Milk collection in Rajasthan reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day due to lumpy skin disease

Jaipur, Sep 11: Milk collection across Rajasthan is estimated to have reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day after the onset of lumpy skin disease among cattle, an official said. However, the reduced collection has not affected the demand-supply ratio of milk at retail outlets as the department in the last five months had made aggressive efforts to increase the milk collection, the official said.

According to Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF), in the month of June, about 20 lakh litre per day milk was being collected at collection centres. The collection is estimated to have reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day and is presently 29 lakh litre per day. "Milk collection has reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day in the state after the onset of lumpy skin disease. It would have been 32 to 33 lakh litre per day but is presently 29 lakh litre per day. However, it has not hit the demand-supply ratio as we have made aggressive efforts to increase milk collection since April," RCDF administrator and managing director Sushma Arora told PTI.

She said that the recent increase in prices of milk and ghee has no relation with the decreased milk collection due to lumpy disease but the RCDF had to increase the support price so as to encourage farmers to sell their collection at dairy forums. There are about eight lakh farmers in the state who sell milk at about 17,500 Dairy Cooperative Forums (DCFs) in the state and there are about 24 milk unions controlled by the RCDF.

Lumpy skin disease in cattle was first reported in Rajasthan in July end, which gradually spread in various districts of the state, killing thousands of cattle. According to the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department, 11,08,433 animals have been affected due to the disease, 10,70,875 animals have been treated and 6,22,649 animals have recovered till September 10.

The virul skin infection has led to death of 49,057 cattle in Rajasthan so far. Out of the total deaths reported in the state till September 10, a maximum of 4,774 deaths reported from Sri Ganganagar, followed by 3,898 in Jodhpur, 3,597 in Ajmer, 3,464 in Kuchaman City and 3,094 in Hanumangarh.

PTI