpur on Monday, Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Govind Bahadur Neupane, informed that the state government had sent each district with 8,000 doses of vaccine against lumpy skin.

Minister Neupane vowed government initiative for a sustainable solution of this problem. The vaccination drive was a special campaign at present, he added.