In News:

The Government of India has launched the PashuAushadhi initiative to establish dedicated stores across the country offering affordable, high-quality generic veterinary medicines. This move aims to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure of farmers and enhance animal health and productivity, especially in the livestock and dairy sectors.

Key Features:

• Modelled on PMBJK: Inspired by the success of the Pradhan Mantri BharatiyaJanaushadhiKendras (PMBJK) that provide generic human medicines, the PashuAushadhiKendras will serve the same purpose for animals.
• Affordable Veterinary Drugs: These Kendras will provide non-branded (generic) veterinary medicines at significantly lower prices.
• Ethnoveterinary Medicines: Alongside allopathic drugs, they will also stock traditional remedies based on indigenous knowledge, compiled by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). These include formulations for fever, diarrhoea, indigestion, mastitis, and more.

Implementation Framework

• The initiative is part of the revised Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP), approved by the Union Cabinet.
• Run by Co-operative Societies & PM-KisanSamriddhiKendras (PMKSKs).
• An initial budget of ?75 crore has been allocated under the LHDCP for veterinary medicine access and sales incentives.

Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP)

• With an outlay of ?3,880 crore for 2024–25 and 2025–26, the LHDCP focuses on:
  • Prophylactic vaccination against major animal diseases (e.g., FMD, Brucellosis, CSF, PPR, Lumpy Skin Disease).
  • Disease surveillance and veterinary infrastructure strengthening.
  • Capacity building of veterinary services across India.

Need and Significance

• As per the 20th Livestock Census (2019), India has 535.78 million livestock, including over 302 million bovines.
• Livestock productivity is often hampered by preventable diseases.
• Farmers bear significant expenses on veterinary care, highlighting the need for cost-effective treatment options.