SRINAGAR, APRIL 18: Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Purnima Mittal, today launched the Tele-medicine facilities for livestock farmers and animal owners of the valley so that animal health and productivity doesn’t suffer as a result of lockdown and social distancing measures in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Speaking on the occasion, she reiterated that while agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy of J&K, livestock sector contributes over 35% to agricultural GDP, thus is the single largest contributor among all agricultural sectors.She said that the livestock farming is the industry that works 24 hours a day and 365 days a year and hence it becomes imperative that in these extra-ordinary times of public-health & economic exigency our precious livestock wealth is preserved and cared for. She expressed confidence that livestock sector woud emerge more strongly as and when we win the battle against the ongoing pandemic.She urged the people to continue consumption of highly nutritive livestock products and assured that no incidence of transmission of COVID-19 from livestock has been reported from any place in the world. She also implored upon people conducting sale and marketing of livestock goods to ensure they carry their operation while following social distancing norms. The Directorate’s e-Governance wing has also created an online public demand and complaint redressal portal at http://care.jkahd.net where people can solicit assistance (non-clinical) and submit complaints without the need to visit any office, the system will not system would not only decrease the need for public interactions and visits to departmental offices but will also make the dealings efficient, time bound and transparent, added the Director.
