SRINAGAR: A daylong seminar on Advances in Small ruminant production and disease control Kashmir perspective was held at SKUAST Shuhama wherein veterinary experts from outside states divulged on topics related to disease prevalence, surveillance and their control for better managing of both animal and human health, besides safeguarding the economic losses suffered by the farmers.

The daylong programme was jointly organised by Disease Investigation Laboratory (DIL) Nowshera Srinagar of Department of Sheep Husbandry along with Faculty Outreach Centre SKUAST Shuhama. Top veterinary experts from the field, SKUAST called upon forging better coordination among them for the effective control of diseases and preventing any new outbreaks.

At the outset the Dr M Maroof Shah, Deputy Director Research  DIL Nowshera said that the programme is aimed to help the sensitize the  veterinary fraternity  on how working together of experts in the field and those doing research could work wonders for better animal welfare in future.

Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry SKUAST, M Ashraf Pal gave a detailed presentation about the strenuous efforts the faculty has been making in the field of animal breeding , fulfilling their nutritional needs and their disease control surveillance.

He even hailed the SHD for improving the small ruminant breeds across Kashmir and said that the faculty is fully equipped, labs conduct tests of various diseases found in animals and some effective remedies have been developed.

 He said that venturing into sheep farming holds the potential not only to generate employment and counter the urban migration of youth, but these new entrants need to be saved from the losses due to diseases.

 Later speakers from various leading Veterinary institutes also gave detailed lectures about significant diseases that rob the poor farmers and now the rich who have ventured into this sector across India.

 Professor Puran Chand in his lecture deliberated on status of brucellosis and urged upon the veterinarians to remain ever vigilant about any abortions happening among the sheep and goat and focus on controlling the disease at their farm levels to stop its spreading to future generations.

He said that given our scenario, we do have many loopholes in our system wherein control procedures  lax and get rampantly bypassed given this zoonotic  disease chance to progress and  effect the humans with veterinarians being at the forefront of contracting this disease too.

Former Principal Scientist from ICAR CIRG Prof ShoorVir Singh  Makhdoom UP, cautioned that veterinarians must be vigilant about diseases and controlling them could safeguard our future generations.

In his talk on Para tuberculosis occurring in small ruminants Singh lamented the fact that at times those at the helm of affairs fail to understand the need to implement expert recommendations that hamper disease control measures in cattle.

He said that for veterinarians operating in the field act swiftly at local levels helps a lot for disease control.

He added that detecting diseases at late progression is common as farmers miss out at signs of the disease and it is the veterinarians who should pick up these clinical signs and pursue the test that at times become significant for detecting key diseases including Para TB.

During his online talk on Early warning on disease management in small ruminants, Dr KP Suresh from ICAR NIVEDI Bengaluru divulged in detail,  on how effective data collection can withhold the key to disease control at the very inception.

 He said that the effective tools are being devised to make farmers and veterinarians report disease outbreaks.

The experts during the seminar also recommend Dr Suresh for enhancing data collection and it’s sharing with the users’ agencies, researchers so that some of the prevalent diseases in small ruminants could be mitigated effectively.

 Later Principal scientist from CIGR Makhdoom Dr SD Kharche talked about the prospects of artificial insemination and embryo transfer technology being helpful in small ruminants and it being effective in controlling transfer of various diseases. He added that technology will improve the breeding in small ruminants and researchers should focus on using it.

Others who spoke on the occasion included former Director Education SKUAST Dr Shakeel A Wani and District Sheep Husbandry officer Kulgam Dr Rafiq Ahmad.

Later, Director Research Dr Azmat Alam thanked the participants for making it even during the pandemic times and discovering the importance of effective means to control the disease spreads at the very inception.

Scientists from SKUAST and vetenerains and researchers from DIL Nowshera, participated in the event who were also presented with certificates for participating in an earlier programme on small ruminants , at FOC, the recommendations from which will be sent to authorities on effective planning about the small ruminant sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The programme proceedings were conducted by Dr Ajaz Ahamd Dar associate professor at Veterinary Medicine SKUAST who hailed, head of the FOC-SKUAST Dr Abdul Hai for his support to make the programme successful.

Later a vote of thanks was presented by Feroze Ahmad Lone.

Reader correspondent