After Covid, now a mammoth vaccination drive for lumpy skin disease

Cattle are being vaccinated swiftly as the disease breaks out of its initial holds of Rajasthan and Gujarat and starts infecting buffaloes too

The country is heading for another mammoth immunisation drive, this time for cattle. As the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) spreads across India, the government and cooperative dairies are rushing to vaccinate cattle to avoid any dip in milk production.

There is much uncertainty over the impact of LSD on milk production. Some experts are warning of a big drop, while some industry players say the impact may be limited and will depend on the extent of the disease’s spread.

India annually produces over 210 million tonnes of milk (2020-21 data) in which the share of cows has risen to almost