Providing a big relief to the livestock of the country, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, today launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVac^Ind to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin disease. The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly). Describing this vaccine as a milestone for eradicating the Lumpy disease, Shri Tomar said that livestock, along with human resource, is the biggest asset of our country, which we have a big responsibility to preserve and prosper.

Shri Tomar said that yet another new dimension has been set by developing this vaccine under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He congratulated the scientists of the Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Research Institute for developing the Lumpi disease vaccine. Ever since the disease came to India in 2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.

Shri Tomar expressed happiness that scientists accepted this as a challenge and undertaking limited trials in a short period, have developed a vaccine 100% effective complying with all standards, which will be effective in getting rid of the Lumpy disease.

Shri Tomar directed the concerned officials to provide this vaccine in large numbers at the earliest for relief to the cattle. He said that there are thirty crore livestock in the country, considering the plight of mute animals, all possible measures should be taken to provide them relief at the earliest.

Shri Tomar said that earlier too, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our scientists developed a vaccine to protect against Corona, which benefited the whole country as well as other countries.

Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Secretary Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Jatindra Nath Swain, Director General of ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Deputy Director General Dr. B. N. Tripathi, Dr. Triveni Dutt, Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Dr. Yashpal, Director, National Equine Research Center and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

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APS/PK