Southern rural Punjab has been battling a cattle virus epidemic with cases on the rise in the region near Rahim Yar Khan as well as along the borders with Sindh and Balochistan. Local farmers complain that the govt is keeping quiet and it is up to them to manage the crisis as veterinary officials can barely provide vaccines.
The worst hit villages are Chak 196-1-L, Chak 93-1-L, Chak 251-1-L, Chak 159-7-R, Sheikh Bhatta Bagho, Bagho Bahar, Ahmadpur Lamma, Ranjha Khan, Kot Sabzal, Chowk Bahadurpur, Tib Chauhan and Head Fareed. Veterinary scholars cite that the virus leads to painful nodules on the skin, fever, poor appetite, weaker milk production, deformed meat causing the animals to become useless and unworthy of sale.
The cattle virus was first discovered in 2022 in Pakistan through imported cattle and since then it has resulted in recurrent losses to the livestock industry. Farmers are crying foul that none of the vaccines provided by the government have been disbursed yet they have had to buy the vaccine at their own expense. Outbreaks have now also been reported in Pakpattan and Lodhran and Khanewal indicating that the virus is spreading northwards.
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The government has also announced inter-provincial checkpoints to reduce cross border spread by Sindh and Balochistan but implementation is lagging behind. Livestock experts demand early distribution of available vaccines, increased surveillance and creation of awareness. Unless prompt measures are taken, the livestock disease in Punjab will continue to rise, which can critically affect the earnings of farmers.
