PUDUCHERRY: A dairy farmer sat on dharma in front of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly with three dead calves, to protest against the “negligence and lethargy” of the government in vaccinating animals against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Dairy farmer from Saram, Y Rajkumar (30), also sought assistance in protecting the animals and his livelihood.
Rajkumar has been rearing 20 cows, as part of his family business. Within three days, seven calves died. “Not only I have lost the calves, but also facing difficulty in milking the cows without them. I am unable to supply milk,” said Rajkumar, a diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the family business after failing to secure a job. However, now the business is bad too; first, it got affected by Covid-19, then the heavy rains, and now loss of the calves.
The calves could have died due to FMD as the cows were not vaccinated for more than a year, he said, suspecting that the infection got passed on from the mothers. The cows were vaccinated in 2020 with one dose. The doses, which were due in September 2020 and March 2021, were not given. The veterinary clinics claimed non-availability of vaccine.