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KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
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State
Legislation in Animal Breeding - need of the hour
Absence of a specific and clear cut policy in animal breeding on the part of the
State Government has resulted in uncontrolled import of the germplasm of exotic
animals and cross breeding with genetic native breeds, said Dr. M.P. Yadav,
Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). He was inaugurating the
second Annual Scientists' Meet of the "All India Network programme on
Haemorrhagic Septicaemia" at the College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences,
Mannuthy. Though the introduction of exotic breeds had increased production
within a short span of time, many of the animals were highly susceptible to the
tropical diseases. Infertility was also found as a great problem among the
animals as it is reported to be 30% among the buffalo population in India. As
there were no stringent regulations to ensure that the exotic animals were free
from diseases, exotic germplasm in fact contributed for the outbreak of new
diseases and destruction of animal wealth and consequent economic loss causing
untold miseries to rural farmers who are dependent on livestock wealth. Dr.
Yadav opined that as animal husbandry is the state subject it is for the State
governments to bring appropriate legislation and evolve policies for breeding of
animals. Dr. K.V. Peter, Vice Chancellor presided over the function. Dr. Neam
Singh, Project Coordinator and Dr. Lal Krishna, Asst. Director General (Animal
Husbandry), ICAR spoke on the occasion. Dr. E. Nanu, Dean, College of Vety. &
Animal Sciences, Mannuthy welcomed the gathering. Dr. G. Krishnan Nair,
Principal Investigator of the Mannuthy Centre proposed vote of thanks.
Scientists from the seven collaborative centers attended the Scientists Meet.
ANP on Haemorrhagic Septicaemia
The All India Network programme on a Haemorrhagic Septicaemia is a programme of
ICAR linking the coordinating centre and main laboratory at IVRI Iztanagar to
seven collaborating centres located in seven states viz. Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala. Pasteurellosis in animals and
birds is one of the oldest animal diseases still continuing its devastating
effect on the economy of animal industry in this country. The main objectives of
this Programme are to undertake a national level effort to isolate
Pasteurella spp. from divergent species of animals and birds and to
characterize and compare them with the aim of developing a National Policy on
the control measures of this disease. At present, facility for serotyping is not
available in our country. This facility will be developed at the Coordinating
Centre, with the help of Regional F AO Centre on Pasteurellosis, Veterinary
Research Institute, Sri Lanka. All the seven Collaborating Centres are to
isolate Pasteurella multocida organisms from different ailing/
apparently healthy animals and send them to the Coordinating Centre, after
preliminary identification and antibiogram testing. Those centres where
facilities for molecular characterization are available may further characterize
the isolates and send them to IVRI. The Coordinating Centre will confirm the
identity of the isolates received from the seven centres, by molecular biology
based techniques and serotyping will be done with the help from Sri Lanka. This
will help in understanding the epidemiology of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) in
the country and in selecting suitable serotypes for vaccine production. The
Coordinating Centre will produce both inactivated as well as live vaccines
against HS and also combined vaccine against HS and Foot and Mouth Disease.
These vaccines would be tested both at the Coordinating Centre and at the
Collaborating Centres, for their validation.
Rank Holders Honoured
Kum. Poornima, Kum. Neelima and Kum. Subi of the 1999-2003 B.Sc. (Ag.) batch
bagged the gold medal instituted by PT A of the College of Agriculture,
Vellayani during 2003. His Highness Shri. Padmanabhadasa Uthradam Thirunal
Marthanda Varma Maharaja presented the gold medal to the rank holders in a
ceremony held on Feb. 27, 2004.
Release of Book
The book" Advances in the diseases of Plantation crops and Spices" edited by Dr.
P. Santhakumari, Associate Professor, COA, Vellayani was released by his
Highness Shri. Padmanabha dasa Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja on
February 27, 2004 by giving a copy to Dr. C. Sundaresan Nair, Dean, COA,
Vellayani. The book was published by International Book Distributing Company,
Ludhiana.