Anti-lumpy skin vaccination drive starts in Kunduz

KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): The Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Department says a campaign has been launched to vaccinate 53,000 cows in targeted areas of northern Kunduz province.

Agriculture Director Salahuddin Wahidi told Pajhwok Afghan News the vaccination drive was being conducted with financial assistance from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The campaign targets animals that have already been surveyed in the provincial capital and four districts of Kunduz, according to the official.

To prevent the cattle illness from spreading further, Wahidi said: “The lumpy skin vaccine will be administered to 53,000 cows in Kunduz City, Aliabad, Qala-i-Zal, Imam Sahib and Dasht-i-Archi.”

Livestock farmers are happy with the launch of the vaccination campaign. One of them, Mohammad Zaman, said: “If we don’t receive the lumpy skin vaccine, we could probably lose our animals to this disease.”

Faqir Mohammad, another livestock owner, said: “Most of Kunduz people are engaged in agriculture and livestock farmer. We are happy to get the vaccine for our cattle. If lumpy skin vaccine is not administered to our cows, they will die.”

Lumpy skin is a viral disease that creates bumps on animal skin, leading to weakness and appetite, loss. Infected cows do not give much milk and become infertile.

aw/mud