The Hindu Business Line : NDDB signs pact with Kerala for animal disease control

THE National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the State Government have entered into an agreement to implement an `animal disease control project' in the State. Announcing this, Dr Amrita Patel, Chairman, NDDB, said the programme is intended to control the occurrence of foot and mouth disease among cattle in the State.

Meanwhile, the NDDB is in discussions with the State Government on taking over the management of some of the State's agricultural markets, said Dr Patel. As a pilot venture, the organisation is likely to take on the responsibility of managing the European Union-funded agricultural market in Ernakulam district, she added.

The `animal disease control project' (ADCP) is likely to be implemented over a five-year period at a cost of Rs 34.18 crore. Of this, the NDDB's contribution will be Rs 24.98 crore and that of the State Government Rs 6.96 crore, while the Government of India will contribute the remaining Rs 2.24 crore.

The NDDB will contribute by meeting the cost of vaccines used in the ADCP, and also by assisting in manpower development and in providing laboratory support to the initiative, said Dr Patel. Besides, the organisation will also deploy a technical advisor in Kerala to assist in the implementation of the project.

The State Government on its part will provide the staff required for the project. Besides, it will also introduce a legislation making it compulsory for all farmers to vaccinate their cattle against foot and mouth disease. This legislation will also make it mandatory for farmers to put ear-tags on vaccinated cattle. It is also expected to contain provisions for the regulation of cattle movements into the State and compulsory disease reporting.

The project also envisages creation of a corpus fund to extend the programme beyond the initial five-year period. The State Government and the State's dairy farmers will contribute to this fund.

Commenting on the performance of Milma Foods Ltd, the NDDB's joint venture with the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma), Dr Patel said: "There are concerns."

In the 10 months of its existence, this venture has already displayed significant growth, but certain issues on its operation need to be resolved, she said. A decision on whether the joint venture should continue needs to be taken by the Milma authorities, she added.

More Stories on : Animals & Livestock | Dairy & Dairy Products | Kerala

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