Over 3.19 lakh livestock treated during floods as veterinary, dairy and fisheries sectors see major infrastructure and technology upgrades
Chandigarh, December 22
The Punjab Animal Husbandry Department has capped 2025 with landmark achievements, combining an extraordinary rescue operation during the floods with significant progress in veterinary healthcare, fisheries, and dairy development.
Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the department’s defining moment came during the unprecedented floods that hit 12 districts, where 492 rapid-response veterinary teams were mobilised across 713 affected villages. The emergency network delivered free medical treatment to over 3.19 lakh livestock, ensuring the state’s rural economy remained shielded from the disaster’s worst impacts.
“Our teams worked tirelessly on the ground, not only healing but preventing disease outbreaks — protecting the backbone of our rural economy,” said Khudian. He added that to prevent Hemorrhagic Septicemia, over 2.53 lakh animals received free booster doses, and essential feed supplies were coordinated with district administrations and NGOs — including 20,000 quintals of feed, 16,000 quintals of silage, and 68,000 deworming doses.
The department also held 1,619 awareness camps to support livestock farmers during the crisis.Beyond flood management, Khudian said the department strengthened veterinary infrastructure, upgrading six polyclinics with new Indoor Patient Departments (IPDs) and installing 22 modern animal lifters statewide. Preventive healthcare drives saw 24.27 lakh animals vaccinated against Lumpy Skin Disease, 126.22 lakh against Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and 68.88 lakh against Hemorrhagic Septicemia.
A major technological leap came with the installation of the Allengor-800 MA Digital Radiography System at the Patiala Veterinary Polyclinic, developed at a cost of ₹54 lakhs. The system enables instant, film-free diagnosis for bone fractures, cancers, foreign bodies, and kidney blockages — a facility earlier confined to the Ludhiana veterinary university.
Highlighting breeding advancements, Khudian said the promotion of sex-sorted semen technology has boosted production of high-value female calves, with 1.82 lakh doses used since January 2023.
The state’s fisheries sector also witnessed major progress, with ₹5.82 crore in subsidies granted to 187 beneficiaries under FY 2024–25. Punjab recorded 43,683 acres under fish farming yielding over 2 lakh tonnes of fish, alongside 985 acres dedicated to shrimp farming. The government produced 15.99 crore fish seeds and trained 9,200 individuals in aquaculture.Khudian also noted continued growth in the dairy sector, where around 8,500 farmers are trained annually, leading to 3,500 new dairy units each year.
Under the National Livestock Mission, 30,734 milch cattle were insured and ₹9 crore in compensation was disbursed to affected farmers.Principal Secretary Rahul Bhandari lauded the department’s dual achievements of crisis response and strategic innovation. “This year has been a testament to our commitment — from lifesaving measures to visionary reforms — in shaping a resilient and scientifically advanced animal husbandry sector for Punjab,” he said.Would you like me to adapt this story into a shorter press release format or a published newspaper report style (more headline-oriented and concise)?
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