Farmers Urge Punjab Government to Reopen Cattle Markets as LSD Infections Decrease

Farmers in Punjab said that the state government should reopen the cattle markets now as the LSD infections have declined. They said that marketplaces have been opened in Rajasthan and Haryana.

"One gets a better deal at the cattle market as all the stakeholders come to a common platform, said Amrik Singh of Mansa. “A trader from Madhya Pradesh can communicate with local sellers directly. I request the state government to open the markets”, he added. While neighbouring states have reopened the cattle markets after cases of lumpy skin disease decreased, the Punjab Government appears to be in a deep slumber, according to Ruldu Singh Mansa, chief of the Punjab Kisan Union. As a result of the shutdown of cattle markets, trade and employment have suffered significantly. In this regard, we have submitted a memorandum to the Mansa ADC.

Bathinda DC Showkat Ahmad Parray said, “Though LSD cases have come down, we need to analyse the precise situation. We'll make the decision accordingly.”

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has spread in more than a dozen states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. According to data kept by the Department of Animal Husbandry, the disease has infected 16.42 lakh cattle in 197 districts and has killed 75,000 animals between July and September 11, 2022. According to a senior official of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), It is safe to consume milk from cattle infected by Lumpy Skin Disease, which is a non-zoonotic infection and not transmissible from animals to humans.

Farmers, traders, and transporters have suffered as a result of the closure of cattle markets in the wake of lumpy skin disease (LSD).

A daily average of 1,500 animals are transported to the Sardulgarh cattle market and 500 buffalo are delivered to the Dhanaula cattle market.