The Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has played havoc in the country, killing thousands of cattle in many States. The situation in Gujarat is completely under control and the disease will not impact the milk production, sales or its prices in the long run, said R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director (MD) of Amul, the cooperative giant in the milk sector. In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Sodhi said the decrease in milk production in Gujarat, where 91,000 cases of LSD were reported, was just 0.25%.
He said proper vaccination could curb the disease in other parts of the country too and he offered to share Amul’s expertise with other States to deal with the situation. “We are in touch with State governments in Punjab and Rajasthan and other States on the situation. We are ready to provide any assistance to control the situation. Vaccination is the best way to curb the disease. On the national level, I don’t think there will be any impact in the production due to the LSD. We had a good monsoon. Milk production will improve now. In the organised sector, LSD had no impact on production and procurement. I also don’t see any impact of LSD on the milk prices and milk production in the long term,” Mr. Sodhi said.
