National Animal Disease Control Programme Expands Scope to Boost Livestock Health

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has unveiled the next phase of the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), a flagship initiative launched several years ago to curb the spread of major livestock ailments such as foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD), peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and bovine brucellosis. Under the new expansion, the programme will incorporate additional diseases, including avian influenza and classical swine fever, and will extend its reach to previously underserved regions in the central and eastern states. Funding for the enhanced effort has been increased by a substantial margin, drawing from both central allocations and contributions from state governments, with an emphasis on leveraging digital tools for real‑time disease monitoring and data analytics.

Key components of the upgraded NADCP include a mass vaccination campaign targeting over 150 million cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats, coupled with the deployment of mobile veterinary units equipped with cold‑chain facilities to ensure vaccine efficacy in remote areas. The programme also introduces a streamlined compensation framework that promises faster payouts to farmers whose livestock are culled or suffer losses due to disease outbreaks, addressing long‑standing concerns about delayed reimbursements. In parallel, a nationwide awareness drive will educate farmers on biosecurity practices, early disease detection, and the benefits of reporting suspected cases through a newly launched mobile application.

Officials anticipate that the broadened scope and reinforced infrastructure will significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates in the livestock sector, thereby enhancing milk and meat production and contributing to food security. Early pilot implementations in select districts have already reported a measurable decline in FMD incidents and improved herd health indicators. Stakeholders, including farmer associations and veterinary NGOs, have welcomed the initiative, noting that sustained political commitment and adequate resource allocation will be critical to achieving the programme’s long‑term eradication goals.