According to the 20th Livestock Census, 2019, India’s livestock sector, with a total population of 535.82 million, is one of the largest in the world. This sector contributed 16 percent to the income of small farm households besides offering livelihoods to two-thirds of rural communities. It also provides employment to about 8.8% of the population in India. One of the biggest impediments to the growth of this sector is the large-scale prevalence of diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Anthrax, Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Avian Influenza (AI), etc., which pose the following challenges:

• Livestock diseases cause direct losses due to morbidity and mortality, reduced production in terms of milk, meat, wool, hide, and skins, as well as indirect losses due to abortions, subsequent infertility, sterility, and deterioration of semen quality.
• The diseases add to the economic losses of farmers, as they have to buy new livestock every now and then. Moreover, it also affects their income due to reduced consumption by consumers for certain time periods when there is a disease outbreak.
• They threaten poor families’ food security and livelihoods. At the same time, since poor smallholders often live in close proximity to their animals, diseases threaten these families health as well.
• The presence of diseases deters domestic and foreign investment in the livestock sector. These not only wreak havoc on the existing stock but also limit international trade.

In this regard, the government has taken various steps to tackle the risk of livestock diseases:

• Implementing the Livestock Health & Disease Control (LH & DC) Scheme, which envisages control and containment of economically important animal diseases by providing central financial assistance to the states, carrying out vaccination, strengthening veterinary services, and training veterinarians.
• Setting up Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Centers (AQCS) in the country to prevent the ingress of exotic animal diseases into the country through imported livestock and livestock products.
• Providing financial assistance for strengthening the five Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (RDDLs) at Jalandhar, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Guwahati, and a Centre for Animal Disease Research & Diagnosis (CADRAD) to enhance disease diagnostic facilities in the country.
• Launching the National Artificial Insemination Programme, which aims to suggest novel methods of bringing about impregnation in female breeds. It also aims to prevent the spread of certain diseases which are genital in nature, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the animal breed.
• Approval of the National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis (NADCP) for five years (2019-24).

The livestock sector can help alleviate rural poverty and improving this sector can go a long way in doubling farmers’ income besides providing an alternative source of livelihood. Thus, there is a need to work towards better disease control management and provide incentives for the same by the government.