The lumpy skin disease that’s swept Gujarat and Rajasthan has claimed thousands of cattle. But in Anand, India’s milk capital and home to Amul — India’s largest dairy brand — the impact has been minimal.
Home to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation — India’s oldest and largest dairy cooperative that markets ‘Amul’ — Anand and neighbouring villages have recorded 1,507 cases of the Lumpy Skin Disease, a viral disease that affects cattle, since April 1.
At Amul, H.S. Rathod, head of administration at GCMMF, is amused at all the attention that the disease is getting this year.
“The disease is not new. It entered India from Bangladesh in 2019. Since then all states have been reporting cases sporadically. The first case in Gujarat was reported by us in 2020,” Rathod said when ThePrint, after having visited Kutch — the district that has been among the worst hit this year — visited Anand.
Rathod referred to a 2017 FAO report that shows that the disease entered the eastern states of India from Bangladesh and slowly spread to other states.
The LS, he said, had “very low mortality” and could be easily managed. Last year, south Gujarat faced an outbreak of the disease — then, it spread from Maharashtra to Surat, Kaira, Baroch, and Anand.
“We had more than 40,000 cases in Kaira district last year, reaching its peak during July and August last year. However, death was less than 1 per cent,” Rathod said.
In an interview with ThePrint, GCMFF Managing Director R.S. Sodhi said that there was just a 0.25 per cent dip in milk production in Anand district because of the disease.
So why has Anand been spared of the horrors and heartbreak seen elsewhere in Gujarat, especially in Kutch? The answer could lie in vaccination and hygiene standards.
At Anand and its neighbouring villages, the cattle are fully vaccinated against the disease, said Rathod. Additionally, dairy farmers keep in touch with Amul’s veterinary tea, said Rathod.
Sanjay Patel, the Chief Executive Office of Amul’s Research and Development division, said it was years of efforts to ensure the cows are protected that paid off.
“We have been training the cattle owners on how to maintain hygiene in the cowshed. They understand that this is a vector-borne disease — so they bathe their cattle regularly to prevent tick infestations,” Patel told ThePrint.
